Desert Museum Gardens

Photos of various desert plants

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum was recognized as TripAdvisor.com's 2013 Top Ten U.S. Public Gardens (#5). The museum showcases the Sonoran Desert region, home to over 2,000 species of plants and known as the lushest desert on earth. One reason is its bi-seasonal rainfall:

Pacific Northwest winter storms = gentle winter rains

Gulf of California summer 'monsoons' = seasonal wind pattern shift along with wet, tropical air with violent thunderstorms

Two particular plant forms visually dominate the landscape: legume trees and columnar cacti. Palo Verde trees and Saguaro cacti are prime examples.

The Desert Museum's gardens showcase this vibrant ecosystem and represent a variety of biotic communities found within the Sonoran Desert region. You will see 1,200 different types of plants with 56,000 individual specimens planted on the grounds.

Plant Care Sheets
Retrieved from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum web site on 12-01-2024
http://digitallibrary.desertmuseum.org/visit/gardens.php