Explore the desert in a new light! The Native Plant Oasis (NPO) is a recently renovated educational garden at Veterans Oasis Park that showcases native plant growth. In 2024, the Chandler Nature Center received grant funding from the Gila River Indian Community to transform a former community garden into the new oasis. The Native Plant Oasis emphasizes the biodiversity of our desert environment, promoting conservation and the value of native desert plants.
The area includes educational display garden beds, native seed harvesting beds, and a plant nursery section.
Congratulations to the NPO for receiving the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association Natural Resources Award for 2026!
Why Native Plants?
Sonoran Desert plants enrich the soil, provide shelter for wildlife, conserve water, and support pollinators. Adapted to extreme heat, native plants can reduce water usage by up to 85% compared to non-native plants.
The Native Plant Oasis highlights some of the desert’s most popular plants. In addition to exploring each plant’s unique characteristics, visitors will learn how Indigenous people used them for thousands of years.
You Can Help!
The Native Plant Oasis is a community-driven garden, made possible by passionate volunteers who tend the plants year-round. Volunteers are needed for year-round maintenance, and all experience levels are welcome.
Volunteer sessions occur on the first and third Fridays of the month from October through May. For more information call 480-782-2890.
Explore the Native Plant Oasis
Learn about some of the unique plants that call the Native Plant Oasis home.
