   Arizona’s Arboreta and Botanical Gardens - February 8, 2006 Jeff Schalau, County Director, Associate Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County There are several excellent arboreta and botanical gardens in Arizona. Plant nerds, like me, enjoy browsing the diversity, learning new species, and seeing mature plants in all their glory. Almost all of Arizona’s arboreta and botanical gardens have educational programs to increase knowledge and awareness about both native and exotic plants as well as birds, insects, and wildlife. Many of them also have plant nurseries and book stores where you can find something to bring home. Spring is a perfect time to get out and visit these living treasures. Below, I’ve listed most of the major sites and some smaller ones of interest. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix contains one of the world’s finest collections of desert plants. It encompasses 50 acres and features 139 rare, threatened, and endangered plant species. The Desert Botanical Garden also features educational displays and information on water conservation. It is open seven days a week between 8 am and 8 pm (opening at 7 am from May to September). They are located at 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix (near the Phoenix Zoo). For more information, visit their web site at www.dbg.org or call (480) 941-1225. The Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park is located just west of Superior on Highway 60 and contains desert plants from North and South America, Australia, 800 species of cacti, a water efficient demonstration garden, and a collection of desert legumes (members of the pea/bean family). This arboretum has a climate similar to the Verde Valley making it a great place to get new ideas. They also sell plants to the public and have a spring plant sale each March. The Boyce Thompson Arboretum is open between 8 am and 5 pm. For more information, visit their web site at arboretum.ag.arizona.edu or call (520) 689-2723. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson is a natural history museum, zoo, and botanical garden combined to create a total experience. It features 300 animal and 1,200 plant species all native to the Sonoran Desert region. There are almost 2 miles of paths traversing 21 acres of beautiful desert. The educational displays, exhibits, demonstrations, and docents are all very engaging. You will probably not be able to see everything in one day, but that’s okay because, once you go, you will probably return on a regular basis. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is located at 2021 North Kinney Road, Tucson (on the west side of the Tucson Mountains). Open every day of the year, but hours vary by season and day of the week. For more information, visit their web site at www.desertmuseum.org or call (520) 883-2702. The Tucson Botanical Gardens contain 16 different gardens representing a variety of traditions and botanical themes. Some of the themes are native American crops, wildflowers, Zen, shade, iris, birds, butterflies, xeriscape, herbs, and children’s discovery. Educational displays and docents also bring these gardens to life. The Tucson Botanical Gardens are located at 2150 North Alvernon Way, Tucson and are open between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. For more information, visit their web site at www.tucsonbotanical.org or call (520) 326-9686. Tohono Chul Park is yet another Tucson botanical garden. Most of Tohono Chul Park remains natural desert, but it also has a variety of specialty gardens. Some of these gardens focus on hummingbirds, ethnobotanical crops, water harvesting, demonstrations, and the Spanish colonial period. There are also trails and an outdoor performance area. Tohono Chul Park is located at 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, Tucson and open from 8 am to 5 pm daily (visitors arriving before 5 pm are welcome to stay until sunset). For more information, visit their web site at www.tohonochulpark.org or call (520) 742-6455. The Arboretum at Flagstaff features over 2,500 plant species and focuses on the Colorado Plateau. They have an incredible wildflower display, herb garden, trails, educational programs, concerts, and more. The Arboretum at Flagstaff is closed for the winter, but will open on April 1. Each June, they have a native plant sale that features many plants suitable for the Verde Valley. The Arboretum at Flagstaff is located at 4001 Woody Mountain Rd, Flagstaff. For more information, visit their web site at www.thearb.org or call (928) 774-1442. The arboreta and botanical gardens listed above are all top notch. Visit then when you can. You won’t regret it. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has publications and information on gardening and pest control. If you have other gardening questions, call the Master Gardener line in the Cottonwood office at 646-9113 ext. 14 or E-mail us at mgardener@verdeonline.com and be sure to include your address and phone number. Find past Backyard Gardener columns or submit column ideas at the Backyard Gardener web site: http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/. |