Great Botanical Gardens of the World

Lay of the Land: Single-handedly correcting the widespread misconception of desert flora (most people picture some version of the Looney Tunes Road Runner backdrop), Tohono Chul is a 49-acre study in color and variety. From the Hummingbird Garden's indigenous salvia and honeysuckle (where the namesake denizens like to convene) to the flowering desert ironwood trees that stand outside the property's 1937 adobe house, life abounds—and in some instances, serves a higher-than-ornamental purpose: plants used medicinally and ceremonially by the Tohono O'odham people (from whom the park derives its name) make up the ethno-botanical garden.

Don't Miss: The Tea Room's fountained patio, a shady vantage point from which to contemplate all the above—ideally with a scrumptious tomato, basil, and fontina sandwich in hand.

More Info: Tohono Chul Park.

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