Pollinator Garden at Estrella Mtn. Regional Park

Five-Acre Pollinator Garden

Wide view of the five-acre pollinator garden at Estrella Mountain Regional Park, showing native desert plants, walking paths, and surrounding hills under a blue sky. Maricopa County Parks & Recreation has partnered with the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) and Arizona State University (ASU) to transform five acres of irrigated turf into a water-efficient pollinator garden at Estrella Mountain Regional Park.

This project supports water conservation, habitat restoration, and biodiversity enhancement within the park.

Garden Features

The five-acre area includes:

One-acre landscaped interpretive pollinator garden
Four acres of natural desert-style pollinator habitat
Two accessible Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) trails
A water feature to support native wildlife and pollinators

The interpretive garden contains 28 pollinator pods, each planted with 10–11 species selected and arranged by color to attract a wide range of pollinators.

The surrounding four acres feature a more natural landscape design, with plantings dispersed throughout the area and extending along the Monarch Trail.

Volunteer & Community Support

Over the past three years, the project has hosted multiple volunteer events. More than 800 plants have been installed, including:

10 tree species
46 shrub and forb species
6 cactus species

The garden currently includes 62 total plant species (as of December 2024).

We extend a special thank you to the Desert Defender Volunteers and community volunteers who have contributed their time and expertise to this project.

Educational Features

The garden includes:

A large interpretive sign explaining the importance of pollinator gardens
A second large sign listing planted species with common and scientific names
Smaller interpretive signs created by a local artist highlighting specific pollinators

A laminated Spanish version of the interpretive materials is available at the Nature Center. Visitors may also access information online using the on-site QR code.

Plant Species Highlights

Trees (10 species; over 300 planted)

Blue Palo Verde
Foothills Palo Verde
Screwbean Mesquite
Velvet Mesquite
Arizona Ironwood
Velvet Ash

Shrubs and Forbs (46 species; over 300 planted)

Indian Mallow
Globe Mallow
Brownfoot
Desert Honeysuckle
Rush Milkweed
Desert Milkweed
Mohave Milkweed
Desert Marigold
Sweetbush
Fairy Duster
Wolfberry
Hibiscus (Paleface and Desert Rose Mallow)
Buttonbush
Trixis
Cous Senna
And many more

Cacti (6 species; 18 planted)

Saguaro
Barrel Cactus
Night Blooming Cereus
Additional native cactus species

About the Project

Funding

The project was funded through a Healthy Urban Rivers Ecosystem Forest Grant from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

Additional support was provided by:

Arizona State University | Arizona Forward | CEMEX | Freeport-McMoRan | Desert Botanical Garden

Design & Ongoing Work

Maricopa County Parks & Recreation staff provided project design support, expertise, and labor. The garden remains an active restoration project, with continued efforts to increase biodiversity, introduce additional native species, and manage invasive weeds.

To learn more about the Pollinator Garden, please contact the Natural Resource Secialist at maricopacountyparks@maricopa.gov.