This information is provided free of charge, but we accept donations

It is important to get information about growing plants from a local source. We work hard to bring that information to you, which requires using multiple platforms (our webpage, our social media, pictures, video, and other media). We provide this to you free of charge. If you would like to “tip” us for the information, donations are accepted via Venmo (@SpadefootNursery), PayPal (PayPal.Me/SpadefootNursery), or our online store (https://spadefoot-nursery.square.site/shop/donation/23). It does take a lot of energy and time to produce this media and we do it because we think it’s important to provide appropriate information, not just sell the plants. But donations do inspire us to spend more time answering your questions.

We are adding plant profiles all the time.
Search for specific plant information here.

If you have something specific you are looking for information on, especially a plant species, the quickest way to find it is probably using our search engine (below). Remember that botanical names are more succinct than common names (if you can procure it). If you cannot find information on a plant or subject you are curious about, fell free to contact us (email, phone, social media all acceptable forms of communication).

General Planting Information

HELP ME, I’M NEW TO THIS: here are just a few things to look at if you just moved here, or new to landscaping/gardening in our region.

LOVE PLANTS, BUT DON’T LOVE THEM TO DEATH: a note on how you can and should be a more educated consumer, and not support activities that do more harm than good.

PLANTING GUIDE: everything you need to know to transition your plant from container to permanent location.

DON’T PLANT INVASIVE SPECIES: a discussion on what is invasive, what is naturalized, and what is just an aggressive plant.

PLANTING ZONES: your landscape should be graded into three distinct zones, according to water usage.

WATERING PLANTS: some guidelines to help you understand how you should water your plants.

PLANTING WILDFLOWERS: a guide to both warm and cool season wildflowers, and how to get them established in your yard.

CACTUS & SUCCULENT CARE GUIDE: a guide to meeting the needs of your chubby plants.

REVEGETATING NATIVE LANDSCAPES IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA: a general guide to restoring the flora.

FEEDING PLANTS AND REPAIRING SOIL: some background to help you know how and why we use organic materials to feed plants and repair soil.

TYPES OF COMPOSTING: guides to making regular compost, worm compost, and compost tea.

BONSAI PLANTS: this isn’t our thing, but we get asked about it a lot and there are two resources for information on growing bonsai in Arizona—there is a Tucson Bonsai Society, but there is also a Phoenix Bonsai Society with lots of helpful information on growing bonsai in Tucson, including some instructions on many native plants.

MUSHROOMS: we have started to offer mushroom fruiting kits. So far we just have one species but will be adding more species as we can.

plant lists

NATIVE PLANT SELECTION GUIDE: broken up into categories—trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, etc.

GUIDE TO DOMESTIC EDIBLE CROPS: broken up into categories—warm season crops, cool season crops, perennial herbs & vegetables, and fruit trees.

GUIDE TO GROWING BOTANICAL CURIOSITIES: cacti, succulents, and caudiciforms—the weirdos that are appropriate for arid lands, and not a potential invasive species.

PLANTS FOR TORTOISE ENCLOSURES: a list of plants to keep your Sonoran desert tortoise (or other species of tortoises) happy and healthy.

PLANTS FOR SHADY PLACES: the shady spots in our yards are sometimes the hardest to populate with the appropriate plants. Here are some pointers and a plant list to help.

Wildlife gardening

MAKE YOUR BACKYARD A WILDLIFE REFUGE: a beginner’s guideline to help you increase the wildlife that visits your yard.

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS FOR SOUTHERN ARIZONA: some general notes and a huge plant list of nectar and larval food plants for butterflies.

THE BAT FRIENDLY GARDEN & LANDSCAPE: some information on the native bat species, their importance, and what you can do at home to promote them.

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BEAUTIFUL MOTHS OF SE ARIZONA: not a complete guide, but just a sampling of the gorgeous moths of our region with notes on what their larval food plants are.

GARDENING IS FOR THE BIRDS: a general guide to landscaping for our feathered friends.

A LOCAL GUIDE TO GROWING MILKWEEDS: you should always get local sources for plant information. The web has a lot of information on milkweeds but that information isn’t always accurate for our very different climate. This local guide talks about all the stuff you should consider growing milkweeds, especially in the effort to support wildlife.