Boyce Thompson Arboretum (BTA) holds collections of desert plants from the United States, Mexico, Australia, Madagascar, India, China, Japan, Israel, South America, the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Arabian Peninsulaâall told 4,025 taxa and 20,000 plants within 135 acres of gardens. Situated on 372 acres of scenic upland Sonoran Desert with nearly five miles of trails, BTA is Arizonaâs oldest and largest botanical garden and one of Arizonaâs top tourism sites. On display here: Totem Pole Cacti (Pachycereus schottii f. monstrosus), slow-growing columnar cacti with smooth-skinned stems that branch at the base to form a short trunk.They grows 12 feet (3.6 m) tall. Stems are green, with no visible spines and small bumps or areoles along the entire length. Edible fruits are egg-shaped, red with red pulp.
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