Plants of the Sonoran Desert
Of the four North American deserts, the Sonoran Desert is the most biologically diverse. Its bi-seasonal rainfall pattern and mild winters have resulted in a greater number of native plant species (more than 2,000) than in any of the other North American deserts.
Of particular interest to botanical artists are plants that have evolved specialized adaptations to the climate of the Sonoran Desert, notable among those being succulent species of the agave and cacti families. A listing of some notable plants of the Sonoran Desert can be found here.
For a more comprehensive listing of plants of the Sonoran Desert, the following web resources provide information about the range of particular plants, descriptions, and image libraries.
- Southwest Environmental Information Network's Flora Project for the Sonoran Desert SEINet
- The U. S. Department of Agriculture's PLANTS Database
- The Arizona-Sonora Museum's Sonoran Desert Digital Library