I’ve always been fascinated by architecture, particularly how buildings respond to their surroundings. So naturally, I went to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix and found myself studying the cacti as though somebody had submitted them for a design competition.
And I must say, some of them were rather impressive.
The Sonoran Desert doesn’t make life particularly easy. There’s intense sunshine, very little rain, and temperatures that would make most of us retreat indoors with the air conditioning turned up. Yet everything seems to have worked out a rather clever way of living here.
Including the birds, apparently, who have discovered that a cactus makes excellent accommodation.
The Presidential Suite
One of the first things I noticed was the holes in the saguaros. Perfectly round openings, high up on the cactus, almost like little windows. Naturally, I wanted to know who lived there.
It turns out that Gila woodpeckers drill these holes to make nests. And here’s the clever part: the cactus heals the exposed tissue by forming a hard, protective lining around the cavity, known as a saguaro boot. This helps protect the cactus while providing the bird with a nesting space.
When the woodpecker eventually moves out, other birds can move in, including the tiny elf owl, which is roughly the size of a sparrow.
Then I came across a sign called The Saguaro Hotel, showing a cross-section of the cactus with its various occupants. The woodpecker’s accommodation was labelled the Presidential Suite, complete with insulation against heat and cold.
I laughed. Whoever designed that sign clearly understood the importance of good real estate marketing.
A Guest at the Door
Of course, not all the residents were interested in staying indoors.
As I walked along one of the paths, I spotted a long, cream-coloured snake with dark markings moving quietly beside the stone border. It didn’t seem particularly concerned about me, which was rather generous considering I was standing there examining it.
I believe it was a gopher snake, a nonvenomous species known for its rather theatrical defence mechanisms. Apparently, they can hiss, flatten their heads, and shake their tails to imitate rattlesnakes.
Quite the performance, really. I gave it plenty of room and let it continue its afternoon.
Spines Are Shade
The prickly pears were full of beautiful red fruit, which I was particularly pleased to see because I’d been eating prickly pear jelly on crackers all week. It’s one thing to enjoy something from a jar; it’s another to see where it actually comes from.
Then there was the fishhook barrel cactus, with its wonderfully curved spines and a crown of fruit. One even had a red flower blooming among them.
What I find fascinating about cacti is that their shapes aren’t simply decorative. The spines can help shade the plant, while the pleated ribs allow the stem to expand when water is available and contract during dry periods.
It’s rather like a building designed with adjustable walls and its own sun protection. Except this one doesn’t require an architect, a contractor, or seventeen meetings to approve a window.
The Rule-Breaker
And then there was my favorite.
A crested saguaro.
Most saguaros grow upward with fairly predictable rounded tips, but this one had developed an extraordinary fan-shaped crest, all folds and curves. It reminded me of coral, or perhaps a rather extravagant sculptural installation.
This unusual growth pattern is called fasciation, and while there are several possible causes, the exact reason it develops in a particular saguaro isn’t always known.
Whatever the explanation, I thought it was magnificent. Nature had apparently decided that the usual shape was a little too conventional.
I thoroughly approved.
The Kitchen Garden
Among all the desert plants, I was delighted to find a little food garden. There were glossy purple eggplants, a pomegranate tree heavy with fruit, and herbs growing nearby.
Naturally, my first thought was tortang talong.
You can take the Filipina out of the Philippines, but put an eggplant in front of her and she’s already thinking about dinner.
Time and Talent
Toward the end of our visit, we came across a beautiful old mesquite tree with tiny lights wrapped around its branches. Beneath it was a plaque with a question that caught my attention.
“We are given two gifts at birth: Time and Talent. What will you do with yours?”
I sat beneath the tree for a little while, thinking about that.
I suppose a botanical garden is a rather good example of what people can accomplish with both. Someone imagined this place, others planted and cared for it, and over the years it became something that visitors like me could wander through, learn from, and enjoy.
I came away with photographs of cacti, a newfound appreciation for woodpecker accommodation, and a rather strong craving for tortang talong.
Not bad for an afternoon in the desert.