If Flagstaff is cold and snowy, then The Arboretum at
Flagstaff is usually colder and snowier! Generally, the wintertime
temperatures are 10-15 degrees less than the City of Flagstaff's recorded
highs and lows. In the middle of the winter, it is not uncommon for the
nighttime temperature to be 20 degrees below zero! Once
plant species are placed outdoors here at 7,150 feet above sea level, they
must be able to withstand extreme environmental conditions including 100
inches of snow annually, a 75-day growing period, wide daily temperature
fluctuations, spring drought, drying winds, and soils that won't hold a lot
of needed moisture. Many years, we even have days with temperatures below
freezing in the middle of June! Basically, if you can garden here at the
Arboretum, you can garden anywhere!
In order to protect our growing plants inside the
greenhouses, the heaters run from October to March. Although we do use
passive solar heating, we are changing our heating fuel at the Horticulture
Center to wood pellets in order to save money and to protect forest health.
For more information about our weather, please
contact
us.
