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Trails I've Hiked: Saguaro National Park's Ethnobotany Garden

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Published Date

November 14, 2019
Trailhead to Ethnobotany Garden at Saguaro National Park/Kurt Repanshek

The Ethnobotany Garden at the Rincon Visitor Center at Saguaro National Park is a quick primer on Sonoran Desert vegetation/Kurt Repanshek

One of the best hikes at Saguaro National Park is one you can combine with a stop at the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center on the eastern side of the park. Indeed, the "trailhead" as it were, to the Ethnoboany Garden is just before you enter the visitor center itself. 

What, you wonder, is an "ethnobotany garden"? Basically, it's a garden of Sonoran Desert plants that long have been used by local cultures for foods and other uses. As the sign to the trail states, "Imagine living in the Sonoran Desert. What would you eat? What could you use for shelter? What would you do if you became ill?"

Spend 15-30 minutes strolling through the garden before you enter the visitor center and you'll see a variety of cacti, from saguaro to cholla, mesquite, soaptree, and mormon tea. Placards not only identify these plants for you, but detail what they can be used for.

In short, this is an ideal primer you should consider taking before you head deeper into the park so you'll know what you're looking at. Let's take a quick look at some of the plants you'll see as you walk through the garden.

Barrel cactus, Ethobotany Garden, Saguaro National Park/Kurt Repanshek

 

Mesquite tree, Ethobotany Garden, Saguaro National Park/Kurt Repanshek

 

Mormon tea, Ethnobotany Garden, Saguaro National Park/Kurt Repanshek

 

Prickly pear, Ethnobotany Garden, Saguaro National Park/Kurt Repanshek

 

Staghorn cholla, Ethobotany Garden, Saguaro National Park/Kurt Repanshek

 

Soaptree, Ethnobotany Garden, Saguaro National Park/Kurt Repanshek

The rather large saguaro you see at the beginning of the trail has a unique history, too.

Centennial saguaro, Ethnobotany Garden/Kurt Repanshek 11-7-19 960


Centennial saguaro sign, Ethobotany Garden, Saguaro National Park/Kurt Repanshek

After you finish this short hike, check out the visitor center with its park film and small museum, fill your water bottle via the fountain on the outside of the center, and head off into the Cactus Forest.

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