Desert Botanical Garden

For avid gardeners and nature lovers, its like finding Oz in the middle of the city.

In 145 acres, you’ll see one of the finest collections of desert plants in the world, including towering cactus, spiny succulents and vibrant wildflowers.

There are over 21,000 plants here, many of which are from the Southwestern United States and Mexico.

Besides being home to 139 rare, threatened and endangered plant species, the Desert Botanical Garden also has beautiful themed gardens and nature trails that lead you into the heart of the desert.

The red buttes of Papago Park, near downtown Phoenix, rise behind an organpipe cactus

Nestled among the spectacular red rock buttes of Papago Park in central Phoenix, the garden brings the desert right into the center of the busy metropolis.

The gardens are also a refuge for desert wildlife.

Exploring its beautiful trails, we’ve encountered:

• fuzzy, diminutive cottontail rabbits
• clouds of butterflies flittering over brilliantly-colored wildflowers
• the hummingbird look-alike, the sphinx moth, sipping nectar at penstemons as the sun dipped below the buttes
• a kingsnake, its cream and rich brown bands blending in perfectly with the earth.

In case you haven’t guessed already, the Desert Botanical Garden is one of our favorite botanical gardens.

We always make time for a visit during our Arizona vacation.

The Desert Botanical Garden is one of the best Arizona attractions.

Senita and golden barrel cacti along the Desert Discovery Trail at the Desert Botanical Garden

Along this 1/3-mile path, known as the Desert Discovery Trail, you’ll see the garden’s oldest plantings, the succulent and cactus houses and find the trailheads that lead to other themed gardens.

This path gives you a great overview of the many kinds of desert plants found throughout the world, including yuccas, agaves, aloes, barrel, cholla and prickly pear cactus.

There is also a great collection of columnar cactus including senita, organ pipe, myrtilocactus and saguaros - the tall, many armed cactus made famous by countless Hollywood Westerns.

One of our favorite plants in this section of the garden is the tall, bizarre boojum tree.

Often described as looking like a giant upturned turnip, this succulent plant from Baja California, Mexico is related to the spiky, wand-like ocotillos found throughout the Sonoran Desert.

A boojum tree

Slow growers, boojums can live for up to 100 years and reach 80 feet in height.

The variety of species found in the Sybill B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries is amazing.

Sky-reaching, fuzzy columns of old man cactus. Short and round barrel cactus with brightly colored spines.

Succulents with leaves soft as a kitten's ear. Agaves spikier than a punk rocker’s hair.

The diversity is enough to make a collector drool.

You'll notice that the houses are covered with state of the art shade covers that protect the tender cacti and succulents underneath.

That's because most of the world’s cacti and succulents live in habitats that are cooler and wetter than Phoenix Arizona.

Some of the species in the galleries have never been displayed before, so seeing them is a rare treat.

To get a real feel for the desert, stroll the ¼-mile Sonoran Desert Nature Trail, where you can explore native desert habitat and see dramatic views of the craggy, red Papago Buttes.

A hairstreak butterfly sips nectar from a Buddleia marrubifolia, also known as the wooly butterfly bush

Almost fluorescent golden-orange Mexican gold poppies, pink penstemons and purple lupines make this garden come alive with color and activity.

Bees, hummingbirds and butterflies flock to the nectar- and pollen-rich flowers.

For all those who think there’s no color in the desert, a visit to this garden is a must.

The Desert Botanical Garden is home to many species of native desert animals, making it a great place for wildlife watching.

When walking through the garden, keep an eye out for:

• black-tailed jackrabbits
• desert spiny lizards
• round-tailed ground squirrels
• desert tortoises.

Birds are abundant at the garden too, due to its year round supply of nectar, seeds and fruits.

During a recent visit, we were delighted to see a great horned owl sleeping high up in the branches of a large cottonwood tree.

A Gila woodpecker eating the fruit of an organ pipe cactus

We searched for the owlets but unfortunately didn't see them.

Other common Arizona birds that you might see include Gila woodpeckers, curve-billed thrashers, cardinals, Gambel’s quail, cactus wrens, Anna’s hummingbirds and tiny, yellow verdins.

The Apache people used the branches of chaparral plants to create their homes, called wickiups

The Desert Botanical Garden’s Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail shows how these indigenous cultures’ intimate knowledge of plants enabled them to live and thrive in a challenging and unique environment.

Native peoples, such as the Tohono O’odham and Apache, harvested some 400 edible plants and used hundreds more for medicine, fuel, fiber and construction.

The 1/3-mile trail is split into distinct habitat areas, including:

• the desert,
• the desert oasis,
• a mesquite bosque,
• semidesert grassland,
• chaparral.

Interpretive signs describe the plants and how they were used.

Interactive exhibits give you a chance to have a hands-on understanding of how native peoples lived.

Kids and adults alike will enjoy twisting agave fibers into twine, making a brush from dried yucca leaves or pounding mesquite beans into a nutritious flour.

The Tohono O’odham tribe made poles from the skeleton ribs of saguaros to harvest the tall cacti's fruits

Be sure to pick up the illustrated trail guide booklet at the entrance of the trail to take along with you.

It's a great guide to the peoples and plants of the region

Another highlight of spring in the Desert Botanical Garden is the Marshall Butterfly Pavilion, which is only open from March through May.

Essentially a large shade house, the Pavilion is a lush, walkthrough tropical garden where you can get up close and personal with brilliantly-colored butterflies from around the world.

Thousands of butterflies surround you, landing on the brightly colored, nectar-filled flowers and the feeding stations.

Here, you can pick up a baby saguaro cactus, penstemon plants and wildflower seeds.

The nursery at the Desert Botanical Gardens has a variety of plants for sale

The shop also offers a wide variety of gardening books, Southwestern cookbooks, Southwestern gifts and souvenirs.

They even have foods made from Arizona plants, so you can taste a bit of the desert.

If you get hungry during your visit, stop by the Desert Botanical Garden’s Patio Café

Their menu has a small but tasty selection of Southwestern and American style dishes provided by Fabulous Foods Catering.

Dishes include cold sandwiches, salads, soup, pastries and drinks. There's also a children's menu too.

Mesquite trees and umbrellas shade the seating area of the Patio Café

Our only complaint about the garden is the café's set up. It is a small outdoor eatery with a walkup window for ordering.

Unfortunately all seating is outdoors with just a little bit of shade provided by tall mesquite trees.

Also, in summer, the café often closes early and there is no other food available in the garden or nearby.

The Cactus House

• Marshall Butterfly Pavilion is open seasonally from mid-March to early May only. There is a separate entrance fee in addition to the garden entrance fee. Additionally, the fall Mariposa Monarca Butterfly Exhibit, open from October through mid-November, celebrates the life of the monarch butterfly.
• The Patio Café may close early in summer or during inclement weather.
• The garden vending machines do not sell food and there are no restaurants near the garden.
• Wear a hat, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes when you visit. In colder months, bring a jacket.
• Always carry a bottle of water with you while you walk the trails, not matter what the season.
• No pets except for service dogs.

Location:   Papago Park in Phoenix, near the borders of Scottsdale and Tempe.

Address:   1201 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85008

Google Map Directions: Click on "+" and "-" signs on Map Controls in upper left hand corner to zoom in and out on the location.

Phone:   (480) 941-1225

Hours:   Open seven days a week, year-round except for July 4, Thanksgiving Day and December 25. October through April: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
May through September: 7:00 am to 8:00 pm

During evening hours, certain trails are closed. Call for more information.

Several times a year, the garden closes early to prepare for special events. Call to verify garden closing times.

Patio Café Hours: Open daily 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Admission Fee:   
Adults: $15.00
Seniors: $13.50
Students (13-18 and college with ID): $7.50
Youth (3-12): $5.00
Children 3 and under: Free

Garden members are admitted free

Amenities:   Garden library; Outdoor Patio Café; Beverage vending machines only; Garden Shop sells film, cameras, hats, sweatshirts and sunblock.

Strollers, wheelchairs and umbrellas are available for rent.

There is an ATM near front Admissions Area.

Activities:   Nature trails; docent-led walks; evening flashlight tours; bird watching tours; interactive exhibits; reading room; children’s programs.

Seasonal events include:

• Marshall Butterfly Pavilion
• Spring and Fall plant sales
• Spring Wildflower Festival
• annual Cactus and Succulents Show and Sale
• Las Noches de las Luminarias winter holiday festival
• Jazz in the Garden
• Mother’s Day Lunch and Concert

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