in collaboration with ballet arizona | may 2 - may 26
Only Two Weeks of Topia left!
The Desert Botanical Garden, in collaboration with Ballet Arizona, proudly invites you to the premiere of Topia, inspired by the natural beauty of the Sonoran desert landscape. More info.
Center for Desert Living Trail
Explore
A desert gardener's delight - this trail showcases ideas and strategies that demonstrate efficient, useful, sustainable and harmonious ways to work with nature in the desert environment. This trail includes the Steele Herb Garden.
May 26 - September 1 | Thursdays & Saturdays, 7 - 9 p.m.
Flashlight Tours
Flashlight tours are a sensory adventure where you will see, hear and feel the desert night. The self-paced stroll along the main trail to 10 discovery stations is perfect for families and children of all ages. More info.
Fridays | 7 - 9 p.m. (Doors open at 6 p.m.)
Up Next: Pick & Holler
Member $15
Music in the Garden continues with our Spring Concert Series. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail
Explore
This trail features dramatic vistas of distant mountains and up-close views of the surrounding desert. A variety of fascinating exhibits focus on the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert...more info
May - June
Sign-up for Summer Camp!
Summer Camp at the Garden begins the end of May! Everyday camp brings new adventures from outdoor experiences, children’s literature, free choice learning, games, art projects, and more. Click here for more information.
Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries
Explore
The Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries, located along the Desert Discovery Loop Trail, enables the Garden to tell a more complete story about both its collection and the evolution of desert plants. More info.
Latest Activities & Updates
See What's New
Summer Renovations
june - november
During the summer 2012 the Desert Botanical Garden will have undertake three critically needed capital improvement projects. The Garden will continue to be open every day (except the Fourth of July) and our members and visitors will still be able to enjoy the all the trails and plants during regular operating hours of 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. For more information about the projects, click here.
DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN TO FORM CONSERVATION ALLIANCE
WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CENTER FOR THE FUTURE OF ARIZONA
The Desert Botanical Garden has been chosen to receive support to form a “Conservation Alliance”, to foster community engagement to care for and improve the mountain park preserves of the Phoenix area and create local, regional, and worldwide recognition for these parks as models that demonstrate how protection and sustainable use of nature preserves can be achieved within an extensive metropolitan region.
Support will come from the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA), a non-profit led by ASU president emeritus Dr. Lattie Coor. The CFA evaluated 96 proposals submitted from across Arizona, choosing Five Communities whose ideas they will take to national foundations to seek funding to support the winning projects.
To learn more about Five Communities and the Conservation Alliance, visit: http://www.thearizonawewant.org/programs/5-communities/communitie-dbg.php
Maps, Trails, & More
Explore the Garden
What's Blooming in the Garden
wildflowers, cacti, trees and more!
With approximately fifty acres under cultivation, something is always blooming at the Desert Botanical Garden. Check here for weekly updates about what's blooming in the Garden!
Ottosen Entry Garden
Begin your journey...
Opened in November 2009, the Ottosen Entry Garden serves as Desert Botanical Garden’s grand lobby and features dramatic displays of cacti and succulents designed to showcase the beauty and diversity of desert plants and set the stage for your Garden experience.
Wind your way amongst our scenic trails and don't forget to become a member for unlimited annual access!
Other trails and exhibits in the Garden include:
- Desert Discovery Loop Trail
- Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail
- Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail
- Steele Herb Garden
- Harriett K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Loop Trail
- Sybil B. Harrington Cactus & Succulent Galleries
- Berlin Agave Yucca Forest
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail
approximately 1/3 of a mile
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
This trail closes at sunset.
The Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail, established in 1989 with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, is one of the largest exhibits of its kind dedicated to helping people understand the complex cultural relationships between people and plants in our region.
The trail winds through five habitats that have provided people with useful plants for food, fiber, medicine and cultural purposes for 2,000 years: Desert, Desert Oasis, Mesquite Bosque, Semi-desert Grassland, and Chaparral. The story of these relationships is brought to life through cultural examples of the Tonoho O’odham, Western Apache and Hispanic households which you can explore.
Desert Discovery Loop Trail
trail is about 1/3 mile
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
The Desert Discovery Loop Trail is the Garden’s main trail where you can learn the unique characteristics of desert plants from around the world. Along the way you can explore the great diversity of form, texture and color found in this wondrous array of cacti and succulents from around the world.
Exhibits along this trail include:
- Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries
- Berlin Agave Yucca Forest
- Seasonal butterfly exhibits in the Maxine and Jonathan Marshall Butterfly Pavilion
Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail
approximately 1/4 of a mile
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
This trail closes at sunset.
This trail features dramatic vistas of distant mountains and up-close views of the surrounding desert. A variety of fascinating exhibits focus on the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert. Experience majestic organ pipe cactus and find out if the cholla cactus really jumps.
Center for Desert Living Trail
includes the Steele Herb Garden
A desert gardener's delight - this trail showcases ideas and strategies that demonstrate efficient, useful, sustainable and harmonious ways to work with nature in the desert environment. This trail includes the Steele Herb Garden.
Harriet K Maxwell Desert Wildflower Loop Trail
approximately 1/3 of a mile
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
This trail closes at sunset.
The Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Loop Trail encompasses nearly two acres of North American desert wildflower exhibits planted with year-round displays. Just as in nature, the wildflower bloom is unpredictable and relies on the right combination and timing of rain and temperature. While wildflowers bloom all year long, the peak wildflower season is during the months of March and April.
Find out where the wildflowers are this season by visiting our Wildflowers page for weekly updates March-April.
Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries
exhibit
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
The Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries, located along the Desert Discovery Loop Trail, enables the Garden to tell a more complete story about both its collection and the evolution of desert plants. The Cactus Gallery showcases the cactus families from various desert regions of the North and Central American deserts, including hot and dry deserts, high-elevation deserts and coastal deserts.
The Succulent Gallery showcases succulent plants from around the world, exclusive of the cactus family. Both galleries allow for the comparison of the fantastic diversity and sculptural drama exhibited by these plants.
Berlin Agave Yucca Forest
exhibit
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
The Berlin Agave Yucca Forest, located along The Desert Discovery Loop Trail, is a dramatic display of plants from the agave, yucca and nolina families. The exhibit is accessed via a bridge that takes you from the Desert Discovery Loop Trail, along a natural wash, to the yucca forest below. As you enter, step out onto Joy’s Overlook, an observation point that provides dramatic vistas of the exhibit topography and the Garden Butte.
Tours & Activities
See the Garden from a different point of view
Experience the wonders of the Sonoran Desert through a variety of tours and interactive activities at the Garden.
We have tours and activities designed for individuals, groups and schools:
- Daily Tours for Individuals (Free for Garden members! Become a member today.)
- Group Tours and Activities
- School Tours and Field Trips
