The
Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, is situated in
Papago Park. It presents a lot of the local and regional flora, which you might guess includes a lot of cacti. You are right!
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| Entrance |
The most stereotypical flora in Arizona is the cactus, of which a great many varieties were on display.
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| Some barrel cactus |
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| More barrels |
The Binns Pavilion was off-limits the day we visited. It is an open air pavilion that is used for receptions, ceremonies, and corporate functions.
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| Nothing to see here...for you |
The variety of cacti continued, including some prickly pears, which I would have assumed were some other type of plant.
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| Saguaro and prickly pear |
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| Some leafy thing I didn't get the name of |
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| Purple prickly pear |
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| Even pricklier pear! |
Flowers also show up, even in December (when we visited).
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| Radiant |
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| Growing together |
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| Some yellow |
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| A mixed bunch |
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| And...back to the cactus |
A particularly nasty cactus is Devil Cholla, a short and very spiky plant that would be good as those chains that pop car tires. They are like an unwelcome mat.
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| Devil Cholla |
Since it was still the Christmas holiday, some of the trees still had lights on them.
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| Christmas decor |
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| More decor |
We did manage to see some fauna at the garden, including some unphotographable humming birds and this cute bunny.
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| Who's there? |
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| Too shy for a direct picture |
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| Not a humming bird (thus the picture) |
We ran into some reruns.
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| Or maybe we were running in circles? |
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| Weird cactus, but don't say that in front of them |
Palo Verde is Arizona's state tree. The trunk has green bark providing water retention and subbing in for green leaves to convert sunlight into nourishment.
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| Not painted green for Christmas |
Nearby, a cute bonsai tree has a tire swing on it.
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| Bonsai tree |
Edible plants do exist in the desert environment. A whole section of the garden is dedicated to herbs and vegetables that grow locally.
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| Herb garden |
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| Growing greens |
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| Cool flowers! |
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| Cool yet tiny flowers |
A sensory garden provides smells, sounds, and feels for visitors.
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| Some fragrant stuff |
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| Water fountains give a beautiful sound |
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| Not for feeling |
Some of the first cacti collected for display in the garden are still here!
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| Old growth |
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| A bit overwhelming--Red Torch cactus takes over! |
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| Christmas at the Desert Botanical Garden |
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| A hillside |
Another name that caught our eyes was the Creeping Devil, another low-down cactus that looks almost like a snake.
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| Creeping Devil |
A sign explained how the saguaro cactus supports the environment for many different desert dwellers, from birds to coyotes to turtles to insects.
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| It's good to have friends! |
Some art is on display in the garden.
Untitled, Blue Gloss is a painted aluminum work from 2017.
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| I have a hard time titling it myself |
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| Weber agave |
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| An area for relaxing |
Some of our crew was pretty tired and left the gardens early, missing a couple of the trails. We'll have to go back and see some more next time!
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