Tucson Botanical Gardens

The Tucson Botanical Gardens is a tranquil oasis in the heart of Tucson. It strives to be one of the best small public gardens in America. It consists of 17 specialty gardens within 5-1/2 acres. The gardens represent a variety of gardening traditions and botanical themes. It originally was the home of Bernice and Rutger Porter, dating to the 1920's. The Gardens certainly were a place of beauty, inspiration and educational learning about plants and flowers of the desert environment. With warmer temperatures than usual and rain the desert plants are starting to bloom.  

Step into the Gardens and enjoy the tour. My favorite area was the tropical greenhouse with an exotic butterfly adventure. I was able to get up close and personal with butterflies from the tropics, tree frogs from the Amazon and tropical plants. It was amazing!

  

Orchid

Hibiscus

A slow close dance with a Saguaro

Red Spike Ice Plant

The fence is made with Ocotillo cactus spines. Ocotillo has many uses.The roots and flowers have several medicinal uses. The branches can be snipped off and used to create houses, walls. roofs and fences.  

Orange trees

Grapefruit trees





One of the most unusual cactus called Creeping Devil grows along the ground.

A variety of colorful mosaic tile benches were scattered about the gardens. 

Soaptree Yucca

well said!