Desert Botanical Garden is thrilled to announce the addition of two new horticulture facilities designed to improve the care and preservation of its renowned cactus and agave collections.
Located on the Garden’s East Campus, the additions include the Ahearn Horticulture Center and the Shade Pavilion— both exclusively accessible to Garden staff.
The Ahearn Horticulture Center, a 6,000-square-foot building, serves as a hub for key horticulture operations, including dedicated workspaces for plant care and propagation, irrigation, arboriculture and housing tool inventory. Nearby, the 12,000-square-foot Shade Pavilion is a cutting-edge structure that houses 83 plant benches and provides optimal conditions for growing and maintaining the cactus and agave collections along with grow space for the propagation program.
These facilities mark a significant milestone in Phase 2 of the Hazel Hare Center for Plant Science, a $15 million project aimed at establishing the Garden as a global leader in desert plant conservation. Once complete, it will stand as the Southwest’s premier center for cactus and agave horticulture, research and preservation.
Part of that project includes The RAF Exhibit Gallery, a dynamic new exhibit space that recently hosted the Garden’s first-ever orchid show.
With these new developments, the Garden continues its mission to inspire and educate while protecting the world’s desert flora for generations to come.
