 Gardens
at
The Living Desert
The botanical gardens at The Living Desert are an expression of
the philosophy and the personalities of all the many individuals
who have had a hand in their creation and maintenance over the years.
They reflect our wholehearted love of plants and our concern for
the environment that sustains us all. They express our passion for
deserts and open spaces, and our desire to share with others what
we have learned about these wondrous habitats. After thirty four
years we remain as dedicated as ever to our mission of conserving
the wide array of plant life that flourishes in the harsh desert
climate, and of providing an educational and enriching experience
for our many visitors.
 Kinds
of Gardens
Geographic: a garden representing a particular geographic area,
such as the Upper Colorado or Viscaino (Baja) Gardens, etc.
Taxonomic: a garden of plants grouped not by area but by classification,
as in the Barrel cactus, Agave or Yucca Garden, Palm Garden.
Educational: a garden whose plants are grouped to illustrate a larger
concept or function, as in Indian Ethnobotanical, Primitive, Peninsular
Bighorn Sheep or Hummingbird Gardens.
Display: a garden with display or landscaping function, such as
Wortz Demonstration Garden, Eagle Canyon and Palm Garden.
North American Gardens Represented on Grounds
Mojave Desert: Joshua Tree area and East Mojave (Cima Dome)
are represented.
Chihuahuan Desert: South of Big Bend, Texas and into Mexico
Sonoran Desert: Too large and varied to represent as a single garden,
it is exhibited in separate subdivisions as follows:
- Foothills
of Sonora (Sonora, Mexico)
- Yuman Desert
(south-central Arizona)
- Viscaino
Desert (central Baja)
- Colorado
Desert – separated into local areas as follows:
* Upper Colorado
(represents 2,000-3,000 ft. elevation in
Colorado Desert
mountains)
* Palm Oasis
* Cahuilla
Ethnobotanic Garden
* Lower Colorado,
Coachella Valley (represented by the Wilderness Trails
and Smoke Tree
wash areas)
* Sonoran Pond
(a desert riparian area)
 Specialized
Gardens
Wortz Demonstration Garden – Southwest landscape design
Johnston Cactus Garden – Collection of various cacti
Euphorbia Garden – Collection of various African euphorbias
Sonoran Arboretum – Trees from the Sonoran Desert in garden
setting
Mallow Garden – Small collection of mallows
Opuntia Garden – Collection of various chollas and prickly
pears
Hummingbird Garden – Collection of plants which attract hummingbirds
Primitive Garden – Collection of plants from the Jurassic
period,
cycads and ferns
Agave Garden – Collection of agaves from throughout Western
Hemisphere
Ocotillo Garden – Nine of twelve known ocotillo species
Barrel Cactus Garden – Collection of Ferocactus species
Sheep Food Garden – Plants which are food sources for Bighorn
Sheep
Smoke Tree Garden – Smoke Trees in natural wash setting
Aviary Oasis – Typical Coachella Valley palm oasis set around
walk in aviary
Aloe Garden – Collection of various African aloes
Sage Garden – Collection of Salvia species
Yucca Garden – Collection of Yucca species
East African Garden – Large collection of native African plants
and trees, one of the best collection of African plant species in
North America
Madagascar Garden – Collection of rare, native plants found
only on this island off the east coast of Africa
McDonald Butterfly and Wildflower Garden – Plants that attract
migrating butterflies used as fuel and act as host plants for breeding
Mexican Columnar Cactus Garden – Tall column cacti collected
from around the desert southwest
Palm Garden – Features over fifty species of palms from around
the world, several hundred palm trees in all
  
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