Tucson Botanical Gardens

When you think about visiting the desert you do not think about all the diversity of plant life that calls this place home.  Take the cactus, for example, there are over 2000 different species of plants that are classified as cactus.  The Tucson Botanical Gardens provides visitors with an opportunity to explore much more about the plants that can be grown in the area, and to see and learn much more about the mighty cactus family.



Located on five acres in the middle of Tuscon, the botanical gardens presents visitors with the ability to stroll through different gardens and enjoy the well-curated plants and sculptures that can thrive in the desert.  

While we were visiting in November 2020 the gardens had a special exhibit called La Calavera Catrina which featured large colorful sculptures celebrating the rich culture celebrated during Dia De Los Muertos.  The exhibit was created by the Denver Botanical Garden and was featured here for the first time as a traveling exhibit.



When you enter the gardens you are guided into the central hub of the gardens themselves where you are greeted by a garden railroad put together by one of the local garden railroading clubs.  The scene reflects Arizona and has multiple different sections to it.  Two train cars will automatically run around the track when you use the motion sensor to activate them.  Take some time to look at the details in the buildings and look enjoy the miniature craftsmanship of the garden railroad.


From the central hub, you can choose to explore different sections of the gardens.  One of the sections that you would expect to see would be the plants of the desert; cactus, aloe, and agave abound in this section of the garden.  The collections include plants from the local area, but also from Mexico and other counties that have a similar climate to the Tuscon area.  



Another section of the garden focuses on being able to interact with different herbs that can be grown with the help of a little shade and water in the herb garden.  Have you ever wondered where bay leaves come from, here you can see different varieties of Bay trees along with many of the other herbs we are used to using in our cooking.  This would be a wonderful section to share with children.



Be sure to take time to find the Prickly Pear cactus that is over 70 years old and whose base looks like the mesquite tree growing next to it.  There is a lot to explore at the Botanical Gardens of Tucson and with the seasons, it will always be changing.  Be sure to check out their website for season events or exhibitions as well.

Address: 2150 N Alvernon Way
Phone: (520) 326-9686
Website: https://tucsonbotanical.org/
Cost: $15.00 for adults
Parking Fee: None


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