Desert Moon Botanicals

Fall is one of my favorite times to explore the desert! The temperatures begin to finally drop, and with all the rain we have been getting, the desert is coming back to life. It really is a wonderful opportunity to get back outside after a long summer, slow down, look more closely, and learn about the plants growing around us.

I have three guided plant walks scheduled this fall:

October 10 — Riparian Medicinal Plants
October 24 — Superstition Mountains
November 7 — Sonoran Desert in Fountain Hills

Each walk focuses on the medicinal plants and ecology of that particular area, including traditional and modern herbal uses. You will learn responsible plant identification and the ways desert plants adapt to their environment.

Walks are $40 per person. Start times, meeting locations, terrain information, and registration details vary by walk.

Explore all three walks and register for the dates you’d like to attend:

https://desertmoonbotanicals.com/pages/plant-walks

Chaparral is one of those plants that feels inseparable from the Sonoran Desert.

Most people know it as creosote bush or by its botanical name, Larrea tridentata. Even if they don’t know its name, they usually recognize its unmistakable scent after a desert rain. That familiar scent is one of the things that makes our desert so unique during monsoon season or any time it rains.

Chaparral is incredibly well adapted to life in a hot, dry environment. Its small, waxy leaves help it conserve moisture, and some creosote colonies have continued replacing old stems with new growth for thousands of years. The well-known King Clone colony in California is estimated to be nearly 12,000 years old. Wow!

It also has a long history of traditional use among Indigenous peoples of the Southwest and continues to hold an important place in regional herbalism. It is a strong plant, though, and one that deserves thoughtful preparation, appropriate use, and respect for the desert landscape where it grows.

Chaparral is a plant I work with often, but its resilience may be what I appreciate most about it. It survives intense heat, limited rainfall, poor soil, and years of difficult conditions, and then responds almost immediately when the rain finally comes.

I’ve written a more in-depth plant profile covering the history, traditional uses, desert adaptations, and enduring presence of chaparral.

Visit The Herbal Corner and select the Chaparral Plant Profile to continue reading:

https://desertmoonbotanicals.com/blogs/the-herbal-corner

Or, if you want to learn about this plant in person, join one of my upcoming desert plant walks this fall! https://desertmoonbotanicals.com/pages/plant-walks

Fall is beginning to settle into the desert, even though it still feels a bit like summer. Temperatures have just started dipping below 100, but from experience, I know summer isn’t done with us yet!

I call this our second spring. Plants begin waking up after the monsoon rains—and, unfortunately, the allergies start kicking in too.

Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing more Arizona plant knowledge, little bits of herbal wisdom, upcoming guided plant walks, and a closer look at some of the herbal goodies I reach for as the seasons change.

If you’d like to join me on the trail this season, you can find upcoming plant walks and seasonal offerings at desertmoonbotanicals.com.

What do you love most about fall where you live?

I’m so excited to announce that after months of work, the new Desert Moon Botanicals website is finally live!

The new site brings everything together in one place: Arizona herbal classes, guided plant walks, and the small-batch apothecary. You’ll also find a new Recommended Reading section, along with some of the tools and supplies I use in my own herbal practice.

To celebrate the launch, use code WELCOMEBACK10 for 10% off apothecary purchases through September 30.

Registration is also open for this fall’s plant walks.

Take a look around at desertmoonbotanicals.com. I’d love to hear what you think.

I’ve got two plant walks coming up this week—one in the early evening and one in the morning.

Even with the warmer weather, these are still really beautiful times to be out with the plants. We’ll move at a relaxed pace, take breaks, and spend time getting to know the medicinal plants growing right here in the desert.

🌿 Thursday (4–6 pm) – Riparian Preserve, Gilbert
🌿 Saturday (9–11 am) – Fountain Hills Botanical Garden, Fountain Hills

If you’ve been wanting to join a walk, this is a perfect chance before full summer heat sets in.

Spots are limited and I do need a minimum number of registrations for each walk. I’ll be making the final go/no-go call soon, so if you’re thinking about it, now’s the time to sign up.

Sign up at: https://desertmoonbotanicals.com/plant-walks (link in bio)

Spring is one of the best times to explore the desert and see medicinal plants growing in the wild.

This Saturday I’ll be leading a guided medicinal plant walk in the Superstition Wilderness, where we’ll explore desert herbs, traditional uses, and how to identify plants in their natural habitat.

We’ll walk through the desert landscape, stop along the way to look at plants up close, and talk about how these species have been used traditionally for food and medicine.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the plants growing around us here in Arizona, this is a great opportunity to experience them in the field.

WHEN: Saturday, March 14
TIME: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
WHERE: Superstition Wilderness (Apache Junction)

Only a few spots remain. Registration closes Thursday.

Register here: https://desertmoonbotanicals.com/plant-walk-superstition or link in bio

Join me this Tuesday morning, for a walk through the desert in Fountain Hills.

We’ll spend our time moving slowly through the landscape, observing medicinal plants in place—how they grow, how they respond to early spring, and how herbalists learn directly from the land.

This walk is for anyone curious about herbal medicine, plant identification, and building real, grounded plant knowledge. No experience is required—just comfortable shoes and a willingness to observe.

A few spots are still open if you’d like to join us.

Details and registration are available online at: https://desertmoonbotanicals.com/plant-walk-fountain-hills

I’m back on the trail—and you can be too.

After a quiet season of personal healing, Desert Moon Botanicals medicinal plant walks return on February 10, beginning with a small-group walk at Fountain Hills Botanical Garden.

These guided walks focus on medicinal and edible plants of the Sonoran Desert, with hands-on learning rooted in observation, seasonal growth, and traditional use.

Upcoming walks include returning locations like the Superstition Mountains and the Gilbert Riparian Preserve, along with new locations at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and Veterans Oasis Park.

First walk: Fountain Hills Botanical Garden
Date: February 10
Early registration: $40 through February 3

Details and registration 👉 https://desertmoonbotanicals.com/plant-walks
Full newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/ab53d18d1737/back-on-the-trail-desert-plant-walks

I hope to walk with you soon.

Winter Solstice

The shortest day.
The longest night.
The quiet hinge of the year.

Today marks the low point of light, and the moment it begins its return. In many earth-based traditions, this night belongs to the dark—not as something to push through, but as something with its own purpose.

This year drew Desert Moon inward.
Aligned with loss, transition, and time spent away, it asked for slowing rather than building. For listening instead of shaping. For work that didn’t need to be visible.

In herbal practice, winter works this way. Roots hold fast. Energy turns inward. What matters most is happening below the surface.

As the year turns, the light will return slowly. With it will come a new look, new products, and new offerings shaped by this period of honest, inward work.

Thank you for being here through this season—for your patience, your trust, and your continued presence.

The light returns gradually.
We’ll move with it.

— Jennifer, Desert Moon Botanicals

Small Business Saturday means a lot to me, because when you support a small business, you’re supporting a real person, real work, and real passion — not a corporation or an algorithm.

Every order placed with a small maker keeps skills alive, strengthens local communities, and allows people like me to continue creating meaningful, handcrafted products. None of this happens on Amazon or inside a warehouse. It happens at a table, in small batches, with intention and care.

To everyone who has supported Desert Moon Botanicals — whether through a purchase, a class, a plant walk, or simply sharing my work — thank you. It truly matters.

This weekend, enjoy 15% off all handcrafted herbal goods, plus free shipping on orders of $75+ with code HOLIDAY15.

Thank you for choosing small, choosing local, and choosing makers whose work is done by hand and from the heart.

Shop at desertmoonbotanicals.com.