In
part 1 of my post about the
Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) in Phoenix, Arizona I showed you the Entry Garden, the Desert Terrace Garden and the Desert Portal (
click here for a map). This post will cover the Cactus and Succulent Galleries, the Agave Yucca Forest and the connecting sections in between. Part 3 will cover the Webster Center and Ullman Terrace, the Heritage Garden, and the Center for Desert Living Trail.
I visited on Tuesday, December 27, 2016, and by 11 a.m. I was wishing I had left my hoodie in the car. By mid-afternoon, temperatures had climbed into the low 70s. That's why I love winter in the Arizona desert!
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| One of my favorite places to sit in the DBG. Behind it is a toothpick cactus (Stetsonia coryne) |
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| Palo blanco (Mariousousa willardiana) and Agave shawii |
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| Agave shawii, one of the few agaves that form a trunk, albeit a creeping one in this case |
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| Cactus wonderland |
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| The perfect water feature for a desert garden |
Now we're in the Cactus and Succulent Galleries:
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| Diamond cholla (Cylindropuntia ramossima) and totem pole cactus (Lophocereus schottii f. monstrosus) |
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| Barrel cactus with erratic growth in the Cactus and Succulent Galleries |
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| Cactus and Succulent Galleries |
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| Yes, the cactus is beautiful (whatever it is), but the rocks are just as spectacular |
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| Opuntia macrocentra |
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| Agave titanota (on the right with Agave desmettiana 'Joe Hoak') |
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| Aloidendron 'Hercules' (left) and Aloidendron barberae (right), one of the parents of 'Hercules' (the other is Aloidendron dichotomum) |
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| Aloidendron barberae flowers |
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| Aloidendron 'Hercules' trunk |
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| Another great place to sit |
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| Euphorbia fusca |
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| Deuterocohnia brevifolia, a terrestrial bromeliad native to Argentina and Bolivia where it often forms massive clumps |
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| Deuterocohnia brevifolia; the dead spots in the middle are not uncommon |
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| One of thousands of Opuntia at the DBG |
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| One of my current aloe crushes, Aloe dhufarensis |
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| Aloidendron dichotomum, easy to recognize by its yellow flowers |
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| I have no clue which aloe species this is, but it's very attractive |
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| Aloe aculeata |
Between the Cactus and Succulent Galleries and the Desert Research and Horticulture Center is a small agave garden packed with many uncommon (and some common) species. If you're interested in the agaves growing at the DBG, check out
my detailed two-part post from 2015.
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| Agave fourcroydes |
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| Agave victoria-reginae |
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| Agave victoria-reginae |
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| Still labeled Agave victoria-reginae, but it looks more like Agave nickelsiae to me |
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| Check out the caterpillar-like inflorescence emerging from this agave (unfortunately, I didn't write down the species) |
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| Agave zebra |
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| Agave promontorii, a species from Baja California |
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| This is the form of Agave zebra I really want! |
A stone's throw away from this spot is the Berlin Agave Yucca Forest:
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| Agave parryi, possibly var. couesii |
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| Agave ovatifolia |
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| You could call it the "Blue Garden" |
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| Yucca rostrata standing guard over this trio of Agave ovatifolia |
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| Agave parryi |
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| Agave parryi |
More agaves growing along the paths criss-crossing the DBG:
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| Agave guadalajarana |
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| Agave chazaroi |
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| Agave colorata |
And cactus everywhere you look:
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| Opuntia ×rooneyi, a hybrid between Opuntia aureispina and Opuntia macrocentra |
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| Cute little Aloidendron dichotomum |
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| Aloidendron dichotomum flowers |
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| Aloidendron 'Hercules' growing outside the Webster Center |
Lots more to come in part 3!
RELATED POSTS:
Your posts always identify agaves I've never even heard of, leading me to ask when some of these might appear in local nurseries. I'm impressed by how well-maintained everything looks at DBG - do they have a leg up on The Huntington in that area, or is a matter of your photo selection process?
ReplyDeleteKris, the DBG is pristine. Everything is perfectly maintained, from the plants to the facilities. I think the people of the greater Phoenix area know what a treasure it is and support it accordingly.
DeleteAgave/Aloe eye candy--now I'm happy! Yes that particular Agave zebra--ooooooh!
ReplyDeleteSo many beautiful photos, so many beautiful plants! I was particularly enchanted with that metal U-shaped channel/fountain draining into the square pool too. I took so many photos of it trying to capture the right feel. You did a great job!
ReplyDeleteHello Gerhard,
ReplyDeleteI just spent an enjoyable evening going through your Dec trip to Arizona. Wow! Have had fun exploring your website and reading your blog. I look forward to future posts. Up in Alberta most of these plants are houseplants but fun to see them growing in their more appropriate habitats.