Sonoran Seed Collaborative

Sonoran Seed Collaborative is a native plant project dedicated to restoring our desert parks and preserves. We aim to find the best practices for growing and propagating local, native Sonoran Desert plants to harvest for seeds that can be used in future restoration projects in our area.

This project was started in 2018 in collaboration with the Arizona Columbine Garden Club, Tovrea Carraro Society, Arizona Native Plant Society, and Desert Botanical Garden as a jumping off point to support a regional network of local growers of native seeds and plants for conservation.

5

Focal Species

2.5

Acres Restored

70+

Volunteer Hours

Explore the Project

Species Spotlight

Sweetbush

The name says it all! Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea) is a Southwest native plant in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) with a sweet scent. This shrub is a favorite among pollinators and a key host plant in the Sonoran Desert. Reptiles like Chuckwallas can be seen munching on the blooms.

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Desert Marigold

Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata) is one of the most common wildflowers in both the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts. In the sunflower family (Asteraceae), this plant is a great pollinator plant with a special relationship with the Desert Marigold moth.

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Desert Lavender

Desert Lavender (Condea emoryi) is in the mint family (Lamiaceae) and a hardy desert plant. An important source of nectar for pollinators and drought-tolerant, this shrub also has important cultural and ethnobotanical uses.

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Photo credit: EarthWeek UA, X

Make Your Own Bike-Powered Seed Pelletizer

Seed pellets are an ancient method of sowing seed, and now you can make your own at home! Once the seed pellets are thrown onto soil, they are able to maintain their shape and preserve their seeds until heavy rains eventually wash away the clay and allow the seeds to germinate.

Making seed pellets by hand can be extremely time consuming and labor intensive, which is why Elise Gornish, Ashlee Simpson and Marci Caballero-Reynolds constructed a bicycle-powered seed pelletizing machine that effectively coats seed in clay and compost materials to make large numbers of seed pellets in a reasonable amount of time.

Learn more about how to construct your own bike-powered seed pelletizer below!

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A Bicycle-Powered Seed Pelletizer for Use in Gardening and Restoration

CÓMO CONSTRUIR UNA PELOTEADORA DE SEMILLAS PARA USO EN JARDINERÍA Y RESTAURACIÓN