Huntington Desert Garden: agaves, cacti and other New World succulents

In my previous post I covered the Old World section of the Huntington Desert Garden. It’s located near the top of a rise, adjacent to the Desert Garden Conservatory. From here the land gently slopes downward towards the New World section. On a cold night, the temperature difference between the top of the rise and the bottom can be as much as five degrees (source: The Botanical Gardens at the Huntington, see below). This greatly benefits the aloes, many of which are quite tender. Clearly, the cacti and other New World succulents planted further down the slope are better able to handle the colder temperatures—not that it ever gets truly cold in Pasadena (zone 10a).

While the plants in the Desert Garden are roughly separated by location (Old World, New World) and some beds are dedicated to regional flora (Sonoran and Chihuahuan Desert; California desert; Madagascar; etc.), there is some overlap. According to The Botanical Gardens at the Huntington (see below) the overarching principle is to plant specimens where they will grow best. So you will see ponytail palms (Beaucarnea recurvata) from Central America underplanted with aeoniums from the Canary Islands and, in one spot, agaves next to aloes.

If you’re interested in finding about more about the Desert Garden, and the many other gardens at the Huntington, I can highly recommend The Botanical Gardens at the Huntington written by the Huntington Botanical Staff (2nd ed. San Marino: Huntington Library, 2006). For a historical perspective, check out The Huntington Botanical Gardens, 1905-1949: Personal Recollections of William Hertrich (San Marino: Huntington Library, 1988).

Speaking of ponytail palms (Beaucarnea recurvata), there are lots of them in the Desert Garden, and their size is impressive. They don’t tolerate much frost, but here in Pasadena they don’t have to.

 

 

A variegated octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana 'Stained Glass') peeking through two ponytail palms

Agave murpheyi 'Engard'

Agave 'Blue Flame'

 

Now we're in one of the most impressive parts of the lower Desert Garden. The masses of golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) is truly astounding. I've never seen anything like this before.

 

 

It's hard NOT to touch!

The agaves are Agave parryi var. truncata 'Huntington', a particularly attractive clone

Agave aff. marmorata ("aff." stands for "affinis" and means that this agave closely resembles Agave marmorata but that it cannot be 100% identified)

Aloe 'Pink Perfection' and Agave attenuata 'Boutin Blue'

Variegated Agave sisalana

Variegated Agave sisalana

Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) and Agave attenuata 'Boutin Blue'

Agave parryi

Agave parryi and Echinocactus grusonii

Agave parryi var. huachucensis

Agave parryi var. huachucensis

Agave applanata and Yucca rostrata

Agave parryi var. truncata 'Huntington'

 

Agave parryi var. truncata 'Huntington'

Agave parryi var. truncata 'Huntington'

Check out the flowering agaves

Agave parrasana

Agave parrasana

Agave parrasana

Not sure which agave species this beauty is

Cactus wonderland

 

More golden barrels next to an impenetrable clump of puya

What a nice spot to sit and take in the scenery

Agave tequilana 'Sunrise'

Agave americana spp. protoamericana

Agave gentryi 'Jaws'

This Cereus stenogonus is so old and heavy, it needs to be supported

I really appreciated the many benches throughout the garden. They allowed me to sit for a minute to check my photos.

The yellow-flowering aloe is a hybrid called 'Sophie'. The agave was labeled Agave aff. parryi.

Echinopsis 'Apricot Glow', aptly named

Agave mapisaga var. lisa, considered to be one of the largest agaves in extistence. This one is just a juvenile.

A tale of two ponytail palms: the relatively uncommon Beaucarnea gracilis...

...and the common Beaucarnea recurvata

Blooming jade plant (Crassula ovata) on the left, Agave 'Blue Flame' on the right

Agave 'Blue Flame' and Yucca rostrata

Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue'

Agave tequilana

Agave victoria-reginae

One of my favorite cacti, Astrophytum ornatum 

And the golden barrel spectacle continues...

Agave dasyliroides

Ponytail palms and golden barrels on one of the main paths through the lower portion of the Desert Garden (Old World). As you can see, there were quite a few people.

I love the contrast between her hair and the golden barrels

Agave ovatifolia against a parade of cacti

Hechtia huamelulaensis, a stunning terrestrial bromeliad from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, first described in 2014 and hard to find in the trade

Aeonium 'Sunburst' from the Canary Island growing between cacti

 

Finally one of most impressive trees from South America: the white silk floss tree (Ceiba insignis). Check out that bottle-shaped trunk covered with spiky prickles! Its closely related to the pink silk floss tree (Ceiba speciosa), one of which grows on the UC Davis campus 10 minutes from my house.

 

 

 

And before I knew it, I was back at the entrance to the Desert Garden with its flowering Agave attenuata 'Boutin Blue' and towering Aloidendron barberae.

The Huntington Desert Garden is a true treasure, and I still can't believe it took me so long to visit. I hope to go back this winter and also check out other places of interest nearby, such as the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden less than 5 miles away.

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December 2014 Desert Trip index