Boyce Thompson Arboretum holds collections of desert plants from around the world.
The collections include plants from the United States, Mexico, Australia, Madagascar, India, China, Japan, Israel, South America, the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Arabian Peninsula—all told 3,900 taxa and 19,000 plants within 135 acres of gardens. We highlight twelve of our gardens and exhibits below. To learn more about the Wallace Desert Garden, please click here.
Click to view each garden
Australian Deserts Exhibit
The Australian Exhibit, the largest at BTA, stretches over approximately 10 acres of sprawling woodland and encompasses 1,280 plantings, many of which date from the mid-1920s. The exhibit includes the largest and most diverse stand of eucalyptus trees in North America. Our eucalyptus collection holds 93 taxa and was nationally accredited in 2018.
Cactus & Succulents Garden
Just below the majestic Magma Ridge lies the Cactus and Succulents Garden, a collection of common, rare and endangered succulents from deserts throughout North and South America. The exhibit includes numerous hedgehog, prickly pear, and columnar cacti, which sport gorgeous blooms in spring and summer.
Taylor Family Desert Legume Garden
In collaboration with the Desert Legume Program at The University of Arizona, the Taylor Family Desert Legume Garden serves to illustrate the diversity and usefulness of legumes from deserts around the world. In fact, many common trees of the Sonoran desert are legumes, like the mesquite, palo verde, and ironwood.
Chihuahuan Desert Exhibit
The largest desert in North America is well represented in this collection of agaves, yuccas, mescal bean trees, and ever-bearing prickly pear cacti, a favorite of javelina. Predominantly a shrub desert, the Chihuahuan Desert differs from the Sonoran Desert in that it has much colder winters and wetter monsoons.
The Chihuahuan Desert is considered the most diverse desert in the Western Hemisphere and one of the most diverse arid regions in the world. Unfortunately, because of human activities and the overcollection of native plants and animals, it is also one of the most endangered regions in the world.
Children’s Garden
With three sensory gardens, a human sundial, and a maze, the Children’s Garden offers children and the young at heart a unique environment filled with hidden treasures.
At the heart of the Children’s Garden is the Gloria Wing-Ong Children’s Learning Center.
This ‘outdoor classroom with a view’ is named in honor of Gloria Wing-Ong, a teacher who inspired her students to discover the joy of learning. Today her legacy continues with educational programs offered year-round for children and adults.
Demonstration Garden
The Demonstration Garden features a number of beautifully landscaped and water-efficient small gardens. Built to illustrate how native and drought-tolerant plants can create lovely gardens in residential and commercial settings, the gardens showcase decorative hardscape, sitting areas and water features. A favorite of visitors!
Heritage Rose Garden
This garden, adjacent to the 1920s-era Smith Building, features heirloom or antique roses, varieties dominant during the 19th and early 20th centuries. These particular roses, by design, use less water and fertilizer, require little pruning, and are less likely to be threatened by fungus in comparison to their hybrid cousins.
Rodica Heinz Pollinator Garden
The Pollinator Garden displays a variety of seasonal plants that attract and nurture the pollinators so important to the health of our ecosystems—butterflies, bees and birds. Species include flowering trees and shrubs, and native perennials like coreopsis and blanket flower.
Sonoran Desert Exhibit & Curandero Trail
Distinguishing the Sonoran Desert, home to Boyce Thompson Arboretum, are its columnar cacti, like the saguaro, and its mild winters. It is lush in comparison to most other deserts and supports a rich spectrum of some 2,000 species of plants. This exhibit features plants native to the Sonoran Desert such as the creosote, jojoba, ocotillo, sotol, and of course, saguaro and other forms of cacti. The Curandero Trail highlights a wide array of wild medicinal plants found in the Sonoran Desert. The trail is named for traditional healers in Mesoamerican culture.
South American Deserts Exhibit
The South American Exhibit highlights plant communities within the Gran Chaco and the Monte Desert that are located approximately the same distance south of the equator as the Sonoran Desert is north of the equator. Though a hemisphere away from each other, these deserts share similar looking species of columnar cacti and other plants. The entrance features a “quincho,” a South American thatched hut, for shade.
Wallace Rose Garden
Originally part of the Wallace Desert Gardens, this collection comprises well over 100 ornamental hybrid tea and floribunda roses. Mrs. H.B. Wallace was very fond of roses and the extensive varieties available; H.B. Wallace amassed this large collection for her. The collection is located at the entrance to the Wallace Desert Garden.
Wing Memorial Herb Garden
The Wing Memorial Herb Garden contains many low-water use native and southern European herbs that thrive in the Sonoran Desert, such as thyme, oregano, dill, rosemary, lamb’s ear, comfrey and chamomile, along with many other herbs used in the culinary arts, medicinal healing, cosmetics and insect repellants.
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Peak fall color has passed, but vibrant splashes of color still linger throughout the garden. Come enjoy the beautiful weather, the serene autumn scenery, and the abundant wildlife!
🍂 Watch and discover the tree species at Boyce Thompson Arboretum that transform with stunning colors every fall.
Step into a world of natural wonder. Whether you`re unwinding in a peaceful grove or marveling at a bird in flight, every moment spent outdoors is time well spent. Ready to explore?
Happy Thanksgiving from Boyce Thompson Arboretum!
Today, we pause to express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support of our mission to inspire appreciation and stewardship of desert plants, wildlife, and ecosystems through education, research, and conservation. Because of you, we’re able to continue preserving and sharing the beauty and wonder of the Arboretum.
We’re closed today to spend time with our families, but we look forward to welcoming you back tomorrow during our normal operating hours.
Photo by Tim Lee
If you`re waiting for a sign to visit, this is it. Experience the vibrant beauty of fall color at its peak—don’t miss it!
Relive the excitement of our 2024 Green Gala!
We’re still buzzing from the incredible energy from this year’s Green Gala! From the lively jazz from @TheNash Interns, the showcase of our vivid Spiny Splendor sculptures to the stunning moments of generosity, the night was truly unforgettable. Watch the highlight video provided by @Call to Auction to see the moments that made this gala so special.
A huge thank you to our sponsors @Resolution Copper, @SRP, @HonorHealth Foundation, @Event Rents, @Call to Auction, Joseph and Gail Giacobazzi, American Family Insurance, Matthew Storms Agency, Imre and Lorna Kertész, @Latest Craze Productions, The Lester Family, @Northern Trust and Carol Parrott. Your support enables us to advance our mission to inspire appreciation and stewardship of desert plants, wildlife, and ecosystems through education, research, and conservation.
The Arboretum is full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Have you found a favorite spot yet? Drop your recommendations for fellow visitors in the comments!
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Step outside and let nature work its magic. From colorful blooms to darting hummingbirds, the Arboretum is alive with wonders waiting to be discovered. Where will your adventure take you?
#explorepinalcounty #explorenature #visitarizona #visitphoenix #visitmesa #1arb #visitsuperior #thingstodoAZ