PictureKelly Athena and two young helpers at the Ahwatukee Community Garden, picking calendulas for tea

 

Hi friends,

Here is a list of foraging links of the Sonoran Desert, links to North American ethnobotanical and plant databases, and more  links to learning about sustainability.  I hope you'll find it useful!

Wishing you happy foraging,
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Kelly Athena aka Cactus Kelly
Master gardener and Sonoran Desert forager










LINKS:
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Foraging Equipment and Supplies
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Native American Ethnobotany Database --wonderful site with how plants were used and can still be used

Southwest Biodiversity:
2055 plants found within 40 miles of Phoenix, Arizona. Details on each one and thousands of photos. Search all of Arizona, specific areas, specific types of plants, common or botanical name, or other states for more plants--
​includes ethnobotany information (how indigenous people have used each plant)​  swbiodiversity.org

Plant Walks and Workshops

Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert--Low Water Usage

Savor the Southwest: Recipes with Foraged Desert Plants

Plants for a Future including edible and medicinal uses of 7,000 plants

Desert Harvesters: How to harvest and process Sonoran Desert edibles

7000 Medicinal Herbs including many desert ones

Detailed database of plants in each U.S. state and every continent at efloras.org

Encyclopedia of Life--amazing database of plants

​American Botanical Council

Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases by the late Dr. Duke

Arizona State University Plant Database for Phoenix landscaping plants

​Arizona Naturalist and Sonoran Desert Naturalist--detailed database of plants at arizonensis.org

Sonoran Desert Info

Brad Fiero's "Common Plants and Animals of the Tucson Area"

The Arizona Native Plants Society
Prickly Pear Cactus Facts

How to Create a Food Forest with Edible Trees in Arizona    LeafNetworkAZ.org

Foraging Importance

Forest to Plate
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Hiking Safely

My Community Garden:   Ahwatukee Community Garden Project

Eat the Weeds

Weebly websites are easy to build and don't have ads: Learn more here
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Coral reef health impacts even the desert: Chasing Coral movie on Netflix

The Nerdy Farm Wife: Do It Yourself natural remedies Soaps, Balms, Foods . . .

Flagstaff Foraging Eat. Drink. Wander. Food Blog    readbite.com

Harvesting Acorns for Food

​Sustainable Communication   cnvc.org

Tucson Civano Nursery Guide with 550 Plants  civanonursery.com

Share Sustainability with your Neighbors  Nextdoor.com
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Rainwater Harvesting
Water Conservation

The Rain to Table Movement—Watershed Advocacy

Rainwater Harvesting Tanks and Seamless Gutters Co. in Phoenix
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Native American Wisdom
Wonderful Native American documentaries —Tending the Plants is Our Life

Tohono O'odham Community, Traditional Foods and Gardening

Native American Ethnobotany

Native American Uses of Wise Plants disguised as "weeds"

​Tending the Wild Videos--foraging wild plants

Butterfly Gardening
Help save the monarch butterflies by planting milkweed in your yard!
Details at these two links:
Monarch Garden by Cathy Cromell
Monarchs in the Desert by Gail Morris

     Butterfly and Caterpillar Photos for ID
     Butterflies and Moths of North America

Bug Expert Eric
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More Plant Resources

 Maricopa Master Gardeners Roots and Shoots monthly publication

Arizona Plants and Animals

Useful Tropical Plants
Moringa, The Tree of Life, will grow in the Sonoran Desert
Moringa Tree, More Info
Desert Gardening Hub by Peggy Thomas: local plant events and many gardening tips for the low desert
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Native Plants:
 Chia: An important plant to revive in our area
         More about Chia

Weekly compost collection service for homes and businesses in the Phoenix area: Recycled City  

Mesquite, Ironwood, and Palo Verde tree bean harvesting and preparing:  Desert Harvesters  
Permaculture in the Sonoran Desert in Tucson: The Bean Tree Farm  Subscribe to their newsletter to receive desert edible workshop invitations.
Publications on Sustainable Farming: Sustainable Agriculture

Seed Libraries:  Native Seeds
                                  Rio Salado Seedshed Library 

Maricopa County Master Gardeners Website 
    Do you have a question about a plant in Maricopa County?
    Contact the Plant Help Desk at 602-827-8201 or maricopacountyplanthotline@gmail.com.
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          Hotline and Diagnostic Clinic:  Call at 602-827-8200 Ext. 301 or e-mail at arid_gardener@cals.arizona.edu
          Speakers Bureau:  602-827-8200  Ext. 837
          Free Horticulture Publications  on how to grow plants in the low desert of Maricopa County
          Desert Garden Institute Public Classes  
          The Arizona Master Garden Manual

          How do I become an Maricopa County Master Gardener?

          When to plant vegetables in Maricopa County
          How to plant vegetables in Maricopa County

Wild Plants at Arizona Bushman

Build Your Bones with Plants—Prevent Osteoporosis!
         Health and Plant-Based Diet

Community Supported Agriculture for Phoenix, Arizona area and Recipes
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Cooking with Foraged Desert Foods—Recipes!

 Get Rid of Gophers or Moles with Natural Methods

Places to Learn about Native Plants
Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona

Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Arizona
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Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona
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​Tucson Tohono Chul Park
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Healthy Restaurants located in:

Ahwatukee, Arizona: Pomegranate Cafe

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Experts in Wild Desert Plants:

Check out Mark Lewis, botanist and extraordinary forager in his booth at the
Scottsdale Old Town Farmers Market, open from October - May 
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Plant Walk Events with Cactus Kelly

​John Slattery

Blue Wind School of Botanical Studies
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Sustainable Communication


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