GARDEN INFORMATION:
1701 S Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92264
T: (760) 327-6555
Average cost: $
Parking: on-street parking, as well as a gravel lot parking area
Notes: great for families
Prior to visiting Moorten Botanical Garden, I didn't know what a "cactarium" was, although it makes a lot of sense, and I later learned that this word was coined by none other than the Moorten family over 70 years ago. As the world's first cactarium, Moorten Botanical Garden was on our list of places to check out in Palm Springs, especially because this particular garden was well-received by many guests, and during these times of corona(virus), an easy and fun outdoor, social distancing activity will always be at the top of our list.
While on the smaller side at approximately one acre, Moorten Botanical Garden boasts over 2,000 desert cacti and other desert plants grouped by geographic regions: Arizona, Baja California, California, Colorado, the Mojave desert, the Sonoran desert, South Africa, arid South America, and Texas. There are helpful signs throughout that let you know what you're looking at, and a very neat and easy to explore layout.
Some close-ups of the types of cacti in Moorten Botanical Garden:
Beautifully iconic prickly pear:
We made sure to check out the world's first cactarium:
The diversity of plant life was a feast for the eyes:
We even had an "influencers in the wild" sighting along with her (maybe) Instagram Husband. If you're not familiar with the Instagram account @influencersinthewild ("Where the creators ARE the content"), it's worth a visit:
Peek a boo! I like that she color coordinated her outfit to match her scenery:
Meanwhile, my non-Instagram Husband and I groufied with some pricklies:
There's also a private estate within the gardens - so beautiful and in such a lovely setting:
We saw a note about Moorten Botanical Gardens playing host to special events like weddings as well, and can imagine how beautiful and unique of an event venue this would be. In addition to abundant plant life, we also enjoyed seeing a giant tortoise - an African spurred tortoise to be precise - who is aptly named Tank:
Tank in action!
There are also some much smaller tortoises:
And some birds:
If you'd like to take a small piece of Moorten Botanical Garden home with you, there are some adorable and tiny succulent friends for sale!
Moorten Botanical Garden also happens to have one of most zen settings just outside of its public restroom...
There was a short wait and it was seriously one of the most peaceful places to wait in.
Thankful for the Moorten family's hard work in keeping this beautiful garden and cactarium in such good condition for visitors all over the world to enjoy. Hope to be back soon!
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