2015 Annual Plant Sale

Get unusual plants and expert advice at desert museum's annual plant sale. Shop hundreds of extraordinary desert plants adapted to this area including cacti, succulents, vines, plants for pots, and those that support the journey of the Monarch butterfly. Botanical experts are on hand to answer desert gardening questions. Members: Sept. 26; General Public - Sept. 27; 6:30am—1pm both days

​​​Finding plants suitable for desert conditions is difficult for local gardeners. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s Annual Plant Sale on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 6:30am – 1pm, fills that need with unusual desert and drought tolerant plants, and regional gardening advice from botanical experts.

Fall is the prime planting season in the desert.  Cooler air temperatures and warm soil conditions combined with winter rains are ideal for starting new plants. The Sale offers more than 250 extraordinary desert plants adapted to this area including cacti, succulents, vines, potting plants, and those that support the journey of the Monarch butterfly. Botanical experts are on hand to answer desert gardening questions.
 

"The Annual Plant sale is one of the most important events for the Desert Museum," says Craig Ivanyi, executive director of the Desert Museum. "Revenues benefit the Museum's operations while helping to fulfill our mission of education about the Sonoran Desert region."

Craig Ivanyi, Executive Director

“The Annual Plant sale is one of the most important events for the Desert Museum,” says Craig Ivanyi, executive director of the Desert Museum. “Revenues benefit the Museum’s operations while helping to fulfill our mission of education about the Sonoran Desert region.”

Several species new to the sale this year include vines for trellises and 37 plant species that support the national “Bring Back the Monarch” campaign. These plants provide nourishment to the Monarch during its annual migration of approximately 1,000—3,000 miles. The Desert Museum was recently recognized as an official Monarch Waystation by Monarch Watch (www.monarchwatch.org).

Whether you’re looking to redesign your home’s landscaping, refresh your patio with new plants, or to create a special garden for butterflies, hummingbirds, or bees, the Desert Museum’s online database will help you plan your selection before you come to the sale. The database can be sorted several ways including type of garden, seasonal plants, blooming plants, potting plants, light requirements, and frost tolerance. Click here to make your list before the sale: http://www.desertmuseum.org/visit/events_plantsalelist.php

The region’s top botanical experts will help you plan your garden, provide advice on caring for the new plants from the sale, and send you home with written instructions. Show off your new purchases by picking up one of several styles of pots, and the plants purchased at the sale will be potted free. Become a member now for a discount on your purchases and access to a special pre-sale the day prior to the public sale.

Keep your plants healthy and expand your local gardening knowledge with books from The ASDM Press written by specialists on desert horticulture and gardening. The books are also a great gift for the special gardeners on your holiday list.

Please note the botanical staff appreciates shoppers bringing their empty one-gallon nursery pots to be recycled for next year’s sale.

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The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of the nation’s leading outdoor, living museums, featuring more than 230 animals and 1,200 varieties of desert plants. Its mission is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the bi-national, Sonoran Desert. The museum is located at 2021 N. Kinney Road, nestled in Tucson Mountain Park adjacent to Saguaro National Park (West). It is open daily year round with operating hours varying by season. Call (520) 883-2702 or visit www.desertmuseum.org for more information.

PLEASE NOTE THE ATTACHED PHOTOS ARE LOW RESOLUTION; CONTACT ME FOR TRANSFER OF HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS; SAMPLES ARE LISTED ON THE GUIDE SHEET. YIKA@DESERTMUSEUM.ORG/520-883-3073

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