Plant Information

Information for Property Owners

Information on the Environment and Plants for Mt. Lemmon will be added here as time permits.  Most of the information on appropriate plants and their availablity that used to be on the Trees for Mt. Lemmon site will be moved here.  If you would like to see specific information Email us.

Native Plants found in the Santa Catalinas

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There are several lists of plants that are native to our mountain.  If you know of more, please Email us.

  • Arizona State University – Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet) (link)
  • Trees for Mt. Lemmon compiled a listing from Whittaker and Niering 1964 (link)

Native Plants recommended for upper Santa Catalina Mountains

These are the plants most likely to be found in nurseries

TREES 
White fir       Abies concolo) 
Corkbark fir       Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica 
Rocky Mountain Maple       Acer glabrum) 
Big Tooth Maple       Acer grandidentatum 
Box elder       Acer negundo 
Arizona alder       Alnus oblongifoli) 
Arizona madrone      Arbutus arizonicus 
Red osier dogwood       Cornus stolonifera 
Alligator juniper      Juniperus deppeana Ponderosa pine       
Pinus arizonica or Pinus ponderosa var. arizonica 
Quaking aspen       Populus tremuloides 
Douglas fir      Pseudotsuga menziesi 
Gambel oak       Quercus gambelii 
Silver leaf oak       Quercus hypoleucoide 
New Mexican Locust   Robinia neomexicana 


SHRUBS      
Pringle Manzanita      Arctostaphylos pringlei 
Fendler Ceanothus       Ceanothus fendleri 
Mountain Spray       Holodiscus dumosus 
Arizona honeysuckle      Lonicera arizonica 
Gooseberry       Ribes pinetorum 
N.Mexico raspberry      Rubus neomexicnus 
Arizona Raspberry       Rubus strigosus 
Coyote Willow       Salix exigua 
Snowberry       Symphoricarpos oreophilus  

WILDFLOWERS       
Western Yarrow      Achillea lanulosa 
Golden columbine      Aquilegia chrysantha 
Desert marigold      Baileya multiradiata 
Indian paintbrush      Castilleja spp 
Cosmos      Cosmos parviflorus 
Geranium      Geranium caespitosum
Richardons geranium   Geranium richardsonii 
Blue Flax      Linum lewisii 
Ribbon four-o-clock    Mirabilis linearis var. decipiens 
Tufted four-o-clock      Mirabilis oblongifolia 
Penstemon      Penstemon barbatus 
Primrose      Primula rusbyi 
Arizona rose      Rosa arizonica 
Wrights goldenrod      Solidago wrightii and var.     adenophora 
Common Snowberry   Symphoricarpos oreophilus 
Mountain marigold     Tagetes lemmoni 
Licorice marigold      Tagetes micrantha 
Meadow rue      Thalictrum fendleri 
Showy goldeneye      Viguiera multiflora 
Canadien violet      Viola canadensis       


LEGUMES      
Dalea      Dalea filiformis 
Dalea      Dalea polygonoides 
Indigo bush      Dalea pulchra 
Lotus      Lotus wrightii 
Lupine      Lupinus spp 
White sweet clover     Melilotus albus 
Bean      Phaseolus spp. 
American vetch      Vicia Americana       


GRASSES 
Fringed brome      Bromus ciliatus 
Orchard grass      Dactylis glomerata 
Tufted hairgrass      Deschampsia caespitosa 
Longleaf squirreltail    Elymus elymoides 
Stink grass      Eragrostis cilianensis 
Arizona fescue      Festuca arizonica 
Junegrass      Koeleria cristata 
Mountain Muhly      Muhlenbergia montana. 
Bulb Panicum      Panicum bulbosum 
Fowl blue grass      Poa palustrus 
Bottlebrush squirreltail  Sitanion hystrix   

Invasive plants to avoid planting on Mt. Lemmon

These plants can cause a lot of damage to our sky island environment.

Trees  
Tree of Heaven  Ailanthus altissima  
Russian olive  Eleagnus angustifolia  
African sumac  Rhus lancea    

Shrubs  
Himalayan blackberry  Rubus procerus  

Vines 
Japanese honeysuckle  Lonicera japonica  
English Ivy  Hedera helix 
Periwinkle  Vinca major and V. minor  


Forbs  
Knapweed  Centaurea diffusa and C. maculosa  
Oxeye daisy  Leucanthemum vulgare  
Fuller’s Teasel  Dipsacus sylvestris  
Common St. Johnswort  Hypericum perforatum  
Kochia  Kochia scoparia  
Toadflax  Linaria dalmatica  
Purple loosestrife  Lythrum salicaria  
Sulfur cinquefoil  Potentilla recta  
Mediterranean sage  Salvia aethiopis  
Common Mullein  Verbascum thapsu 

Where to buy suitable plants

Flagstaff has the most suitable plants especially trees due to it’s similar environment.  In Tucson there is a more limited 

Seed and Plant Sources:  
The following companies have plants and seeds for species that are indigenous to Mt. Lemmon.  They are all aware of our desire to “Plant Native” so that we ensure the success of our restoration and revegetation efforts.  Since it is too hot in Tucson to grow most of our higher elevation trees, Flagstaff has been our best source for larger trees.  But Desert Survivors in Tucson has many of the understory plants and are very eager to work with us on propagating more.  

Trees and Shrubs:  

Flagstaff Native Plant and Seed 
400 E. Butler Ave. 
Flagstaff, AZ 86001 
928-773-9406 
http://www.nativeplantandseed.com/ 

FNPS has most of the tree species listed in fairly large sizes.  

Warners Nursery And Landscaping Co. 
1101 E. Butler Ave.  
Flagstaff, AZ  86001   
928-774-1983 http://www.warnercompanies.com 

This company also provided plants for the Demonstration Gardens.  

Shrubs and Annuals:

Desert Survivors 
1020 West Starr Pass 
Tucson AZ 85713 
Phone: 520-791-9309 
http://www.desertsurvivors.org 

This company is local and works for a very good cause.  They are growing plants from seed and cutting stock on the mountain.  




Grasses and Wildflower Seeds: 

Arizona Revegetation & Monitoring Company 
HC1 Box 389 
Elgin, AZ 85611 
520-455-5780 
Email: [email protected] 
http://www.azreveg.com/ 

Arizona Revegetation and Monitoring Co. specializes in reseeding projects, native seed sales and rangeland monitoring for the mid elevations of the Southwest.  

Wildlands Restoration  
2944 N. Castro Ave. 
Tucson, AZ 85705 
520 882-0969 
Email: [email protected] 

Wholesale and retail. Write/e-mail to obtain a list of available species’ seed and mixes for various locales. Also provides restoration services.  

Native Seeds/SEARCH  
526 N. 4th Ave. 
520-622-5561 
Email: [email protected] 
http://www.nativeseeds.org 


Sells 1# bags of high elevation native grass seed (providing coverage for 1000 square feet) from Wildlands Restoration.  If they run out, they say they can quickly get more.   

Author: matthew