Seed mixes for Sonoran Desert stormwater-harvesting rain gardens

The following native seed mixes are used by the Dunbar Spring Neighborhood Foresters for street-side and in-street stormwater-harvesting basins.

Seed mix for Bottom planting zone of rain gardens

These seeds work in the bottom zone due in part to the large size of some of the plants as they grow to maturity.
(You could also use this seed on the Terrace planting zone, but this will likely lead to the need for more pruning—due to larger plants—if along a pathway where you need to maintain access).

Wildland Restoration’s Bosque del Bac Habitat Restoration Mix

Composed of 33 species of grass, wildflowers, shrubs and trees native to the valley and foothills of Tucson.

Some percentage of seed will germinate with cool season rains and some with the warmer monsoons.

Mix includes:

Wildflowers:
Bahia, Desert Marigold, Desert Senna, Dyssodia, Owl’s Clover, Mexican Gold Poppy, Desert Lupine, Silverbells, Wild Sunflower, Rothrock Grama,

Grasses:
AZ Cottontop, Giant Dropseed, Sand Dropseed, Spike Pappusgrass, Alkali Sacaton, Plains Bristlegrass, Indian Wheat

Groundover and shrubs:
Brittlebush, White Bursage, Bebbia juncea, Creosote, Four-wing Saltbush, Desert Saltbush, Quailbush, Soaptree Yucca, Wolfberry

Trees:
Catclaw Acacia
Desert Ironwood
Desert Willow
Foothills Palo Verde
White-thorn Acacia
Velvet mesquite

Native plants (which we have found do very well in Dunbar Spring Neighborhood Foresters’ stormwater-harvesting basins) that could be added to a Bosque del Bac Habitat Restoration seed mix customized for street-side or in-street stormwater-harvesting basins:

Grasses:
Feather fingergrass (Chloris virgata)
Sideoats gramma (Bouteloua curtipendula)

Perennial shrubs or groundcover:
Fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
Chuparosa (Justicia californica)
Penstemon (Penstemmon parryi)
Santa Cruz ruellia (Ruellia nudiflora)
Coyote gourd (Cucurbita digitata)
Yierba de venado (Porophyllum gracilis)
Hibiscus coultleri
Trixis californica
Red justicia (Justicia candicans)
Oreganillo (Aloysia writghtii)
Mormon tea (Ephedra trifurca)
Western mugwort (Artemesia ludoviciana)Desert honeysuckle (Anisacanthus thurberi) – can grow up to 5 feet if well-watered. Does very well in stormwater-harvesting basins.
Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)
Desert lavender (Hyptis emoryi)
Desert hackberry (Celtis pallida)

Seed mix for Terrace planting zone of rain gardens

Wildlands Restoration’s Short Stuff: Native Grasses & Wildflower Mix

Low-growing Native Sonoran Grasses and Wildflowers.

Except in years of extraordinarily superb growing conditions, these species will maintain a low profile of about 1.5 feet or less. Mostly flowers, plus a few attractive low grasses.

Mexican Gold Poppy (Eschscholtzia Mexicana)
Dogweed (Thymophylla pentachaeta)
Owl’s Clover (Castilleja exserta)
Bladderpod (Physaria gordonii)
Golden Pectis (Pectis papposa)
Arizona Poppy (Kallstroemia grandiflora)
Desert Chia (Salvia columbiare)
Rothrock Grama (Bouteloua barbata var. rothrockii)
Sixweeks Grama (Bouteloua barbata)
Nine-Awn Grass (Enneapogon desvauxii)
Desert Fescue (Vulpia microstachys var. microstachys)
Curly Mesquite (Hilaria belangeri)
Indian Wheat (Plantago ovata)

The species in this mix are varied in their seasons, some are cool season and some warm. So, this mix can be planted in anticipation of either wet season – primarily from October through mid-February, or secondarily from late May through early August.

Short plants (which we have found do very well in Dunbar Spring Neighborhood Foresters’ stormwater-harvesting basins) that could be added to a Short Stuff seed mix customized for street-side or in-street stormwater-harvesting basins:

Grasses:
Alkali sacaton grass (Sporobolus airoides)
Feather fingergrass (Chloris virgata)
Sideoats gramma (Bouteloua curtipendula)

Not so short shrubs:
Desert honeysuckle (Anisacanthus thurberi) – can grow up to 5 feet if well-watered. Does very well in stormwater-harvesting basins.

Seed mix for Top rain garden planting zone (around the edge of a stormwater-harvesting basin)

Wildlands Restoration’s Old Town Tucson Wildflowers

Thirteen beautiful wildflowers commonly found growing in central Tucson.

Includes:
Bahia (Bahia absinthifolia)
Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata)
Desert Senna (Cassia covesii)
Dyssodia (Dyssodia pentachaeta)
Mexican Gold Poppy (Escholtzia mexicana)
Arizona Poppy (Kallstroemia grandiflora)
Bladderpod (Lesquerella gordonii)
Desert Lupine (Lupinus sparsiflorus)
Owl’s Clover (Orthocarpus purpurascens)
Parry’s Penstemon (Penstemon parryi)
Globemallow “Colors” (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
Silverbells (Streptanthus arizonicus)
Desert Zinnia (Zinnia acerosa).

Seed mixes available from:

Native Seeds/SEARCH in retail packets

Spadefoot Nursery in retail packets

Wildlands Restoration in bulk/wholesale
520-882-0969