Wildflowers, butterflies, concerts & classes
Spring has come to the Garden!
John Schaefer Photography Exhibit | February 25, 2011 - May 27, 2011
A Desert Illuminated
Displayed in the Ottosen Gallery located inside Dorrance Hall, entrance to this exhibit is included with paid Garden admission or purchase a membership today for unlimited annual admission to the Garden!
November 19-May 30, 2011
Ludvic "Steel Jam Session"
This whimsical sculpture exhibit will include ten of Ludvic's works along the Harriet K. Maxwell Wildflower Trail. Viewing the exhibit is included with paid Garden admission or purchase a Membership today for unlimited annual admission to the Garden!
presented by wells fargo
Spring Butterfly Exhibit
Take a stroll through the beautiful Marshall Butterfly Pavilion and surround yourself with hundreds of fluttering butterflies. Free for Garden members, $3.50 with paid Garden admission. Become a member today for unlimited annual admission!
throughout spring
Wildflowers at the Garden
Check our Wildflower Infosite each Friday for the latest 411 on wildflowers in the Garden and throughout the state.
March 4 - June 24
Spring Music in the Garden
Member $15
Delight in the beauty of spring while listening to talented musicians. Coming up next is Leila Lopez's distinctive folk-fusion on April 8.
16th Annual
Scottsdale Artist League Spring Paintout
More than 50 artists will be painting at the Garden every Saturday in March as part of the Spring Paintout. Don't miss the show and sale April 1-3.
Friday-Sunday | April 1-3
Central Arizona Cactus & Succulent Society Show & Sale
See amazing, beautiful and bizarre examples of cacti and succulents as members of the Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society display potted specimens of desert plants from around the world.
Thursdays, March-May | 6-9 p.m.
New This Year
Member $10
Each week unique aspects of our community will be showcased against the backdrop of the Garden. Next week's theme is "Word of Mouth" with a spoken word poetry performance by Home Base Poetry and music by Tim Doyle and the Big Day Band.
April 3, 2011 - April 4, 2011 | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wildflower Pavilion
Oaxacan and Mata Ortiz Trunk Show
Featuring Oaxacan carvings by acclaimed artisan Jacobo Angeles and fine Mexican ceramics by Mata Ortiz master, Jorge Quintana. Read about the Artists
Sunday | May 8 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Mother's Day Jazz Brunch
Member $75
A rose for each mom, great women of jazz and a fabulous brunch will make this the most memorable mother's day. Read more about this new event.
Latest Activities & Updates
See What's New
Phoenix Home & Gardens Grand Tour of Gardens
Sunday April 3 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Need inspiration for your garden and patio? ENTER TO WIN tickets to Phoenix Home & Garden’s Grand Tour of Gardens that benefits the Desert Botanical Gardens or a $1,000 shopping spree from Today’s Patio! BONUS: Upon completing your entry, you will receive a Today’s Patio coupon valid for a $100 discount, plus free delivery!
New Class! Discover the Junque Garden
Saturday | 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Just in time for Earth month, discover how to transform junk into junque in your garden with award-winning author and garden designer Scott Calhoun. During this class you will go on an intimate photo tour of small gardesn where succulents mingle with old farm equipment, mesquite trees are festooned with French blue bottles and recycled, found and re-purposed objects find a new life!
Register for Class
Butterflies in the Garden Shop
New items!
Take some butterflies home with you! Brighten up everyday with one of our new butterfly products in the online Garden Shop.
Check the Garden's Facebook, Twitter or sign-up for the e-newsletter to hear about the Garden Shop staff pick of the week. (hint: there is usually a special offer too!)
SHOP NOW
Maps, Trails, & More
Explore the Garden
Ottosen Entry Garden
Begin your journey...
Opened in November 2009, the Ottosen Entry Garden serves as Desert Botanical Garden’s grand lobby and features dramatic displays of cacti and succulents designed to showcase the beauty and diversity of desert plants and set the stage for your Garden experience.
Wind your way amongst our scenic trails and don't forget to become a member for unlimited annual access!
Other trails and exhibits in the Garden include:
- Desert Discovery Loop Trail
- Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail
- Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail
- Steele Herb Garden
- Harriett K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Loop Trail
- Sybil B. Harrington Cactus & Succulent Galleries
- Berlin Agave Yucca Forest
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail
approximately 1/3 of a mile
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
This trail closes at sunset.
The Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail, established in 1989 with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, is one of the largest exhibits of its kind dedicated to helping people understand the complex cultural relationships between people and plants in our region.
The trail winds through five habitats that have provided people with useful plants for food, fiber, medicine and cultural purposes for 2,000 years: Desert, Desert Oasis, Mesquite Bosque, Semi-desert Grassland, and Chaparral. The story of these relationships is brought to life through cultural examples of the Tonoho O’odham, Western Apache and Hispanic households which you can explore.
Desert Discovery Loop Trail
trail is about 1/3 mile
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
The Desert Discovery Loop Trail is the Garden’s main trail where you can learn the unique characteristics of desert plants from around the world. Along the way you can explore the great diversity of form, texture and color found in this wondrous array of cacti and succulents from around the world.
Exhibits along this trail include:
- Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries
- Berlin Agave Yucca Forest
- Seasonal butterfly exhibits in the Maxine and Jonathan Marshall Butterfly Pavilion
Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail
approximately 1/4 of a mile
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
This trail closes at sunset.
This trail features dramatic vistas of distant mountains and up-close views of the surrounding desert. A variety of fascinating exhibits focus on the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert. Experience majestic organ pipe cactus and find out if the cholla cactus really jumps.
Steele Herb Garden
Trail is closed
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
The Steele Herb Garden is closed from January 12th through late spring to complete the Center for Desert Living Trail renovations. The renovations are made possible by generous donors who supported the Tending the Garden Campaign. You can follow the progress as we will periodically post updates and photos of the renovation on the Garden’s Facebook page.
We hope you will visit the Garden soon to see the new Center for Desert Living Trail.
Harriet K Maxwell Desert Wildflower Loop Trail
approximately 1/3 of a mile
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
This trail closes at sunset.
The Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Loop Trail encompasses nearly two acres of North American desert wildflower exhibits planted with year-round displays. Just as in nature, the wildflower bloom is unpredictable and relies on the right combination and timing of rain and temperature. While wildflowers bloom all year long, the peak wildflower season is during the months of March and April.
Find out where the wildflowers are this season by visiting our Wildflowers page for weekly updates March-April.
Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries
exhibit
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
The Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries, located along the Desert Discovery Loop Trail, enables the Garden to tell a more complete story about both its collection and the evolution of desert plants. The Cactus Gallery showcases the cactus families from various desert regions of the North and Central American deserts, including hot and dry deserts, high-elevation deserts and coastal deserts.
The Succulent Gallery showcases succulent plants from around the world, exclusive of the cactus family. Both galleries allow for the comparison of the fantastic diversity and sculptural drama exhibited by these plants.
Berlin Agave Yucca Forest
exhibit
Need help planning your visit? Download a Garden Trail Map or take a look at the Before you Visit page. We look forward to seeing you!
Become a member today for unlimited annual access!
The Berlin Agave Yucca Forest, located along The Desert Discovery Loop Trail, is a dramatic display of plants from the agave, yucca and nolina families. The exhibit is accessed via a bridge that takes you from the Desert Discovery Loop Trail, along a natural wash, to the yucca forest below. As you enter, step out onto Joy’s Overlook, an observation point that provides dramatic vistas of the exhibit topography and the Garden Butte.
Tours & Activities
See the Garden from a different point of view
Experience the wonders of the Sonoran Desert through a variety of tours and interactive activities at the Garden.
We have tours and activities designed for individuals, groups and schools:
- Daily Tours for Individuals (Free for Garden members! Become a member today.)
- Group Tours and Activities
- School Tours and Field Trips
Dining at the Garden
The Garden offers several dining options...
- Patio Café is Open Daily from 8-4 p.m. The soup of the day is back!
- Located on Ullman Terrace
- Patio Café Grill is open 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Wednesday, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. View Menu
- Located on Ullman Terrace
- The Butterfly Café is Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday through May 8th. View the Butterfly Café menu.
- Located next to the Marshall Butterfly Pavilion
- Coffee Cart is open Friday-Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. View Menu
- Located in the Ottosen Entry Garden next to the Garden Shop
