Arizona Native Plant Society - White Mountain Chapter

10/13/2026

Our next event is just THREE DAYS away! Are you joining us Friday morning (10/16) to sketch or take photos?

Come sketch native plants together and check out the leaf changes as fall returns! This is a fun and relaxed event where we simply get together to sketch and photograph native plants.

• WHERE: Woodland Lake (Pinetop-Lakeside): meet by the fishing pier
• WHEN: Friday, October 16th @ 9:00-10:30am

There are two groups at this event:
✍🏻 Sketch Group: (Host: Jess Rollar + Karen Suedmeier)
Jess and Karen (Ren) will share tips for sketching native plants and the landscape on location. Bring your sketchbook and other favorite supplies. We'll have lots of time to explore and sketch on your own as well!

📷 Photo Group: (Host: Bob Rollar)
Bob will be sharing photography tips and tricks on how to capture our beautiful native landscape and plants. Be sure to bring your camera or phone for taking pictures.

This is a free event and very beginner friendly, all levels welcome and mistakes are always encouraged. This is a great way to learn about native plants and get a closer look!

10/09/2026

10/09/2026

Our next event is just ONE WEEK away! Are you joining us next Friday morning (10/16) to sketch or take photos?

Come sketch native plants together and check out the leaf changes as fall returns! This is a fun and relaxed event where we simply get together to sketch and photograph native plants.

• WHERE: Woodland Lake (Pinetop-Lakeside)
• WHEN: Friday, October 16th @ 9:00-10:30am

There are two groups at this event:
✍🏻 Sketch Group: (Host: Jess Rollar + Karen Suedmeier)
Jess and Karen (Ren) will share tips for sketching native plants and the landscape on location. Bring your sketchbook and other favorite supplies. We'll have lots of time to explore and sketch on your own as well!

📷 Photo Group: (Host: Bob Rollar)
Bob will be sharing photography tips and tricks on how to capture our beautiful native landscape and plants. Be sure to bring your camera or phone for taking pictures.

This is a free event and very beginner friendly, all levels welcome and mistakes are always encouraged. This is a great way to learn about native plants and get a closer look!

10/07/2026

Have you seen these bright, coral-colored flowers blooming over the past few weeks? Globemallow (Sphaeralcea spp.) is one of our favorites!

As you can likely guess from the name, they are in the Mallow family. There are several varieties in the White Mountains, but globemallows generally have grey-green, hairy, lobed leaves. The five-petaled flowers range from pink to peach-colored to orange and even scarlet. While they can bloom from spring through fall, we see the majority of blooms in late summer and early autumn.

One of our common varieties is Fendler's Globemallow (Sphaeralcea fendleri); this plant is found in pine-oak forests and juniper woodlands from 3,000 - 8,000 ft.

Post/photo credit: Karen Suedmeier

10/05/2026

Calling all artists! October has begun and we have a new challenge for you:

✏️ Draw one or both of the plants photographed (Pinedrop or/and Silver-leaf Nightshade)
🍃 Sketch, paint, mosaic, embroidery, photography... any medium you wish!

We love to see your art, be sure to share your art in the comments below!

** Unless requested to remain private, your artwork may be shared and featured on the Arizona Native Plant Society website with credit.

09/30/2026

Today, we're featuring a native plant known as Prairie Coneflower or Mexican-Hat, Ratibida columnifera. Another name is Thimbleflower, and if you've ever used a thimble, you can see why!

As a member of the Aster family, Coneflower is actually made up of many flowers: disc flowers (on the cone) and ray flowers (petals). Ray flowers can be orange, yellow, red, brown-purple, or bi-colored. Leaves are alternate along the stem, divided and pinnately lobed.

Ratibida columnifera thrives in dry, open spaces such as meadows and roadsides. It is of special value to native bees, and would be a great addition to a sunny garden.

Post: Karen Suedmeier
Photo credit: Dean Suedmeier

09/26/2026

Come see us today at The Depot in Lakeside! We have an educational table packed with books to flip through, articles to take home, seeds to look at under a magnifying glass and samples of the quarterly Plant Press by Arizona Native Plant Society!

We are here until 1pm today, stop by and say hello!

1757 Jackson Ln
Lakeside, AZ

09/25/2026

09/23/2026

This Saturday we will have an information table setup at The Depot's weekly artisan market in Lakeside 9-1pm! Come out and see us, be sure to bring questions you might have regarding native plants - we're here to help!

We will have books to look through, information pamphlets, coloring pages and more!

09/23/2026

Notice the large bracts that resemble a bird's head with a long bill?
It's easy to see how Bird-Bill Dayflower got its common name!

Features of Bird-Bill Dayflower (Commelina dianthifolia):
🌱 A solitary dark blue flower perches atop the bird-head bracts
🌱 Flower has three flat petals, yellow anthers, and curled white styles
🌱 Bracts are green, often tinged with purple; flowers develop inside the bract
🌱 Leaves are long and linear
🌱 Grows up to 18 inches tall but is usually much shorter
🌱 Each flower is only open for one morning, and wilts by afternoon.
This is why it is called a "dayflower"

Commelina dianthifolia attracts bees and other pollinators with its striking blue blooms. It is usually found in open meadows with rocky soils, at elevations from 4,000-9,500 feet.

Post and photo credit: Karen Suedmeier