Plants of the Colorado Plateau

Native Plant Information

Flagstaff Native Plant and Seed --This local Flagstaff nursery offers descriptions of hundreds of wildflowers, grasses, trees and shrubs native to the region.	USDA PLANTS Database --The mother of all plant databases, maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Covers more than 45,000 species found in the U.S. The easiest guide to navigating these pages for the information you want will be the icons and the search box at the top of the home page.
Plants of the Southwest --This Santa Fe nursery has descriptions of hundreds of drought tolerant plants native to the region.	NatureServe --Recently established database being expanded to more than 50,000 species of North American flora and fauna. Focus will be on ecological communities. Plans for coming year include adding county and watershed-level species maps. Of special interest to researchers and ecology practitioners.
Northern Arizona University Dept. of Biological Sciences and School of Forestry -- A map of Arizona shows representative native species for each biome by clicking on the area of interest to you. This site under construction. Operates slowly, and information may not yet be in the database, especially the maps showing distribution.. Completed information is excellent. Good photos. Worth exploring; information continually being added.	NAZ Flora -- A Photographic, Annotated Catalog of Northern Arizona Vascular Plants. Recently launched photo catalog "in progress" of native plants from five northern Arizona counties. Arranged by scientific name to facilitate use by professional botanists and serious amateurs. Website developer anticipates this will be a ten-year project; watch for updates as new items are added.
USGS Colorado Plateau Research Station. --Reports on current activities regarding studies to help establish conservation priorities, endangered species studies, vegetation distribution, including the spread of non-native noxious vegetation, dissemination of updated databases for plant and animal species, inventory and monitoring of these on public lands.	Common Plants of the Verde Valley and Sedona -- Photos and descriptions listed by both common and scientific names.
Gallery of Introduced Forest Pests -- The Nature Conservancy's compilation of destructive pests invading our forests. Photographs and a growing number of maps.	Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Ferns and Trees -- Photos and descriptions of 400 of the more common flowers and whole plants found within a 150 mile radius of the Four Corners. Search by plant names, colors, habitat, seasons of bloom, etc.
Center for Plant Conservation -- Website of a national coalition of private and public organizations with the goal of preserving and restoring our native plant populations. A good resource for researchers and professionals. A small but valuable list of publications for sale.	The Cacti Greenhouse --near Yalta in the Ukraine. World travelers and cactus mavens can see 600 species of cacti and succulents.
Third Rare and Endangered Plant Conference -- Programs and abstracts of conference held in September 2000, hosted by The Arboretum.	AZ Community Tree Council -- Information links on growing trees. Tree planting guide, etc.

Native Plant Societies

Arizona--Membership, publications, and other valuable information on native plants.

New Mexico--Sources for native plants and seeds, lists of low-water-use plants.

Colorado--Various activities of six chapters include field trips, workshops, and other events. Information and photographs of native plants in various Colorado habitats.

Hands-on Gardening

Colorado State University Cooperative Extension	- Practical tips and articles for gardeners, but patience is required to search for information of interest to you.
Master Gardener Training Course	- For information on a 13-week training course offered in Flagstaff through the Coconino Co. Cooperative Extension, phone (928) 774-1868. For a look at the content of the course and the complete training manual, click here.
Bark Beetles	- Coconino Co. Cooperative Extension articles.
Yavapai Co. Coop. Extension	- Numerous topics of interest to gardeners, including the Backyard Gardener weekly newspaper, gopher control, and a plant climate zone map with brief descriptions of growing conditions. (Note: Pay attention to intensity of shading on map to get correct zone for your locality.)
Home Gardening Advice	- Utah State University Extension Service offers advice to the homeowner on dozens of topics, along with many online publications of practical interest.
Pollinating with Mason Bees	- How to cultivate the gentle orchard mason bee for pollinating your fruit trees.
Hobby Greenhouse Association	- A national organization with advice on construction, lists of suppliers, and links to more information on greenhouses.
Planning and Building a Greenhouse	- The West Virginia University Extension Service offers a detailed article on building your own greenhouse. Discusses various options, good diagrams.
Ketzel Levine's Talking Plants	- The Doyenne of Dirt's own website. A friend of The Arboretum at Flagstaff, Ketzel featured us on her pilot radio show.
Winter Garden Care	- The Arboretum's Gardens Manager gives practical tips on winter gardening in northern Arizona gardens.
Native Seeds/SEARCH	- A non-profit organization with the mission of preserving Native American crops and culture. Several ongoing projects. Offers seeds for sale, membership, crafts, books, newsletter, videos.
Flagstaff Community Garden Network	- Valuable local information on planting calendar for vegetable gardeners, water use, and starting or joining a community garden.

Plant and Seed Sources

- Nurseries and other sources for seeds and plants suitable for Colorado Plateau gardens.

Plant Discussion Groups

GardenWeb--Gardener-to-gardener queries and responses.

Native Plant Forum - You choose the native plant topic. Enter your own question and look for follow-up responses from other gardeners or researchers. Or look through the topics and responses already posted.

Southwestern Gardening Forum - Same as GardenWeb's Native Plant Forum, only topic is Xeriscaping and Southwestern Gardening.

Northern Gardening Forum - Same as GardenWeb's other forums. Topic covers regions with shorter growing seasons and colder winters.

Botanical Gardens - Arizona and National

Desert Botanical Garden - In Papago Park, Phoenix. "One of the world's finest collections of desert plants." Displays the beauty, color and diversity of wildflowers in North American deserts, and how they play a role in the desert's ecosystem. Demonstration gardens--desert landscaping, vegetable and herb gardening and conservation.

Tucson Botanical Gardens - A five-acre collection of 15 specialty gardens. Over 4,200 individual plants. Tours. Design ideas for residential gardens. Gardening classes and articles for newcomers to desert gardening.

The Arboretum at AZ State University, Tempe - The main campus of ASU has been designated as an arboretum. Campus maps and arboretum guides at ASU Visitors Information Center. Of special interest is the extensive Arboretum Plant List; plants and photos are listed by scientific and common name, with growing tips.

University of Arizona Arboretum - Tucson. Photo tours. Guides to the campus trees and plants available on-line, and the Old Main Plant Walk booklet is available at the Campus Bookstore.

Tohono Chul Park - Tucson. "The Southwest's center where nature, art, and culture connect." Explore the flora and fauna of the natural and cultural heritage of the Sonoran region at this oasis in the desert. Education programs feature learning how to live with our desert home. Special gardens include a Hummingbird Garden, Spanish Colonial Garden, Demonstration Garden, Ethnobotanical Garden, and more. Guided and self-guided tours.

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum - Outside Tucson. A zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden. Exhibits re-create the natural landscape of the Sonoran Desert region. Live displays of more than 300 native animal species and 1,200 kinds of plants.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum - Near Superior, AZ. A 320-acre collection of desert plants. 3,200 different desert plants, 230 bird species, and 75 terrestrial species can be seen along the trails. Art exhibits of local artists' works, guided birdwalks, special events demonstration gardens, education programs and school tours.

I Love Gardens.com - An excellent list of gardens to visit on your tour of Arizona and the Southwest, as well as other parts of the world.

American Public Gardens Association - Locate gardens to visit in your travels, calendar of special events in member gardens, information on specialty plant organizations. Membership and employment information for gardening professionals.