Quick answer: 13 native Arizona plants have a recorded bloom range that includes February.
13 species
- Anderson wolfberry Lycium andersonii · 1 states
- Arroyo lupine Lupinus succulentus · 2 states
- Beavertail prickly pear Opuntia basilaris · 1 states
- Brittlebush Encelia farinosa · 4 states
- California poppy Eschscholzia californica · 6 states
- Desert bluebells Phacelia campanularia · 2 states
- Desert globemallow Sphaeralcea ambigua · 2 states
- Desert sand verbena Abronia villosa · 4 states
- Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii · 7 states
- Jojoba Simmondsia chinensis · 2 states
- Parry's penstemon Penstemon parryi · 1 states
- Red barberry Mahonia haematocarpa · 1 states
- Western redbud Cercis occidentalis · 4 states
February in an Arizona native garden
February is a quieter month in Arizona: 13 of the state's 127 native plants flower in February, compared with 98 at the June peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
12 start blooming in February, including Anderson wolfberry, Arroyo lupine and Beavertail prickly pear.
Sizes run from low plants like Arroyo lupine and Desert globemallow to trees such as Fremont cottonwood and Jojoba. For wildlife, 10 support pollinators and 4 provide food or cover for birds.
7 of the 13 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- California poppy Eschscholzia californica · Sun · blooms Feb-Sep
- Brittlebush Encelia farinosa · Sun · blooms Feb-May
- Arroyo lupine Lupinus succulentus · Sun · blooms Feb-May