The Arizona Native Plant Society (AZNPS), based in
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
, United States, works to promote knowledge, appreciation, conservation and restoration of Arizona native plants and their habitats, as well as the use of native plants in urban landscapes and gardens.
The society has eleven chapters, based in Cochise County, Peach Springs, Flagstaff, Phoenix, Prescott, Santa Cruz County, Tucson, Upper Gila, White Mountains, Upper Gila and Yuma. In 2023 the society had 650 members.
[ Native Plant Society of New Mexico website ''BLM Proposed Conservation and Landscape Health Rule'', letter written to the US Department of the Interior dated June 17, 2023 ]
/ref> ''Happenings'', a newsletter about chapter activities, comes out quarterly.
History
AZNPS began in 1977, when nursery owners, landscapers, and professionals created the non-profit society dedicated to educating Arizonans about the state's native plants, as well as other xeric
Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (Ancient Greek 'dry') shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this habita ...
landscape plants, including many new horticultural imports. Early on, AZNPS published a series of eight landscaping booklets designed to educate the public about the use of native and xeric plants in desert landscapes.
About the year 2000, AZNPS began to promote the total use of native plants in the landscape, as native plants are best adapted to local habitats and soils, use the least amount of water, and are easier to maintain and keep disease-free than are imported plants. They also provide an extension of native habitat into the urban area as a "corridor" for native pollinators and other wildlife.
In 2024, the director was Doug Ripley.
The society offers events where the public can get involved in nurturing natural plants in their area. Sci Tech Institute website, ''The Arizona Native Plant Society: Online Master Gardener Class for Northern Arizona''
/ref>
Publications
* ''Plant Press Arizona'' (twice a year)
References
{{reflist
Environmental organizations based in Arizona
Organizations established in 1977
Native plant societies based in the United States
Flora of Arizona