Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium, Desert botanical garden in Palm Springs, California.
Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium is a one-acre garden displaying over 3000 types of cacti and desert plants from around the world. The specimens are organized by their geographical regions of origin, creating distinct areas that reflect different desert climates.
The garden was founded in 1939 by Patricia and Chester Moorten, a former silent film comedian who had a passion for desert plants. The couple collected specimens from Mexico and Guatemala, building one of the early private collections of its kind.
The Mediterranean-style house called Cactus Castle on the grounds reflects the early architectural character of Palm Springs and shapes how visitors experience the space. Walking through the gardens, you feel the connection between the desert landscape and human settlement.
The garden is easy to walk through because the plants are spread across a small, flat area that you can cover at a leisurely pace. It is best to visit in the early morning during warm weather, as there is little shade and the sun can be intense.
The garden houses the world's first Cactarium, a specialized greenhouse containing rare desert plants and specimens from the Namib Desert in Africa. This collection features plants from one of the driest and oldest deserts in the world.
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