Research
Garden Researchers Describe 6 Agaves Domesticated by Southwestern Indigenous People
In the paper, “Pre-contact Agave Domesticates—Living Legacy Plants in Arizona’s Landscape” published in the Annuals of Botany, Garden researchers Wendy Hodgson, Andrew Salywon and volunteer Jane Rosenthal describe six rare domesticated agave species whose clones remarkably can still be found living in abandoned ancient fields in Arizona.
Meet the Garden’s Newest Research Assistant Luis Romero
Across the sandy desert floor in northwestern New Mexico, two small rare cactus species — Sclerocactus mesae-verdae and Sclerocactus cloverae — call this place home. Yet, these plants are threatened by poachers and habitat loss due to oil and gas development in the area, both of which have depleted their already low populations numbers in the wild.
Meet the Butterflies Arriving to Garden This Fall
The fall butterfly exhibit, Majestic Mariposas, opens Sept. 23 and is on display through Nov. 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Learn about some of the Southwestern butterflies you can meet in the exhibit this fall:Monarch butterflies are well known for their...
How Desert Botanical Garden is Helping Saguaros Under a Hotter Climate
In 2020, researchers and horticulture staff began collecting seeds from wild saguaro populations. The seeds are collected from saguaro fruits and are stored in large stainless-steel freezers in the Garden’s Ahearn Desert Conservation Laboratory.
Saguaros Under Stress
Saguaros are Arizona icons however, their ubiquitous presence in urban landscapes might be at risk.
Desert Refuge: A New Way To Help Monarch Butterflies
In July, the decline of the migratory monarch butterfly was once again in the spotlight. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classified migratory monarchs as endangered, naming habitat loss and climate change as major factors for their decline. In the...
