Encompassing 140 acres—55 of which are under cultivation—the Valley's Desert Botanical Garden showcases more than 50,000 plants in stunning outdoor exhibits. There are 4,482 species in the Living Collection, and 485 rare and endangered species. This beautiful Valley destination is just one of only 24 botanical gardens accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
Beyond its natural wonders to explore, the Garden offers a variety of events and experiences throughout the year, from live musical concerts, wine and food pairings, dog days, and more. It also attracts large exhibits—currently the Garden is home to Wind, Water, Earth. The three-part exhibit of large-scale living sculptures created by Natasha Lisitsa and Daniel Schultz of Waterlily Pond Studio wraps up this month with its third installation, Earth, an immersive, room-height, three-dimensional structure that includes 10,000 fresh flowers.
Here, a look at the unique flora showcased at Desert Botanical Garden.
According to Desert Botanical Garden, the cactus family is the fifth most endangered group of organisms identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Scientists and conservationists are working to understand, protect, and conserve these treasured lifeforms and the other desert plants.
The Garden has more than 27,000 individual plants for which they keep scientific records.
More than half of the plants in the collection have known wild provenance and nearly 80 percent of the seeds in the collection are of wild origin.
There are five trails at Desert Botanical Garden, and the Center for Desert Living Loop Trail displays ideas and strategies for sustainable ways to live with nature.
