The Cactus Garden covers two acres and includes 350 varieties of cacti and succulents from as far away as Africa and the Galapagos Islands. Participate in guided tours by our resident horticulturist or take a leisurely, self-guided tour.



The suprising diversity and curious appearance of the inhabitants of The Phoenician's Cactus Garden draw many guests who take advantage of the guided tours led by our horticulturist, offered through the resort's Concierge Desk. The garden, which was constructed between June and November, 1987, covers over two acres and stretched along the northern edge of the resort grounds, at the base of Camelback Mountain.




Varieties:
The stately Saguaro cactus, which blooms with the Arizona state flower in the spring, and native Arizona Barrel cactus were the only two varieties existing on the resort's grounds when the project was started. Nearly 350 cacti and succulents of the most delicate and hearty varieties exist side by side in the carefully tended garden. Although all cacti are succulents, not all succulents are cacti. Both can store water for future use, but cacti are distinguished by small areoles at the base of each thorn or spine. Succulents do not have this feature.

Origins:
Inhabitants of the garden come from around the world: Brazil, Argentina, West Indies, Africa, Canary Islands, Madagascar, Arabia, Atlantic Islands, Mexico and the Galapagos Islands.

Wildlife:
In addition to the plant life found in the garden, small desert animals and birds also call it home. Seven of the 14 known varieties of Hummingbirds have been spotted, enjoying the sweet nectar of the flowering cacti and hummingbird feeders found in the garden. Arizona's official state bird, the Cactus Wren, nests in the arms of the Saguaro. Woodpeckers create hollows in the trunk of the Saguaro for their homes, which are sometimes forcibly taken over by Owls. Chuckawalla lizards sun themselves on the rocky terrain, dashing out of sight when a visitor passes by.

Edible & Useful Desert Plants:
Some of the vegetation in the garden is edible and some has medicinal qualities. Aloe Vera and Jojoba are commonly used in skin and hair care products. The oil of the jojoba fruit has recently been discovered to be a useful additive to motor oil for race cars, due to its high viscosity. The Desert Spoon cactus has an edible heart --like that of an artichoke. The Peruvian Cereus grows pods that change color from green to purple to bright red and, when ripe, tastes similar to a kiwi. Portulacaria Afra is the name of a bright green desert plant which is a native of Zimbabwe, Africa. The plump leaves of the succulent are edible, and taste like fresh green apples.

Unusual, Endangered & Protected Desert Plants:
Not all of these plants thrive in direct sunlight. The Aloe Dichtoma tree must have its exfoliating trunk wrapped in summer to protect it from the burning rays of the sun. Each winter, new growth on many plants must be capped at night to save it from frost damage. There are 10 cacti in the garden that are on the endangered list. Thirty varieties of the rare Euphorbia exist in the garden, all imported just before a moratorium was placed on their exportation in many countries. Encephalartos Horridus is another endanged cactus in the garden, one of only 30 existing in the United States.