/ Modified mar 13, 2013 4:13 p.m.

Native Plants Thrive at Tohono Chul Park

Behind the scenes at botanical garden shows resilience to winter

This winter’s cold spells combined with continuing drought have taken their toll on residential landscaping in Southern Arizona.

But if you take a closer look at the plants that have survived, and even thrived, you’re likely to notice that most of these plants are native to the Sonoran Desert.

Tohono Chul Park, a botanical garden on Tucson's northwest side, specializes in propagating native plants from seed.

“We are interested in getting the characteristics that come from generations of plants,” said Karen Kubara, propagation assistant at the park. “Because we want plants that are going to be happy here, that will take the cold, and the heat and our low water.”

Tohono Chul Park will hold its annual spring plant sale Saturday and Sunday. At the sale you can get planting advice from park staff along with cold-hardy and arid-adapted plants for sale.

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