The Boyce Thompson Arboretum

There are all sorts of out-of-the-way places in Arizona that get almost no media coverage. One of the most remarkable of these is the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Located about an hour east of Phoenix on U.S. Highway 60 and about 3 miles south of Superior, it is another of Arizona's gems. Named after William Boyce Thompson, a mining entrepreneur who purchased the Magma Mine in Superior in 1907. The Arboretum was established on a portion of the 400 acres acquired by Thompson in a land swap with the National Forest Service. Thompson built a mansion nearby, known as the Picket Post House, named after the prominent red rock mountain that dominates the view south of Superior.

The Boyce Thompson Arboretum is home to over 3,200 varieties of desert plants including more than 800 kinds of cacti, more than 230 species of birds and 72 animal species. The main portion of the Arboretum can be seen from a 1.5 mile loop trail. The collection includes plants from Africa, South America, Asia and the Mediterranean area.

My first introduction to the Arboretum was when I was in the fourth grade and wrote a report about it. However, it wasn't until many years later, after I had gained an appreciation for the desert and its plants, that I actually visited the Arboretum. The promotional materials describe the garden as follows:

As you approach the Arboretum on Highway 60 you'll see towering Picketpost Mountain dominating the southern horizon. The Arboretum brings together plants from the Earth's many and varied deserts and dry lands and displays them alongside unspoiled examples of the native Sonoran Desert vegetation. No matter what the season, you will enjoy a moving and memorable experience of the beauty, majesty, and mystery of arid land plants. You will also enjoy the many natural communities that form the arid land environment. Memorable experiences await you as you walk the Main Trail; you will see enthralling, otherworldly shapes and forms in the Cactus Garden. You will also find peaceful reflection in the cool shade of towering trees in Queen Creek Canyon; and intellectual stimulation in the many and varied displays at the Smith Interpretive Center. You may enjoy a quiet and intimate time at the Wing Memorial Garden; as well as inspiration for home or business landscapes at the Demonstration Gardens of Low Water-demanding Plants. You will see expansive southwestern vistas visible from the High Trail. There are many gardens here; so find your special places among them.

The Arboretum is now part of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences of the University of Arizona. There is an admission fee to visit the garden.