Dog Days at the Desert Botanical Gardens
“We get to bring Riv and look at a bunch of plants!? This is the best day ever!”
A few weeks ago, Sean, Riv, and I went down to the valley to visit with his folks. We planned to spend most of our time just hanging out in the pool and listening to some live music downtown at the music festival. All of which we did and enjoyed. But we also decided to take a trip to the Desert Botanical Gardens.
Usually, we try to go to NPS sites as visiting them all is a goal of ours, and an $80 annual pass is so financially worth it, with many, many sites to visit in the west. So when we saw that a single day pass at the gardens was $35/person, we considered not going. But then I remembered about culture passes at the library.
The Flagstaff library has a “culture pass” program that consists of passes to 17 museums, zoos, and other cultural and scientific venues around Arizona; check the list here. You need a library card to check them out and each culture pass is valid for free admission for two people. This is a really great resource if you’re wanting to explore local museums, but may not be able to afford the admission. Most libraries have some form of this program and I recommend you check it out as an affordable way to see more, explore more, and learn more in your own community.
You do have to check availability, as there are specific dates for some locations, only 2 passes/location available at each library, and they may already be checked out. Luckily, we were able to check out a culture pass for the Desert Botanical Gardens.
We arrived around 8:30 on Saturday morning, parked in the limited shade, put sun reflectors on the windshield and set the AC to high. We told Riv we would be back soon and planned that Sean would go back to the truck every 30-45 mins to check on her. Walking to the entrance, Mama E and Mark asked why we weren’t bringing Riv. We assumed we couldn’t since we knew the Gardens don’t allow dogs. “No you can bring dogs today.” “Really!?” “Yeah they are having some special event today where you can bring dogs.” I excitedly went back to the truck, turned the truck off, put Riv’s harness on her and met Sean and his folks back at the entrance with a big smile. “We get to bring Riv and look at a bunch of plants!? This is the best day ever!”
The Desert Botanical Gardens have “Dog Days at the Garden” when you are allowed to bring your dog. To see what these dates and times are, check out their calendar. They also have a VIP Pup Club, which is an annual $30 pass/household where you’ll enjoy exclusive access to dog-friendly experiences, including special strolls among the cactus, playful social gatherings and limited-time events throughout the year.
Mama E and Mark have been to the Gardens a bunch, as they are members, so they played tour guide. Being a member has some great benefits, including reciprocal entry at almost 400 locations across the country! Find that list here.
We started on the Desert Wildflower Trail and were encouraged to see the Easter Lily Cactus (Trichocereus) that was blooming. We were told by an employee that it was currently the largest flower in the Gardens. And what a beauty she was: a large white flower with about 5 layers of petals surrounding white, green, and yellow stamens and styles (the male and female parts of the flower). Along this trail we also saw Grand Canyon Prickly Pear (Opuntia basilaris var. longiareolata), Baja Fairy Duster (Calliandra californica), Boojum Tree (Fouquieria columnaris), Organ Pipe Cactus (Stenocereus thurberi), Doubtful Knight’s Spur (Delphinium ajacis), and many species of Barrel (Ferocactus), Cholla (Cylindropuntia), and Prickly Pear (Opuntia) cactus.
Continuing around the main loop of the Gardens, we saw some Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) in bloom. It's very hard to choose a favorite plant or a favorite cactus, but currently Ocotillo is my favorite cactus. I love the way it looks in bloom, with each arm of spikes ending in a plume of red flowers that dance so beautifully in the wind. We also passed a bunch of Palo Verde (Parkinsonia) in bloom. This was my first time seeing it in bloom, and I was instantly fangirling. The clumps of bright yellow petals with dusty orange anthers are equally as beautiful dancers as the Ocotillo.
Along the Center for Desert Living Trail we saw so many beauties. The Utah Sweet Pomegranate (Punica granatum) was really cool as it was transitioning between flower and fruit stages. There was a large white rose bush, Iceberg Rose (Rosa floribunda), and other large white flowers, Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica). Then we saw a shrub that I just had to stuff my nose into. The Yellow Trumpet Flower (Tecoma stans) has large yellow tubular flowers that smell so lovely.
We continued to the Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Trail, Mark’s favorite. We saw a beautiful crested Saguaro (Carnegigea gigantea). The crested part is a unique fan-shaped growth pattern that occurs in less than 1% of saguaros. All Saguaros are documented and monitored on a regular basis, but the crested Saguaros are even more intensely documented, with the Crested Saguaro Society keeping thorough records of every individual. Mark saw a spot that would be perfect for a picture, with a mountain, Saguaros, and Ocotillo in the background, across from a water fountain that I propped my phone on and set a timer. The perfect new phone wallpaper!
The five of us had a really lovely time walking all around the Gardens. We walked a total of 2.5 miles and saw so many plants in bloom. I definitely recommend visiting around the time we did. We visited on Saturday, April 4, 2026 from 8:30-10:30am. Mama E wants to return at night when they have the art installations lit up; I’m excited for when we do that.
If you haven’t visited the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, you need to! If you’re a local, become a member or check out a pass at your local library. If you’re taking a trip to AZ, you have to add this to your itinerary!
