Many thanks to the recent new subscribers to this missive…welcome!
I read with interest an article with the slightly dramatic heading of I’m no genius with genuses, but your garden is killing the Earth from the Washington Post, and author Dana Milbank wrote A few of the shrubs I planted were invasive and known to escape into the wild. They crowd out native plants and threaten the entire ecosystem. Our local insects, which evolved to eat native plants, starve because they can’t eat the invasive plants or don’t recognize the invaders as food. Most of my other plants, including my beloved lawn, are ecological junk food. The trees, shrubs and perennials are mostly “naturalized” plants from Asia or Europe or “cultivars,” human-made varieties of native plants bred to be extra showy or disease resistant but lacking genetic diversity or value to animals. I, like other gardeners I know, planted them after mistaking them for their native cousins. They’re not doing harm, but neither are they doing anything to arrest the spiral toward mass extinction.
It got me thinking a bit more about the southwest, Tucson in particular, and, really what I mean to say, our own yard. We MOSTLY have a rock yard in the front (with bowling balls and brass instruments here and there) and half dirt and half gravel in the back. We were probably aware in the deep recesses of our minds that the giant cane (Arundo donax) in our backyard spelled BAD NEWS, but we like it for privacy and other reasons. But, alas, it’s on the invasive list.
Some invasive species found in and around Tucson include Buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris/Pennisetum ciliare), Fountain Grass (Cenchrus setaceus/Pennisetum setaceum), and Stinknet (Oncosiphon piluliferum). A more complete list can be found in this pdf from the University of Arizona’s Cooperative Extension site (where we found our giant cane listed).
According to Inside Climate News, The National Park Service has named Buffelgrass the “archenemy of the Sonoran Desert.” Jonathan Horst, director of conservation and research at the Tucson Audubon Society, said that the Mercer Fires in 2019, predominantly fueled by buffelgrass, burned many saguaros and if the spread of the invasive species wasn’t contained and restoration efforts made to establish lost saguaros, the Sonoran Desert ecosystem could see serious change and desert purple martin populations would likely plummet.
There are a few nurseries in Tucson where native plants are encouraged and sold. One of our favorites is Spadefoot Nursery at 2831 East Broadway. Owners Peter Gierlach (Petey Mesquitey), his daughter Katy Gierlach, and Peter’s son-in-law Jared McKinley all collaborate to make native plants (as well as heirloom garden vegetables and herbs) available in southern Arizona.
A bit behind but recommendations for March planting:
Desert Survivors Nursery is another resource at 1020 W Starr Pass Road on the banks of the Santa Cruz. They feature plants that are native to the surrounding Sonoran, Chihuahuan and Mohave deserts, and the Arizona sky islands. Not only do they sell plants, they are dedicated to providing quality employment to adults with developmental disabilities, advocacy to families and individuals, and services to the community.
One more resource that I wrote about back in October of 2021 is Native Seeds/SEARCH. Since its founding in 1983, they have been dedicated to conserving the rich agro-biodiversity of the arid Southwest. Preserved in their seed bank today are nearly 2,000 varieties of crops adapted to arid landscapes extending from southern Colorado to central Mexico, many of them rare or endangered. The collection represents the cultural heritage and farming knowledge of over 50 indigenous communities, as well as recent immigrants like Spanish missionaries and Mormon homesteaders. They also conserve a number of crop wild relatives, wild ancestors of domesticated plants. They are located at 3584 E River Rd.
Go forth and roll up your lawn!
Just a reminder that while the Carnivaleros will be performing on Friday, April 21 at Monterey Court, you can get a more intimate preview of some of the songs the band will be performing this Thursday at House of Bards. I’ll also be performing a few that are not on the band menu. Nancy and Neil will be opening the evening for the first set of their music at 6:30 and then I’ll be joined by Karl Hoffmann lending a hand (a rare appearance of Karl on guitar and me on piano!) with my set around 7:30. Hope to see you!
And now…
The first invasive species we brought to the southwest was Homo sapiens and it keeps getting worse. I want to do right but I think I need to find some way to prioritize how I respond to all of the things I'm doing to destroy the planet. All the writing about environmental damage is just "good" or "bad" which makes it hard to choose our battles. Should you dig up the bamboo first or start showering only once a week? Should you build a bicycle trailer to hold your drum set (or accordion) so you can bike to gigs or should you stop eating beef? Grumpy but still hopeful for the future.