The Arboretum at
Flagstaff
Flagstaff,
Arizona
September 2010
Getting to this arboretum is quite an
adventure. The directions say that it is 2.8 miles down an
unpaved road, but the washboard surface makes it seem a lot
further. And I didn’t find it the scenic drive that I
thought it would be. The road goes through Ponderosa Pine
forest but most of it looks like it has been heavily
logged. It is probably a beautiful drive in the summer when
wildflowers are blooming but in September everything had an
abandoned look.
The entrance is well marked and I was glad to see the
welcoming sign. This 200-acre arboretum was established in
1981 on land that was originally a working ranch. It
features 2,500 species of plants native to, or adapted to,
the harsh conditions of the Colorado Plateau - an arid,
high elevation area of the American southwest. Much of the
site is natural Ponderosa Pine forest and meadows but there
are a number of developed garden areas. Everything has a
rustic appearance, maintaining the feel of the old ranch.
The Visitor Center looks like an old stone cabin but is
well-maintained and very functional.
Immediately behind the visitor center is a courtyard garden
and an herb garden. Neither was at its best this time of
year, but both are well laid out with attractive paving,
raised beds and a small water feature.
Much of the landscape had a beautiful autumn look, like the
brown grasses and yellow aspens surrounding the pond
A docent pointed out the difference in color and texture of
bark on the ponderosa pines. She said they get yellower
with age, attaining the yellow of the trunk on the left at
about 95 years of age. An enthusiastic and knowledgeable
docent can add a lot to the visitor experience and having
her point out such small tidbits of information was great.
The Arboretum has a number of nice interpretive signs.
Although the Penstemon garden was pretty barren, the sign
was still educational and made me want to come back when
the Penstemon are in bloom.
The garden is active in conservation
work and is a participating institution of the
national organization, the Center for Plant
Conservation. In the small greenhouse you can see
several of their conservation plants being propagated.
However, I didn’t see a single bit of interpretive
material about the conservation program. A small
garden that does so much conservation work should be
tooting its own horn for every visitor. It’s a real
missed opportunity.
The mountains provide a very scenic backdrop for the
Arboretum. There are lots of beautiful vistas, with views
of meadows, forests and mountains.
There is a small Cactus House filled almost entirely with
Prickly Pear cactus. I know the climate is harsh but there
are lots of high elevation cacti. They should be able to
grow a wider variety of types, even in an unheated
greenhouse.
The highlight of my visit was the Raptor Show. Seeing owls,
hawks and eagles up close and ‘in action’ never ceases to
astound me. I’d like to visit again in the summer and hope
I’d be astounded by the beauty of the plants. Signage tells
of a butterfly garden, a water conservation garden and the
Penstemon garden. All were barren at this time of year. In
summer, an abundance of flowers would combine with the
interpretive signage and the beautiful vistas to make a
wonderful visit.
To see more photographs from the Arboretum at Flagstaff,
click here.
Click here to visit the website of the Arboretum
at Flagstaff.