The Manzo Desert Biome Had its first beginnings in 1994. It was a small dream to bring a desert jewel to our quaint Barrio, but since then it has become a collaborative process in which school, community and parents have helped it became an outdoor learning environment. The vision of the Manzo Sonoran Desert Biome is a place where our students will learn more about Science observation, conservation, and appreciation of our Sonoran Desert.

Western Honey Mesquite

Honey Mesquite is an 8in. shrub, with bean-like pods and 3-inch spines with large nodes on branches. It has smooth, brown bark that roughens with age. they are yellowish green color. They display long fragrant, creamy yellow flowers. the fruit is a flat, narrow, yellow-green pod.

The Screwbean Mesquite is a 2in. shrub, with screw-like pods and spiny, twisted branches. It has light-brown to reddish, smooth bark that separates into long, shaggy strips.. Narrow long leaves that are sharply pointed. They are dull green in color and slightly hairy. the Screwbean Mesquite has light yellow flowers. The fruit is a hard, spiral, with brown-to-yellow pods with sweet pulp.

Did you know?? Medical studies of the mesquite say that mesquite flour  made by grinding whole pods, is great in controlling blood pressure levels in people with diabetes.

A low, cylindrical cactus with one or many thick clustered stems grows to 6 inches high. Many hooked spines are surrounded by numerous, straight, tan-to-pink ones. the Fishhook Cactus has extended, smooth, red fruit 1/2 to 1 inch long.

Grows from desert floors to grasslands to lower mountain slopes, developing a thick trunk and with purple jointed joints.

The Ocotillo bloom annually, even without leafing in particularly dry springs. It has a funnel-shaped flower with several woody, spiny, whip-like, straight branches angling outward from the base and rising as high as 20 feet. Ocotillo are leafless most of the year, except immediately after rain; the leaves then quickly wither after the soil dries out. These narrow, oval leaves are about 2 inches long, appearing in bunches above spines.

When crushed fragrant leaves smell like a mix of marigold, mint, and lemon. Blooms sporadically through out the year.

Hedgehog Cactus is a  small barrel-shaped cactus with few to several hundred stems in a clump. The barrel has nine or ten ribs and the central spines are straight and slightly curved. The flowers are scarlet red, with many petals, and are cup-shaped. Hummingbirds are highly attached to the flower. The fruits are red and are edible (remember to burn off spines first!). This is the first cactus to bloom at night, unlike many other species of cacti whose flowers close in the evening. The flowers last three to five days.

The Senita Cactus fruit used by many Native American peoples of Arizona. Women knocked down the fruit with the long poles and gathered them in baskets. Seeds were separated from the pulp and ground into a meal while the juice was saved to be boiled down into syrup. Early Native Americans believed the Senita had a powerful spirit. They believed it was used for placing curses that were thought to lead to sickness and death of an enemy.

This grayish-green shrub is called Chuparosa. It is mostly leafless but has many dense, soft, hairy branches. It has fine hairs and fall during cold or drought conditions. Chuparosa, means "sucking rose" in Spanish. It is abundant with nectar, making it popular among various birds, especially hummingbirds. Quail and House Finches eat the seeds. Chuparosa is said to have been used in dishes by the Thono O' dam Indians.