Arizona’s Native Plants Are Really Cool

Arizona has many different plants, (around 4,000) ranging from locations like hot dry deserts, to the high mountain cliffs. Let me tell you about some of Arizona’s most iconic plants, where they live, and
some interesting facts about the plants that you might see around Arizona’s landscapes.

Keep in mind that if you are walking in your neighborhood and come across a tree that has little to no
spikes, it may not be native to Arizona. The majority of wild plants and trees in Arizona have thorns; there are laws about having thorny trees in neighborhoods where people walking past can accidently
get poked by thorns. To fix this the government resorted to putting similar trees from South America in these neighborhoods to prevent you from getting some pokey reminders on your skin from these trees. If you want to find plants that are native from Arizona, look around the desert.

Arizona has many cacti, trees, and shrubs that all have their unique uses that help the ecosystem around it in some way. Let’s go over Arizona’s iconic plants that you may see while driving around Arizona.

The saguaro cactus is one of the most well known attractions of Arizona’s deserts; you can find these cacti towering over you at a whopping 40-to 60 feet high if fully grown. The saguaro can live up to 150 to 200 years old. These plants provide crucial food and shelter for desert wildlife. Cacti can store water in their thick fleshy ribs, which act as tanks expanding like an accordion with ribs to hold vast amounts of water when it rains. They have Arizona’s Native Plants Are a waxy layer in their skin that can seal in water. They have small thin roots that can quickly absorb water. There are laws about moving these amazing cacti, so
if you see these saguaro cacti around your desert, show it some love (just don’t hug it).

The prickly pear cactus is another amazing cactus that you can also find around Arizona’s desert landscapes; even though they are nothing near the height of the saguaro cactus they still have many cool things about them. They provide fruit that has been used as a food and water source for centuries, and they have
even been used to make medicine. They’re tough survivors, even in cold weather. These plants attract cochineal insects which have been known to produce a vibrant red dye that has been used for thousands of years by Native Americans. If you find a cactus low to the ground with flat paddles full of thorns then you most likely found a prickly pear.

The wolfberry is a prickly spiny bush that has shown it can tolerate hot environments. These bushes provide a food source to both wildlife and people. It grows bright red berries that are safe to eat and taste good, too. (I personally think they taste like ketchup.) Native Americans have used these berries for hundreds of
years, from eating them fresh, or grounding them up into flour.

Arizona plants support the ecosystem in many different ways, even if they aren’t obvious. Some provide shelter for wild life, others provide food. Always take the time to respect the wildlife around you. Remember to look around your landscape, see what you can find, stay curious and make observations of the environment around you.