Wallace Desert Garden Now Open

As the Wallace Desert Garden Approached its Grand Opening, COVID-19 hit. Join us for the modified opening of this long awaited garden!

TEXT BY LYNNE NEMETH PHOTOS BY JOSEPH PACHECO

Since we first began responding and adapting to COVID-19 in March, Boyce Thompson Arboretum has let care for people drive our decision making. Sometimes those decisions have been difficult, such as postponing the opening of our new Wallace Desert Garden (WDG). And with new understanding of COVID-19 and its transmission, we have modified our protocols repeatedly in response to changing circumstances.

We decided to open the Wallace Desert Garden on October 1. We are excited—and we know you are, too! For those of you who had purchased tickets to our Garden Party, we are offering an alternative. Of course, we are taking precautions. We ask that you wear face coverings on the trails if you are unable to maintain six feet of distance from others not in your group. And the Wallace main trail will guide visitors in a single direction, to avoid “traffic jams.”

We hosted a series of micro-celebrations to replace our canceled gala Garden Party. Instead of dinner with 350 guests, we offered private tours followed by elegant picnics served in bamboo bento boxes by masked and gloved caterers, featuring the same garden-inspired menu and award-winning wines from Bruzzi Vineyards. Limited to 16 guests per seating, ticket holders for the March Garden Party had first chance to reserve. Feedback has been so positive; we plan to offer more such events in the future. For details on hosting your own outdoor event or to be notified when future plans emerge, please email support@ btarboretum.org or call (520) 689-4588.

Visiting the WDG

The new Wallace Desert Garden offers spectacular views of Picketpost Mountain and the Superstition Mountains. It includes 1.5 miles of new trails and loops, two water crossings, and gathering areas. The main trail is wheelchair accessible.

Perfectly situated next to Queen Creek, the new garden expertly exhibits H.B. Wallace’s collection by region. From the Yucca Forest to the Baja Loop, you’ll see plants arrayed in a natural setting along winding trails. Ultimately, of the 9,734 plants at the Wallace Desert Gardens in Scottsdale, 5,848 plants were moved to BTA. Of the 1,223 taxa (species, cultivars, hybrids, varieties) moved, 861 are new to Boyce Thompson Arboretum, and 159 species are considered to be of conservation concern.

Key regions represented in the garden include the Chihuahuan Desert, Sonoran Desert (including Baja California), Mojave Desert, and deserts of South America and Africa. Other regions represented include arid lands of Australia, China, India, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the Canary Islands, and Madagascar.

As you explore BTA’s new garden, take note of the key plant groups in the WDG—and also several delightful and unusual specimens.

Key plant groups in WDG:

Yuccas: 364 plants, 28 species (35 taxa) | Look for 31 Joshua Trees (Yucca brevifolia)!

Ephedras: 59 plants, 27 species (28 taxa) | BTA now has the largest collection of New World Ephedra in the world

Cycads: 37 plants, 14 species | Many are plants of conservation concern

Aloes: 340 plants, 166 species (204 taxa) | Many unique specimens

Cactaceae: 2,199 plants, 407 plants of conservation concern (102 species) | Includes 21 specimens of Cardon Grande (Echinopsis terscheckii)

Eucalyptus: 25 trees, 9 species (10 taxa) | Look for the stunning Ghost gum (Corymbia Papuan)

Exquisite Specimen Plants in WDG:

Baja Elephant Tree: An exceptionally large, attractive specimen, located in the Baja California Desert area.

Nopal Cardon:Another exceptionally large and attractive plant, located along the main trail just past the apron bridge spanning Queen Creek on the left.

Velvet Prickly Pear:A stunningly large specimen, located in the Ephedra Loop/Plant Gallery.

Moroccan Mound: Look for a large specimen on the right of the main trail, just past the Main Entrance.

Boojum Tree: Among others, one specimen is eight feet tall with two trunks, located in the Baja California Deserts area.

Floss Silk Tree/Palo Borracho: Our signature WDG tree, located up on the hillside to the right of the main trail just before the Queen Creek crossing.

Moroccan Mound (Euphorbia resinifera) - Look for a large specimen on the right of the main trail, just past the Main Entrance. The Moroccan Mound is not actually a cactus, but is closely related. It is a low-growing succulent.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR BTA’S NEW GARDEN—AND GET A FREE GIFT!

The NEW Wallace Desert Garden Sustaining Membership

Sustainability means meeting our needs and protecting our natural resources without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. To sustain means to support something or keep it going. You can ring both bells by joining BTA with a Wallace Desert Garden Sustaining membership.

It includes all the regular benefits of a family membership, plus:

One FREE month

An exclusive Wallace Desert Garden-branded premium gift, and

The satisfaction of knowing you’re providing the Arboretum with a steady income stream while reducing waste and cutting administrative expenses.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The cost of the WDG Sustaining membership is $150. When you put $30 down, you’ll receive your exclusive membership gift. It’s our way of saying “thanks” and your way of showing you support and sustain (ding, ding!) an epic garden transplantation.

We’ll then automatically charge your credit card just $10/month for a year in an easy, low-cost and secure plan (our online payment processing is PCI DSS-compliant). No need to mail a monthly check. You’ll also receive the BTA member magazine via email—saving paper, postage and carbon—unless you request otherwise (reduces the tax-deductibility of your gift). And that’s where the sustainability bell gets rung!

Wallace Desert Garden Sustaining Memberships can be purchased in the Visitors Center Gift Shop, where you will choose your premium gift and start your monthly payment plan. Please consider upgrading your Dual or Family membership with a WDG Sustaining membership today!