About the Monument
The Ironwood Forest National Monument (IFNM) was created in 2000 by Presidential Proclamation. The Monument was designated to protect over 129,000 acreas of Sonoran Desert habitat including the Silver Bell, Sawtooth and Waterman Mountain Ranges.
Named for the “keystone” species of Desert Ironwood the Monument has an amazing diversity of plant and animal life.
The ironwood tree is a uniquely Sonoran Desert tree. The IFNM has the densest stands of desert ironwoods anywhere in the world in part due to soil made up of Precambrian Oracle granite. This granite is characterized by large crystal size and it weathers into a coarse, very porous soil that allows deep infiltration of water and air. This porous, well-aerated soil permits tree roots to penetrate deeply to reach moisture. Soil explains much of the lushness of the tree growth in the Silver Bell region.