Quick answer: 35 native Arizona plants have a recorded bloom range that includes March.
35 species
- Anderson wolfberry Lycium andersonii · 1 states
- Antelope-horns milkweed Asclepias asperula · 2 states
- Arroyo lupine Lupinus succulentus · 2 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Beavertail prickly pear Opuntia basilaris · 1 states
- Blackfoot daisy Melampodium leucanthum · 6 states
- Blue palo verde Parkinsonia florida · 3 states
- Brittlebush Encelia farinosa · 4 states
- California poppy Eschscholzia californica · 6 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Chuparosa Justicia californica · 1 states
- Creosote bush Larrea tridentata · 6 states
- Desert bluebells Phacelia campanularia · 2 states
- Desert globemallow Sphaeralcea ambigua · 2 states
- Desert marigold Baileya multiradiata · 4 states
- Desert sand verbena Abronia villosa · 4 states
- Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis · 32 states
- Engelmann's hedgehog cactus Echinocereus engelmannii · 1 states
- Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii · 7 states
- Gambel oak Quercus gambelii · 8 states
- Gray alder Alnus incana · 26 states
- Jojoba Simmondsia chinensis · 2 states
- Joshua tree Yucca brevifolia · 3 states
- Lacy phacelia Phacelia tanacetifolia · 3 states
- Miniature lupine Lupinus bicolor · 4 states
- Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens · 3 states
- Parry's penstemon Penstemon parryi · 1 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red barberry Mahonia haematocarpa · 1 states
- Rush milkweed Asclepias subulata · 3 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Tidy tips Layia platyglossa · 3 states
- Western redbud Cercis occidentalis · 4 states
- Winecup Callirhoe involucrata · 16 states
- Winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata · 12 states
March in an Arizona native garden
March is a quieter month in Arizona: 35 of the state's 127 native plants flower in March, compared with 98 at the June peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
22 start blooming in March, including Antelope-horns milkweed, Bearberry and Blackfoot daisy.
30 of them grow in full or partial sun and 8 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Antelope-horns milkweed and Arroyo lupine to trees such as Bearberry and Blue palo verde. For wildlife, 28 support pollinators, 13 provide food or cover for birds and 6 are caterpillar host plants.
21 of the 35 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.
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Mar-Jun
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Mar-Jun
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Mar-Jun