Living Collections
A Spectacular World Class Living Collection
From giant saguaros and otherworldly cactus to rare plants fighting extinction, the Garden’s living collection is more than something to look at, it’s a living collection waiting for you to experience.
Cactus are the 5th most threatened organisms on Earth. Habitat loss, illegal collecting, climate change and other pressures are putting cactus species at risk around the world. That makes the Garden’s collection more than an extraordinary display, but an important resource for research, conservation and protecting cactus diversity for the future. Nearly 75% of the world’s known cactus species are represented here.
103,250
herbarium specimens
6,280
seed accessions
4,870
taxa
1314
new accessions
551
rare and threatened plants
26
scientists
Our Collections
Cactaceae Collection
With more than 14,877 accessioned plants, the Garden is home to nearly three-quarters of all known cactus species, including the world’s most complete collection of Opuntioideae. With 80% of its species represented by wild-collected plants, the collection is an invaluable resource for research, conservation and education.
From Echinocereus and Mammillaria to Ferocactus, Copiapoa and Eriosyce, these are living pieces of the world’s desert biodiversity—and a collection built to help protect it for generations to come.
More than 14,877 accessioned plants
Nearly 3/4 of the total number of species in the cactus family are held in the Garden’s collection
80 percent of the species in the collection are represented by at least one individual of wild origin, greatly increasing the value of the collection for scientific research, as well as for display and education
The subfamily Opuntioideae: The Garden features the world’s most complete collection of this group, displaying 208 of the 261 species and varieties recognized
Other major groups in the collection include Echinocereus, Mammillaria, Coryphantha, Ferocactus and South American Cactus, especially Copiapoa, Eriosyce and Echinopsis
Agavaceae Collection
With 171 of the 286 known Agave species and varieties, the Garden is home to one of the most significant agave collections in the United States—and possibly the world. 75% of the known Agave diversity is represented here.
More than two-thirds of our agaves have known wild origins, and nearly 85% of our seeds were collected in the wild, making the collection an invaluable resource for scientific research, conservation, display and education.
The collection also includes significant representatives of Yucca, Furcraea and other remarkable members of the agave family.
The Garden displays 171 of the 286 known species and varieties in the genus Agave, making this the most prominent agave collection in the United States and perhaps in the world.
75% of the total taxa in the agave family make up the collection
More than 2/3 of the plants in the collection have known wild provenance and nearly 85% of the seeds in the collection are of wild origin, greatly increasing the value of the collection for scientific research, as well as for display and education.
Other significant collections within the family include Yucca, Furcraea, Hesperaloe, Manfreda and Hersperoyucca.
Learn More About Our Collections
Herbarium
Herbarium a botanical time capsule. Desert Botanical Garden Herbarium (DES) preserves more than 100,000 plant specimens, creating a permanent record of plant diversity across the Southwest and beyond. Core collections began in the 1950s, and in 1972, DES was designated a National Resource Collection.
Schilling Library
Explore 9,000+ books, 500+ journal titles, rare botanical books, art, archives and research focused on desert plants and the natural world. The library’s Special Collections include Garden history, rare books and botanical art from the 16th–19th centuries, offering a glimpse into the history of plant discovery and botanical.