Desert Survivor's Plant Nursery
Desert Survivors is located on the banks of the Santa Cruz River in Tucson. We grow a number of bioregionally native and low water use plants. Many of these plants are found within a 500-mile range of the nursery. However, exceptions to this rule are our offering of cactus and succulents which often come from further afield.
When we refer to native plants we mean they are native to the surrounding Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Mohave deserts, and the Arizona sky islands. We also offer species native to mid-elevation ranges and enjoy working with customers from places like Sierra Vista, Oracle, and Portal.
Although Desert Survivors has only cultivated plants indigenous to our region for the past few years, our mission is to support sustainability and low water use more generally. Native plants give us a sense of place and are important to supporting native pollinator populations and fauna. But many people are searching for non-native xeric plants as well.
Desert Survivors tries to be ecologically sensitive, and we utilize organic practices whenever possible. We use chemical pesticides very sparingly and only when necessary to control potential pest or pathogen outbreaks. Although we were a strictly organic nursery for more than a decade, this is no longer possible during the current decades’ long drought. We are all forced to work under increasingly hotter minimum and maximum temperatures which lead to highly stressed, thus extra vulnerable, plants.
Unfortunately, surges in both native and non-native insect populations have occurred over the past decade. Due to the size of our production operations, we have to treat velvet mesquites, agaves, some cactus species, and occasionally some species of seedlings.
We utilize volcanic soil supplements in our soil mixtures and are impressed with volcanic cinder as a source of drainage and aeration. Investing in quality soil supplements is well worth the results. Mineral-rich volcanic supplements provide excellent drainage and aeration, which has assisted our cultivation of an assortment of native species. Our soil mixes contain high-quality volcanic cinder or pumice.
Our inventory includes a wide selection of trees, shrubs, subshrubs, grasses, and vines. Many of the things that we grow are seasonal and can only be produced at certain times of the year. Occasionally, we are out of a certain species while we patiently wait for the next crop to become available. Plants teach us patience and fortitude, since we cannot rush their development or be certain of the trials of any particular season.
Keep in mind that our core mission is to provide supported employment and training for adults with disabilities. That means that sometimes we must prioritize the needs of our job seekers over those of our plants. Balance is always the goal, but this is a learning environment, and we believe in the dignity of risk and the value of hands-on education.
Call us at (520) 791-9309, to check on the availability on any specific plants.
The nursery is open:
Thursday – Saturday
8am — 4pm