Arizona Garden

"The Arizona Cactus Garden is located right at Stanford University. The garden is quite small but there’s a wide variety of cacti species! A great place to take a stroll or snap some photos. Follow my Instagram(@itssuechen) for more hidden gem destinations!"

"Incredible assortment of plants that can reach impressive heights. Visited it at the start of October, the flower growths are amazing and you see how the plants grew as if in the wild. A must see for lovers of succulents."

"This garden could be so much more than what it is considering its history and collection. Absolutely worthy of a visit, but sadly, the university provides no interpretive materials or signage to assist visitors. There is information online, but so much more is needed for this unique campus asset. Volunteers manage the garden, so kudos for keeping it alive and so vibrant with species I have never seen before. The major piece that's missing is plant identification through labeling or mapping. I understand that the original design by a famed landscape architect specified each planting bed for specific regions of the world. Is this still true? Hard to say without proper mapping. The garden is also difficult to find due to a lack of wayfinding signage. It leaves the impression that this garden is an obligation rather than an enhancement to the bittersweet narrative of the Stanford family. It can also be a place to discuss larger subjects about history, of course, but also plant ecologies, climate change, and environmental design. But go see it anyway, because there are really wonderful photo worthy specimens."

"Smallish garden tucked away behind a parking lot. I didn't see any identifying signs to say it was the Arizona cactus garden, but many of the plants here look very old so it has been here for a while. Paths are flat and dirt. There are no facilities here for public use, and not many seating areas from what I remember, so if you want to picnic with cacti, bring a blanket. The garden itself is in full sun, but there are a lot of shade trees all around. Do be careful when heading to far side of the garden (furthest away from the parking lot). I unfortunately stumbled upon what I think was a wasp nest, and got stung a few times in that area. Ouch! The garden itself is beautiful and to see how certain cacti grow as it ages is like artwork. If you love succulents and cacti (this includes agaves, aeoniums, and euphorbias), and you find yourself in the neighborhood, do stop by. The parking lot is only open to the public on weekends and any time after 4pm during the week, I believe. I've added the pic I made of the sign in the parking lot."

"Beautiful garden packed with a wide variety of desert delights! There’s a main trail and a few smaller offshoots of trail, all maintained beautifully. There was no one else there on the afternoon we went. It’s a quick walk through - can be done in 5-15 minutes, depending on how much you want to stop and just gaze at the cacti."