The Southwest Native Plant Primer 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden

From Arizona's leading native plant organization, this accessible and colorful guide to planting natives will help gardeners at every level of experience add beneficial pollinators to their home gardens. 

The Southwest Native Plant Primer introduces 235 wildflowers, grasses, vines, cacti, and trees recommended for gardeners of any skill level interested in choosing native plants for a garden that makes a positive environmental impact. It covers a broad area including New Mexico, Arizona, and the southern portions of Utah and Colorado. Though there are vast differences between locations within this region there are also surprising commonalities that this book will highlight. As the Southwest grows in population, but water becomes perilously scarce, this book focuses on the role that native plants and water-wise planting can have in fostering sustainability for all life in the region. In doing so The Southwest Native Plant Primer fills an important gap in literature about gardening in the region, serving as a resource to new and old gardeners alike, providing up to date information about current best practices for gardening in the Southwest. 

Jack Dash is a naturalist and writer based in Tucson, Arizona. A graduate of Prescott College, Jack is a board member of the Arizona Native Plant Society and co-editor of the Plant Press Arizona. He is the Gardens Manager at Tohono Chul Botanical Garden and regularly speaks, writes, and guides trips related to botany, horticulture, and natural history in the Southwest.


Luke Takata is a photographer and storyteller based in Tucson, Arizona. He is a graduate of Pratt Institute’s BFA Photography program, and the International Center of Photography’s Documentary Practice and Visual Storytelling program where he was a Director’s Fellow. Swenson has been recognized as an Award of Excellence winner by the Newhouse School at Syracuse University’s Alexia Foundation Grant, and his photographs are a part of the permanent collection at the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University in San Marcos.