Desert Plants

Saturday we walked in the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, located about 25 miles east of our resort.  We hadn't been there for years.  

The plant displays were grouped by what desert they are native to.  We saw plants of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts that are near here as well as the Australian desert.  We have never been to Australia and I don't think of it having deserts, but I guess the outback is one.

The Chihuahuan desert covers much of West Texas, the middle and lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower Pecos Valley in New Mexico.

The Sonoran desert covers large parts of the southwestern United States, northwestern Mexico, and Baja California.

Many of the plants we saw, we are familiar with because we have been spending our winters in Arizona since 2009.  Unfortunately, didn't keep track of which gardens illustrated which desert.

This tree has a thick trunk, making me think it isn't native to the Sonoran desert.  

Saguaro cactus are very familiar.  I love them.  There is even one growing in the front yard of our winter home.  In this photo, you can also see prickly pear cactus.

There were lots of golden barrel cactus.

We learned the difference between yucca and aloe cactus.  The yucca grow more like trees.

This rock is thickly covered with yellow lichen.

Like I said, it has been several years since we were last at Boyce Thompson.  We didn't remember these stands of large trees.  They certainly are beautiful and provide a lot of shade.

Certainly an unusual cactus with an unusual name.

More of the large trees, with low desert shrubs in the foreground.

This display of Australian boomerangs was interesting.

Perhaps this tree is native to Australia.  I don't think I have ever seen one like it.

Pretty sure these are Australian plants.

This cactus is neat.  We see them often in our resort so I imagine they grow in the Sonoran desert.

This is really unusual bark.

A small ramada, providing shade for visitors.

If you aren't in to living plants, this metal and glass prickly pear is pretty.  The base is made of railroad spikes.

This attractive cactus garden highlights the entrance to the arboretum.