September has come around again, and that means it’s Planting for Monarchs Month in the Phoenix area! 🦋 It’s a great time to think about which native species you might add to your yard or patio this fall.
Native plants provide important food and habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators while supporting biodiversity in our urban areas. And the benefits don’t stop there. Native plants are well adapted to our desert climate, making them a smart choice for beautiful, lower-water, lower-maintenance landscapes.
But there’s one question we hear again and again: Which native plants can I find and grow in my area?
It’s a question the City of Phoenix wanted to answer, too.
Meet the New Sonoran Desert Pollinator Plant Guide
To help residents find the right plants, the City of Phoenix worked with several local nurseries to develop a new Sonoran Desert Pollinator Plant Guide. The guide features native plants that benefit pollinators and are at least seasonally available at nurseries in the Phoenix metro area—making it easier to turn inspiration into an actual trip to the nursery.
You’ll also find practical tips for planting, watering, and maintaining native plants so you can help them get established and thrive.
Developed with Kimley-Horn and with input from City departments and community partners, including Desert Botanical Garden and the Sonoran Seed Collaborative, the guide is available as a FREE download in English and Spanish at the City of Phoenix’s Planting for Monarchs webpage. Printed copies are also available at many Phoenix Public Library locations.
A Great Week to Plant 🦋🌼
Need another reason to get started? One of the nursery partners involved in the project, Treeland Nursery, is celebrating Planting for Monarchs Month with 25% off three plants featured in the guide from September 24–30, 2026: desert (rush) milkweed, globemallow, and blackfoot daisy.
Each brings something different to a desert landscape—and something valuable to pollinators.
If you’ve been waiting for the right time to expand the native plant palette in your yard, fall is one of the best times to plant in the desert. Whether you add a few plants to a patio container or create an entire pollinator garden, every little patch of habitat helps.
And if you’ve already brought your yard or patio to life with native plants, we’d love to see it! Share your inspiration on social media using #PlantingForMonarchs and tag @PHXEnvironment.
Editor’s Note: Be sure to visit our Fall Water – Plant It Wisely page to find a listing of specialty plant sales! We also noticed this fun publication on the Phoenix page for youth (and adults)! Find Monarchs & Milkweed: Nature’s Magic! An activity book for children and adults, alike!
You may also enjoy these posts:
- Celebrate ‘Planting for Monarchs Month’ in September
- Desert Milkweed: Fit for a Queen and Other Royals
- Eight Plants Perfect for Your Pollinator Garden
Water – Use It Wisely is proud to feature guest bloggers who share insights on water, water conservation, and sustainability. Tricia Balluff is an Environmental Program Manager with the City of Phoenix Office of Environmental Programs. She manages the Phoenix Mayor’s Monarch Pledge and works to expand urban biodiversity through city department engagement and public outreach. She believes that small actions by individuals collectively lead to big change. Her favorite native plant is the pink fairyduster.
Featured photo: A monarch butterfly visits desert milkweed. Photo by Anne Stahley, City of Glendale.