Mission Garden: Friends of Tucson's Birthplace

Mission Garden: Friends of Tucson's Birthplace A living agricultural museum showcasing Tucson’s multicultural history.

Mission Garden is a living agricultural museum of Sonoran Desert-adapted heritage fruit-trees, traditional local heirloom crops and edible native plants.

🌿 Celebrate Indigenous Arts & Culture at Mission Garden! 🌿Join us on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 8 AM–4 PM for a sp...
09/15/2026

🌿 Celebrate Indigenous Arts & Culture at Mission Garden! 🌿

Join us on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 8 AM–4 PM for a special day celebrating Indigenous creativity, tradition, and craft at Mission Garden’s Native American Arts Fair!

Enjoy cultural sharing throughout the day with presentations from groups including Pascua Yaqui dancers, O’odham Ñe’edam song and dance, the Havasupai Tribe Ram Dancers, along with an opportunity to hear from Pima County.

🪶 Shop from Indigenous artists and vendors offering arts, jewelry, baskets, clothing, weaving, food, and more. Enjoy delicious food and drinks while spending the day exploring arts in the Garden and connecting with community.

📍 Mission Garden 946 W Mission Lane Tucson, AZ 85745

🎟️ Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $5/person

Come celebrate the richness, creativity, and living traditions of Indigenous communities!

Sponsored by Pima County and Desert Diamond Casino.

🌱 Come see what’s growing at Mission Garden! 🌱There’s always something happening in the garden! Right now, summer crops ...
09/15/2026

🌱 Come see what’s growing at Mission Garden! 🌱

There’s always something happening in the garden! Right now, summer crops like okra are thriving, while plants that will provide a fall harvest are bursting into bloom and preparing to set fruit. 🌼🍅🍊

Every visit offers something new to discover as the seasons shift and our gardens continue to grow.

Come take a stroll, see what’s growing, and enjoy free admission to Tucson’s Agricultural Heritage Museum!

📍 Mission Garden 946 W Mission Lane, Tucson, AZ 85745

We’ll see you in the garden! 🌿

🍉🌱 There’s always something in the making at Mission Garden! 🌱🍊Right now, we’re harvesting some of our summer favorites ...
09/14/2026

🍉🌱 There’s always something in the making at Mission Garden! 🌱🍊

Right now, we’re harvesting some of our summer favorites like watermelon and okra, while the next season’s harvest is quietly taking shape.

Our citrus trees are already covered in tiny, dark green fruits. They may not look like much now, but with a little time, these small, unripe fruits will transform into the luscious citrus fruits we look forward to harvesting later in the season. 🍊

That’s the beauty of growing in the desert—there’s always something growing, ripening, blooming, or being prepared for what comes next.

There’s always something to look forward to at Mission Garden! 🌿

🌱🌾 Save the date for our Plant Sale & Seed Swap!Join us at Mission Garden on October 3, 2026, from 8 AM–1 PM for a free ...
09/12/2026

🌱🌾 Save the date for our Plant Sale & Seed Swap!

Join us at Mission Garden on October 3, 2026, from 8 AM–1 PM for a free community event celebrating plants, seeds, and the knowledge that helps them thrive in the Sonoran Desert!

We’ll be selling heritage plants and giving away seeds grown right here at Mission Garden. You’ll also have the chance to meet community partners who will be sharing plants, seeds, resources, and knowledge:

🌿 ORO House
🌱 Tucson Clean & Beautiful
🌾 Las Milpitas
🌻 Pima County Public Seed Library
🌵 Bajada Restoration
🌱 Native Seeds/SEARCH
🌿 Master Gardeners
🌾 The Garden Exchange Stands

Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just getting started, come swap seeds, discover new plants, learn from local experts, and find something to grow in your own space.

October 3, 2026 | 8 AM–1 PM
📍 Mission Garden, 946 W Mission Lane Tucson, AZ 85745
🎟️ Free and open to all!

Come grow with us! 🌱

🌸 Celebrate Pascua Yaqui Recognition Day at Mission Garden! 🌸Join us on September 12 from 5–7 PM for a free paper flower...
09/12/2026

🌸 Celebrate Pascua Yaqui Recognition Day at Mission Garden! 🌸

Join us on September 12 from 5–7 PM for a free paper flower-making workshop celebrating Yoeme tradition and culture.

Learn how to make traditional sewa, or paper flowers, which are used to honor and celebrate in the Yoeme world. Come learn, create, and celebrate with us as we recognize the rich traditions of the Pascua Yaqui community.

🌸 Free admission
🌸 All supplies provided
🌸 All are welcome!

📅 September 12
⏰ 5–7 PM
📍 Mission Garden 946 W Mission Lane, Tucson, AZ 85745

We hope you’ll join us for an evening of creativity, community, and cultural celebration! 🌺

🍂 A Taste of Fall Is Growing at Mission GardenOne of our favorite signs of the changing seasons is beginning to appear o...
09/10/2026

🍂 A Taste of Fall Is Growing at Mission Garden

One of our favorite signs of the changing seasons is beginning to appear on the quince trees at Mission Garden. The fuzzy, golden-green fruits are slowly ripening, and we’re eagerly awaiting the quince harvest that marks the arrival of fall in the Garden.

Quince has a long history in Tucson’s agricultural story, and our historic trees offer a glimpse into the fruit-growing traditions that have shaped this place for generations. While quince may not be as familiar as apples or pears, its fragrant fruit has been cherished for centuries and is especially delicious when cooked into jams, jellies, and other treats.

For now, we’re watching and waiting as the fruits ripen on the trees. Stop by Mission Garden and see if you can spot the quince beginning to turn golden. Fall is on its way!

🌿 Come Spend Some Time at Mission Garden!Looking for a fun, meaningful way to spend a morning? Come visit Mission Garden...
09/09/2026

🌿 Come Spend Some Time at Mission Garden!

Looking for a fun, meaningful way to spend a morning? Come visit Mission Garden! Admission is always free, and there’s plenty to explore for visitors of all ages.

Our Family Exploration Backpacks are a great way for school-aged children to get up close and personal with the plants, animals, and natural world around the Garden. Check out a backpack from the shop and turn your visit into an adventure as you explore and discover!

And don’t forget to stop by the Garden Shop before you leave. Take home some seasonal produce from the Garden, a good book, or locally made jams, herbs, and other local treats. Every purchase helps support Mission Garden while also supporting the local artists, authors, and producers whose work we’re proud to feature.

Come explore, learn, shop local, and enjoy a little time in the Garden. We’ll see you at Mission Garden!

🌿 Purslane: A Little Plant with a Big Story🌿Have you spotted purslane growing at Mission Garden? This humble, succulent ...
09/08/2026

🌿 Purslane: A Little Plant with a Big Story🌿

Have you spotted purslane growing at Mission Garden? This humble, succulent green has deep roots in desert foodways and has long been valued as a nutritious wild food.

Known as jihok in O’odham, the appearance of purslane has traditionally marked the arrival of the summer monsoon rains. 🌧️🌱 Its emergence is an important seasonal signal—and a welcome source of fresh food during the hottest months of the year.

Jihok is a wild, edible green that can be harvested alongside other desert greens. It is packed with nutrients, including vitamins A, C, and E, as well as minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Purslane is also notable for being a plant source of omega-3 fatty acids.

In Tucson and throughout the Southwest it is also known as verdolagas, and continues to be enjoyed in traditional and contemporary cuisine. Its tender leaves and stems have a pleasantly tart, lemony flavor and can be added to soups, stews, eggs, and other dishes.

At Mission Garden, plants like jihok help us see the connections between rain, plants, food, and people in the Sonoran Desert. When jihok appears, it tells us something important: the rains have come, and the desert is responding. 🌧️🌿

🌿 Let Your Landscape Learn From the DesertTake a walk through Mission Garden and you’ll find more than historic crops an...
09/07/2026

🌿 Let Your Landscape Learn From the Desert

Take a walk through Mission Garden and you’ll find more than historic crops and traditional gardens—you’ll also find examples of plants that are perfectly adapted to life in our hot, dry Sonoran Desert climate.

Native and arid-adapted plants like desert honeysuckle and bee brush put on beautiful blooms after the monsoons, providing food for pollinators and adding bursts of color to the landscape. Even better, these resilient plants can withstand Tucson’s intense heat and periods of drought once established.

These plants are a great reminder that a beautiful landscape doesn’t have to mean a thirsty one. Choosing plants adapted to our climate can help conserve water, support wildlife, and create gardens that thrive with the seasons.

Look around Mission Garden for inspiration and consider bringing some of these desert-adapted beauties into your own landscape!

🐉🌿 Celebrate Dragonfly Day at Mission Garden!🌿🐉Families are invited to join for a fun-filled morning of free, hands-on n...
09/05/2026

🐉🌿 Celebrate Dragonfly Day at Mission Garden!🌿🐉

Families are invited to join for a fun-filled morning of free, hands-on nature and art activities as we explore the amazing world of dragonflies!

Kids will be invited to become garden explorers, discovering what lives in Mission Garden’s irrigation canal and learning about the fascinating creatures that call our waterways home. Along the way, we’ll celebrate the important role dragonflies play in our environment and their connection to healthy ecosystems.

Come get curious, get creative, and discover the tiny wonders living all around us! 🌱💧✨

📅 September 26, 2026
📍 Mission Garden | 946 W Mission Lane Tucson, AZ 85745
🎨 Free family-friendly activities!

Bring the whole family and spend the morning exploring, learning, and celebrating the incredible biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert.

Address

946 W Mission Lane
Tucson, AZ
85745

Opening Hours

Wednesday 8am - 2pm
Thursday 8am - 2pm
Friday 8am - 2pm
Saturday 8am - 2pm
Sunday 8am - 2pm

Telephone

+15209555200

Website

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