The Arizona Native Plant Society

Tucson Chapter Monsoon Mixer
2024-09-06 18:00 (America/Phoenix) | Himmel Park
Spend a delightful, friend-filled evening with ANZPS on Friday, September 6th, 2024 at 6:00pm for our annual monsoon mixer and plant swap!

This year we will be holding this event under the large Ramada on the west side of Himmel Park. There is ample parking on the northwest side of Himmel Park and the ramada will allow us to hold the event rain or shine. (As you recall, we have been rained out in past events!)

In keeping with tradition, we encourage members to bring native plants, seedlings, and seeds to swap with one another. This is an opportunity to clear out those seedlings that have come up with the summer rains and exchange them for a new addition to your native plant collection. We also encourage members to bring native plant-related books and art to swap with fellow members.

The Tucson Chapter board will provide some snacks and drinks, and members are encouraged to bring their own dishes, potluck-style to share. We do have a permit from the City to have alcoholic beverages at this event, so members are welcome to bring their own libations.

This gathering will take the place of our September meeting, and will be an excellent opportunity to kick off another season of field trips and lectures from the Tucson Chapter of the Arizona Native Plant Society.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Click below for map and directions to the park:
Himmel Park Location and Details
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Flagstaff Chapter Meeting
2024-08-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Highgate Senior Living Center at 1831 N Jasper Dr. on McMillan Mesa. Park, 1831 N. Jasper Dr on McMillan Mesa, Flagstaff, Arizona
Zane Robertson: Rumex orthoneurus
Rumex orthoneurus is an herbaceous riparian perennial within the Polygonaceae or Buckwheat family native to Arizona and is a Forest Service sensitive species. One of the issues regarding the “threatened” status of R. orthoneurus is the taxonomic distinctions between R. orthoneurus and closely related species, such as R. densiflorus, R. pycnanthus, and R. occidentalis. My research focuses on using ribosomal RNA extracted from herbarium specimens, GenBank sequences, and other historic records to provide insight on the identity of R. orthoneurus and better inform conservation efforts.
Zane Robertson is a Plant Biology and Conservation M.S. graduate of Arizona State University. His interest lies in rare plant conservation and molecular biology, and his thesis focuses on combining historic and molecular techniques to clarify the identity of the rare plant Rumex orthoneurus. He is from Mukilteo, Washington State, where he first gained interest in plant biology while volunteering at the community garden. He graduated from Everett Community College within the Ocean Research College Academy program, where he gained an interest in research and the principles of conservation within the natural world. During his time at Montana State University, he studied wheat breeding and tested a quantitative trait loci (QTL) from spring wheat varieties to identify the effect of the QTL on different traits. He is currently working as a Conservation and Land Management Program (CLM) Intern with the U.S. Forest Service at Tonto National Forest and Chicago Botanical Garden.

Arizona Native Plant Society 20th Annual Botany Meeting
2024-08-17 08:00 - 18:30 | Pima Community College, Tucson
AZNPS will have its twentieth annual botanical symposium in person this year, on Saturday, August 17, 2024. The venue will be Pima Community College West Campus, at 2202 W Anklam Road in Tucson. It’s an easy drive, just a few miles west of Interstate 10. The meeting will run from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm on Saturday, and field trip times for Sunday will be announced at the meeting. Lunch and light refreshments are included in the registration.
Mark your calendars, and we hope to see you in Tucson in August!
Mail-In Registration
Conference Details
Online Registration
Call for Papers

Grass Identification Class at University of AZ Herbarium
2024-08-16 09:00 - 15:00 | University of Arizona Herbarium, Herring Hall
Back by popular demand, the AZ Native Plant Society and the University of Arizona Herbarium will offer a two-day combination lecture and hands-on workshop for students serious about doing grass ID work. The course goals are to impart sufficient knowledge for students to make wise decisions regarding collection of grasses, to provide complete information on grass morphology, and to teach the use of keys for identification of most Arizona species. Handout materials, dissecting scopes, tools, and pressed grass specimens for study will be provided. The first day will be lecture mixed with hands-on work. The second day can be for review if needed or desired and questions, plus working with keys from various references.
Total enrollment for the class is 18 students. Last year the class filled rapidly, and a waiting list was established. This year we will consult the 2023 waiting list and offer class slots to individuals on last year’s waiting list and who wish to take the course this year.
Instructors: Mike Bauer with assistance from several AZNPS members, Dr. Shelley McMahon, Herbarium Curator and Associate Professor, UA, and George Ferguson, UA Herbarium Collections Manager
Cost: $40
For Registration Contact: Douglas Ripley, jdougripley@gmail.com, 520-909-3132

Monsoon Plant Sale at Desert Survivors Tucson
2024-07-20 08:00 - 16:00 | 1020 W. Starr Pass Blvd, Tucson AZ 85713
https://www.desertsurvivors.org/plant-sales-events/

Flagstaff Chapter Meeting
2024-07-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Highgate Senior Living Center at 1831 N Jasper Dr. on McMillan Mesa., 1831 N. Jasper Dr on McMillan Mesa, Flagstaff, Arizona
Jesse Duff-Woodruff. Plants Endemic to the Kaibab National Forest

Native Plant Sale at The Arboretum at Flagstaff
2024-07-07 08:00 - 17:00

Plants of the Mohave Desert and Traditional Tribal Uses
2024-06-27 19:00 - 20:30 | online via Eventbrite
The Natural History Institute in Prescott, AZ has a free talk this month. Carrie Cannon, a professional Ethnobotanist with the Hualapai Tribe of the Grand Canyon, will be giving a lecture on “Plants of the Mojave Desert and Traditional Tribal Uses” at 7pm AZ Time on Thursday, June 27th. Attendance is free but requires registration via the link above.

The talk can also be live-streamed remotely at this link on our Youtube channel. The live-stream recording will be posted on our channel for you to watch at your convenience if the timing of the event doesn’t suit you well.

Flagstaff Chapter Field Trip
2024-06-23 08:00 - 17:00
Mt. Elden Agaves
Join Susan Holiday as she shows us native Agave parryi (Parry’s Agave) that grow in the “banana belt” of Mt. Elden.
Contact Susan at naris123@cs.com for specific details.

Flagstaff Chapter Meeting
2024-06-18 19:00 - 20:30 | t Highgate Senior Living Center at 1831 N Jasper Dr. on McMillan Mesa., 1831 N. Jasper Dr on McMillan Mesa, Flagstaff, Arizona
Wendy McBride. Conserving Rare Plants and Their Pollinators
The need for information on the basic biology, including reproductive
systems and pollination ecology, of rare species is integral to both species-
and community-level conservation efforts. Angiosperms are often dependent
upon interactions with animal pollinators for successful reproduction, and
pollinators are often reliant upon plants for vital food and other resources.
This talk explores the pollination ecology of two rare plants occurring in
Arizona, Erigeron rhizomatus (Zuni fleabane), and Sphaeralcea gierischii
(Gierisch’s globemallow), and the tightly bound relationship between plants
and their pollinators. This mutual dependence informs conservation efforts
and reminds us of the complexity of organisms, their intricate connections
and interconnected fates, much of which we still do not understand despite
our impacts on the environment around us.
Wendy is a botanist based in Flagstaff. She has a background in teaching, independent botanical research, and working as a consulting botanist. She has been working with plants for 18 years and enjoys opportunities to learn more about plants and explore their biology, ecology, and taxonomy.

Flagstaff Chapter Meeting: Tuesday, May 21, 2024
2024-05-21 19:00 - 20:30
Tuesday, May 21, 7:00 PM: Melissa Sevigny. Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon
Hybrid meeting: In-person and via Zoom
The meetings are now being held at Highgate Senior Living Center at 1831 N Jasper Dr. on McMillan Mesa.
Park anywhere in the parking lot or on the street.
Buzz to be let in if the door is locked and come upstairs to the second floor.

TUCSON FIELD TRIP - Native Plant Responses to the Bighorn Fire reprise
2024-05-16 07:30 - 10:30 | Catalina State Park
Meet at Catalina State Park : After the entrance proceed straight ahead to the end of the main road to the main parking area. We will meet up at the mosaic panel near the main kiosk. Wear sturdy hiking boots, a hat and bring plenty of water.
No RSVP required
There has been remarkable desert native plant resilience on Catalina State Park following the devastating Bighorn Fire of 2020.
We will sample the habitats at the beginning of the Birder Trail and then proceed to walk the two-mile Canyon Loop Trail to see the remarkable tree and bush species shifts now happening in response to the Bighorn Fire. Along the Loop trail we will see the recovery of native grama grassland and the unique grass/fairy duster habitats associated with Mariposa Lily populations. We will walk along the base of Romero canyon and witness the impressive recovery of native riparian plants following both the Bighorn Fire and the multiyear AZNPS effort to suppress invasive species. Many late Spring wildflowers will be in bloom.

Tucson FIELD TRIP: The Romero Canyon - Return of the Natives
2024-05-11 07:00 - 10:00
Meet at Catalina State Park : After the entrance proceed straight ahead to the end of the main road to the main parking area. We will meet up at the information kiosk near the mosaic wall. Wear sturdy hiking boots and bring plenty of water.
Limit: 10 participants RSVP to tucsonaznpstrips@gmail.com
We will slowly botanize along lower Romero canyon and witness the impressive recovery of native plants following both the Bighorn Fire and the multiyear AZNPS effort to suppress invasive species. We will see the remarkable explosion of native species including classic riparian flowering plants, grasses, rushes, bushes and trees; including the appearance of the first cottonwood in Lower Romero Canyon in living memory. Finally we will witness the return of canyon tree frogs and canyon spotted whiptail lizards to this canyon. Lots to see and learn !

2024 Desert Horticulture Conference
2024-05-10 07:30 - 16:00 | Tucson, AZ
3 concurrent tracks: Plants and Design, Plant Health, and Water/Urban Landscapes
For more details and to register, visit the conference website.

Tucson Monthly Chapter Meeting for May: Tony Figueroa, Tucson Audubon Society, on invasive plant species
2024-05-09 19:00 - 20:00 | ENR2 building, Room 215, University of Arizona, and on Zoom, 1064 E Lowell St, Tucson, Arizona, 85719
Invasive plants don’t recognize jurisdictional boundaries. The Tucson Audubon Society has been bridging the gap between the public lands, government agencies, and private land holdings in their effort to protect native species by joining the battle against invasives. Join Tony Figueroa from Tucson Audubon Society to learn about protecting the native species by prioritizing invasive species treatments in riparian and saguaro forests. To get the zoom link for this meeting, email to: nativeplantstucson@gmail.com
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TUCSON FIELD TRIP - Native Plant Responses to the Bighorn Fire
2024-05-09 07:30 - 10:30 | Catalina State Park

Tonto Basin Chapter Meeting: Frida,y May 3, 2024
2024-05-03 10:00 - 13:00 | 268 E. Stephens Way, 268 E. Stephens Way, Tonto Basin, AZ, 85553, United States
Friday, May 3, 10:00 – 1:00 pm:
“Seven Layers of the Forest,” presented by Charles Locke, Soil Food Web Specialist. Learn how to create native habitats that will increase biodiversity in your own landscapes. Stay for a year-end potluck picnic in the Chapter President’s garden located at 268 E. Stephens Way, Tonto Basin, AZ

Saguaros Like You Have Never Seen Them
2024-04-20 08:00 - 11:00 | Ironwood Forest National Monument, Waterman Restoration Site
Saturday April 20
Saguaros Like You Have Never Seen Them. West Avra Valley Road, 35 mile car loop. 8-11am with John Scheuring. Fifteen-person limit. We will carpool west on Avra Valley Rd 20 miles with four stops for an eye-opening learning tour about saguaros and their associated native plants. This will include a half mile slow hike through desert filled with saguaros like you have never seen them: multi-armed saguaros of all types and stages of development, a saguaro singularly preferred by flickers, a lightning struck saguaro, multiple saguaro families around and under nurse trees, and telltale early signs of saguaro decline. Finally we will drive west to an area where we will discuss the natural history of saguaro pollination and genetic relatedness between neighboring saguaros. Many desert annual species will be in full bloom. Meet on the East side of the Marana Airport parking lot. The Marana airport is exactly 5 miles west of I-10 on Avra Valley road on the north side of the road. Note : ALL participants MUST be willing to carpool so we can limit the number of cars parked along the roadsides. Regular sedans and SUVs are welcome. For more information or to register, email tucsonaznpstrips@gmail.com

Flagstaff Chapter Meeting: Tuesday, April 16, 2024
2024-04-16 19:00 - 20:30
Tuesday, April 16, 7:00 PM: Janice Busco. The Life and Seasons of the Living Roof.
Hybrid meeting: In-person and via Zoom
Highgate Senior Living Center at 1831 N Jasper Dr. on McMillan Mesa.
Park anywhere in the parking lot or on the street.
Buzz to be let in if the door is locked and come upstairs to the second floor.

Tiny to Huge Native Plants. Upper Romero Canyon and Green Pirate Rock, Catalina State Park
2024-04-14 08:00 - 11:30 | Catalina State Park
Sunday April 14
Tiny to Huge Native Plants. Upper Romero Canyon and Green Pirate Rock, 8-1130am with John Scheuring. Fourteen-person limit. This slow hike will traverse actively growing riparian areas, desert grassland, and saguaro-studded bajadas as we learn about key plant species in each habitat and dynamic plant successions now in progress. We’ll also see desert wildflowers, bushes, and trees in full bloom. We will encounter steep climbs and rocky stream crossings and hike a total of 3 miles. Bring a hiking stick to help yourself balance at stream crossings, plenty of water and snacks. Meet at Catalina State Park Main Parking lot and trailhead area at the information kiosk. For more information or to register, email tucsonaznpstrips@gmail.com

National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration (Albuquerque, NM)
2024-04-14 - 2024-04-19
The National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration (NCER) features presentations and field trips dedicated to both small- and large-scale restoration in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Monday will be a full day of talks focused on the desert Southwest region.
View the conference website for more information.

Spring Native Plants and Wildflowers galore.
2024-04-13 08:00 - 11:00 | Ironwood Forest National Monument, Waterman Restoration Site
Saturday, April 13: Spring Native Plants and Wildflowers galore. Waterman Restoration Area, Ironwood Forest NM, 8:00 -11 am with John Scheuring and Andrew Gourevitch. Stroll through this impressive desert restoration site on a limestone foothill slope snuggled at the base of the Waterman Mountains. Fourteen years after getting a monoculture of buffelgrass under control and installing passive water harvesting, we will see many of the 115 native species growing and blooming on the 18 acres, with focus on the keystone species that serve to restore and maintain the desert. We will walk slowly about ½ mile over uneven ground. Directions : Turn off I-10 onto Avra Valley Rd (Exit 242), turn west and drive 19 miles straight ahead. Turn left at the large HOLCIM sign on your left and drive one mile, bearing left. For more information or to register, email : tucsonaznpstrips@gmail.com
The Waterman Restoration Site in spring

Spring Native Plants and Wildflowers galore.
2024-04-12 08:00 - 11:00 | Ironwood Forest National Monument, Waterman Restoration Site
Friday April 12: Spring Native Plants and Wildflowers galore. Waterman Restoration Area, Ironwood Forest NM, 8:00 -11 am with John Scheuring and Andrew Gourevitch. Stroll through this impressive desert restoration site on a limestone foothill slope snuggled at the base of the Waterman Mountains. Fourteen years after getting a monoculture of buffelgrass under control and installing passive water harvesting, we will see many of the 115 native species growing and blooming on the 18 acres, with focus on the keystone species that serve to restore and maintain the desert. We will walk slowly about ½ mile over uneven ground. Directions : Turn off I-10 onto Avra Valley Rd (Exit 242), turn west and drive 19 miles straight ahead. Turn left at the large HOLCIM sign on your left and drive one mile, bearing left. For more information or to register, email : tucsonaznpstrips@gmail.com
The Waterman Restoration Site in spring

Tucson April Monthly Chapter Meeting- Flora of the Sierra Murrieta, Sonora, Mexico. Presented by Tom Van Devender.
2024-04-11 19:00 - 20:00 | ENR2 building, Room 215, University of Arizona, and on Zoom, 1064 E Lowell St, Tucson, Arizona, 85719
The flora of the Sierra Murrieta was inventoried on a Madrean Archipelago Biotic Assessment Expedition from July 31 to August 2, 2014, and a Madrean Discovery Expedition (MDE) on September 13-17, 2022. The vegetation is foothills thornscrub at lower elevations and oak woodland above. A unique feature is an open limestone habitat on the top of the Sierra Murrieta. The flora has strong floristic affinities with tropical southern Sonora and the temperate Sierra Madre Occidental and Sky Island mountain ranges in the Madrean Archipelago.
Agave parviflora in Tierras de Jimenez

Pristine Desert Spring Flowers on the way to Ragged Top in Ironwood Forest National Monument
2024-04-07 08:00 - 12:00 | Ironwood Forest National Monument, Waterman Restoration Site
Sunday April 7.
Pristine Desert Spring Flowers on the way to Ragged Top in Ironwood NM, 8am to noon with John Scheuring. Fifteen-person limit. Join AZNPS member John Scheuring on a slow drive with many stops and a short but steep and rocky hike in the pristine foothills of Ragged Top on Ironwood Forest NM. We will see amazing swathes of blooming Mexican Poppies, Coulter Globemallow, and Lupine along roadside stops. On our short hike we will see Desert Hibiscus and various “belly flowers” in glorious bloom. Wear sturdy hiking boots. EVERYONE on the tour must be willing to carpool because of the narrow road that does not allow for 2-way traffic in most areas. Only high clearance vehicles can make the trip, with a limit of 5 vehicles. Meet on the east side of the Marana Airport parking area. The Marana Airport is exactly 5 miles west of I-10 on Avra Valley Rd (Exit 242). For more information or to register, email tucsonaznpstrips@gmail.com

Inauguration of the Takoi c Moho U'im (Desert Grasslands Habitat) at the Mission Garden
2024-04-06 09:00 - 12:00 | Mission Garden Tucon, 946 W Mission Ln, Tucson, AZ, United States
Saturday, April 6, 9am-12 noon: the inauguration of our Takoi c Moho U’im (Desert Grasslands Habitat) exhibit at Mission Garden in Tucson

The exhibit name, translated as “Where we gather Yucca and Beargrass,” acknowledges and displays the higher desert grasslands habitat known to the original residents of S-cuk Ṣon, the O’odham village and present day site of Mission Garden. The event will include Basket Dancers from San Xavier, O’odham blessing, basketry demonstrations, speakers including grasslands author Jim Koweek, and refreshments.

Wildflowers, Mariposa Lily habitat and much more along the Loop Trail at Catalina State Park.
2024-04-06 08:00 - 11:00 | Catalina State Park
Saturday, April 6
Wildflowers, Mariposa Lily habitat and much more along the Loop Trail at Catalina State Park. 8am to 11am. Arizona Native Plant Society member John Scheuring will lead this learning field trip covering big picture themes like plant succession after the bighorn fire, the contrast between native grasses and invasive Lehmann Lovegrass on spring native plant growth, the unique habitat of Mariposa Lilies, and the effect of invasive grass control on bringing back native plants in Romero Canyon. The wildflowers will be in peak bloom! Meet at the Catalina State Park Main parking lot and trailhead area at the east side information kiosk. For more information or to register, email tucsonaznpstrips@gmail.com

Native Plant Sale at Gila Watershed Partnership, Safford AZ
2024-04-05 12:00 - 18:00 | Gila Watershed Park, 1651 W. Discovery Park Blvd., Safford, AZ

Tonto Basin Chapter Botany Walk
2024-04-05 10:00 - 11:30
Friday, April 5, 10:00 – 11:30 am
Desert Bloom Walk. Location to be determined. Contact chapter for developing information.

Wildflowers along Canyon Loop Trail, Catalina State Park
2024-04-01 08:00 - 10:00
Wildflowers along Canyon Loop Trail, Catalina State Park, 8:00 am with Lyn Loveless. This is an unhurried 2-mile hike mostly on flat terrain (one long up and one long down) and includes upland and riparian sections. If there is water in Sutherland Wash, you will get slightly wet feet. Meet at the Catalina State Park trailhead by the mosaic sign by 8am. For information or to register send an email to nativeplantstucson@gmail.com with CANYON LOOP in the subject line.
