Desert Botanical Gardens: Part I

As I made my way east through Arizona I stopped at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. This is an amazing garden and a must see for spiky plant enthusiasts. An added bonus was Chihuly in the Garden, an exhibit of Dale Chihuly’s work, staged throughout the gardens adding visual candy to these already stunning desert dwellers.

These green glass forms greet you as you enter the gardens; titled 'Desert Towers.'

Sinita barbona echinocereus engelmannii - 'Strawberry Hedgehog,' fun little clumps, but don't get too close.

The 'Saphire Star' stands above a patch of  pricklypear and barrel cacti.

Opuntia is a genus of the cactus family, Cactaceae, and is also known as pricklypear.

Opuntia santa rita - 'Purple Pricklypear'

Opuntia microdasys - ‘Bunny Ears Pricklypear.' So cute.

Opunita macrocentra ‘Black-Spined Pricklypear’

Echinopsis huascha - 'Red Torch'

Ferocactus is a genus of the cactus family and encompasses barrel-shaped cacti.

Ferocactus wislizeni - 'Fishhook Barrel Cactus'

Ferocactus latspinus - 'Devil’s Tongue.'  Those spines are striking.

Ferocactus cylindraceus - ‘Compass Barrel Cactus’ the pattern in these spines are beautiful.

This is an endangered barrel cactus Echinocactus grusonni - ‘Golden Barrel.’

Fouquieria splendens - 'Ocotillo'

This Chihuly piece takes the form of the tree behind it and catches the color of the sky above.

Lophocereus schotti fma. monstrosus - 'Totem Pole Cactus'

It could be a face or many.

Cylindropuntia is a genus of the cacti family containing the cholla.

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa x C. bigelovii (or x campii) - 'Red Teddy Bear Cholla'

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa - ‘Buckhorn Cholla’

Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa - ‘Silver Cholla’

Cylindropuntia fulgida var. fulgida - ‘Chainfruit Cholla’

Stenocereus thurberi - 'Organ Pipe Cactus/Pitaya'

Carnegiea gigantean - ‘Saguaro’

For more information on the Desert Botanical Gardens click here. Next time I'll explore more cacti, agave, aloe, yucca and fantastic Chihuly creations in Desert Botanical Gardens: Part II.