Research
Cactus and Their Genes
Cactus and their genes — Desert Botanical Garden hosts international symposium to understand and conserve iconic plant family Earlier this month, the Garden hosted a first-of-its-kind international symposium focused on “CACTACEAE: PHYLOGENETICS, EVOLUTION AND...
Yellow Hornworm Caterpillars Invade Phoenix
Many living in Phoenix will have noticed large green or yellow caterpillars in their yards, green spaces or along roads a few weeks ago.
The Golden Barrel Cactus | So Common, Yet Endangered
Golden Barrel Cactus The golden barrel cactus is a mainstay of desert landscapes and is one of the most popular cactus species in the world. Although easily grown in nurseries to meet this demand, the golden barrel is still facing an uphill battle for survival in the...
Is Saguaro Cactus Fruit Edible?
Photo by Michael Searcy Ripening in the hottest, driest time of the year, saguaro fruit provide important moisture and nutrition to animals and insects in the Sonoran Desert before the summer monsoon rains. With each saguaro able to produce an average of 150 fruit,...
Wildfire Awareness Month
Week 4 | RestorationThe Sonoran Desert expands from Central Arizona south into the Mexican state of Sonora and the Peninsula of Baja California. This beautiful region of the world is at risk from increasingly intense and frequent wildfires, a worsening drought and...
A Backstop to Extinction
This article ran in the Winter 2019 Sonoran Quarterly issue Those infatuated with the Sonoran Desert recall the allure of towering saguaros, the herbal smell of creosote and verdant trunks of palo verde trees. The unfortunate truth is that this fragile biodiversity is...
