Our Plant of the Month for August, chosen by Gardens’ Supervisor Hannah Sweeney, is Showy Milkweed. Showy Milkweed can be found throughout the Western and Midwestern continental US. A favorite of Monarch butterflies, Asclepias ssp. - Milkweed species are the only plants that they lay their eggs on.

At Turtle Bay, we are fortunate to have a dedicated team of volunteers who contribute their time and energy to make our park a wonder-full place for visitors. Each month, we shine a spotlight on one exceptional volunteer. This month, we are thrilled to introduce you to Kelly WIlliams, a rockstar on our volunteer team who just earned his 2000-hour volunteer pin!

The Plant(s) of the Month for June are Verbena rigida and Verbena rigida ‘Polaris’. Both are reliable long-blooming plants in the Gardens and in the Nursery and are both blooming profusely this year with the abundant spring rains we’ve been experiencing!

As plant of the month for May, Turtle Bay’s Senior Horticulturist/Senior Nursery Specialist, Linda Russo, chose Penola Lavender Grevillea. Lavender Grevillea is an Australian native plant that grows throughout a wide range of Southwestern Australia.

Exciting additions are coming to Turtle Bay Exploration Park! Yesterday morning, we broke ground on the NEW Environmental Resource Building! This long-awaited project was celebrated by staff, the Board of Regents, volunteers, and community members at a special ceremony on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.

The Plant of the Month for April is Velvet Centaurea, Centaurea gymnocarpa, one of my all-time favorite plants. It is extremely drought-tolerant, low maintenance, has beautiful foliage, light amethyst blooms, and is tolerant of various soils.

The Plant of the Month for March is Foothill Penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus , chosen by one of our super-dedicated Nursery volunteers, Kelly Williams.

The Plant of the Month for February is chosen by Samantha Long, one of Turtle Bay’s Gardeners at the Botanical Gardens. Sam likes that our native Coffeeberry shrubs are extremely versatile; they are evergreen and can be very dense but still have a lot of movement to them. She cites that they are also drought-tolerant and have a round berry (black when completely ripe) that looks just like the berry of a coffee plant.

The Plant(s) of the Month for January are deer grass, Muhlenbergia rigens our local deer grass, and Muhlenbergia lindheimeri also known as Lindheimer’s muhly, sometimes Mexican deer grass. They are two of my all-time favorite plants for gardens in our climate because of their beautiful forms, ease of care (low maintenance), and of course, drought tolerance.

I chose Agave for December’s plant of the month for several reasons: their value as great specimen plants, their winter interest, and their low maintenance and drought tolerance.

The Plant of the Month for September is chosen by Hannah Sweeney, Turtle Bay’s Lead Gardener at the Botanical Gardens.  Hannah likes that Desert Willow is drought-tolerant, can bloom all summer, and is beloved by hummingbirds.