TRAVEL

6,000 desert plants being moved to Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Sue Doerfler
The Republic | azcentral.com
Otherworldly shapes and formations at Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior.
  • The addition of desert plants will make Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park a global resource.
  • The relocation will take at least three years.
  • The arboretum will have more than 4%2C300 species once the relocation takes place.

The more than 6,000 desert plants currently part of the private Wallace Desert Gardens in Scottsdale are being relocated to Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park 3 miles west of Superior.

The massive undertaking, which is expected to take three years, will create an unprecedented garden of arid plants from all over the world, said Mark Siegwarth, arboretum executive director.

"This is going to be an incredible global resource," he said.

The Wallace collection, created by Henry B. and Jocelyn Wallace in the 1980s, includes 3,000 species of plants, such as ephedra, boojum trees, agave, cactuses and aloes. When combined with the arboretum's collection, the result will be more than 4,300 species, including a significant number of threatened species.

The diversity of plants likely places the arboretum in the top 100 gardens globally and in the top 25 in the United States, according to estimates from Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the Arizona State Parks department says. The conservation group is based in the United Kingdom.

All in all, the Wallace plants will increase the arboretum's collection, which numbers 12,000 plants, by 50 percent. The arboretum was founded in 1924 by philanthropist Boyce Thompson.

"Expanding the garden area at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park will allow us to create an even larger trail system with more educational and recreational opportunities ... " Siegwarth said.

It also will fit with the arboretum's mission of research and conversation, he said.

Lee Brownson, Wallace Gardens executive director, said that the move is fitting: "Both garden founders were committed to finding ways plants could benefit mankind."

Plans are underway to coordinate the move and where to place the plants.

With 392 acres, "we have plenty of space," Siegwarth said.

"We have so many microclimates. We want to find the perfect place for each plant."

Reach the reporter at sue.doerfler@arizonarepublic.com.