Superior, Arizona - Boyce Thompson Arboretum

The Boyce Thompson Arboretum is about an hour drive east of Phoenix.  It has been on my "to visit" list for many years and I took advantage of a trip to Globe this weekend to stop here and see what this was all about.  I was very pleased.  I was there for about two hours and did not get to see everything but here are photos about the visual delights that I was able to see.  Many plants were expected, but there were a few surprises.

 A rocky background was in view from many spots.

 Many spring flowers were in bloom, with bees buzzing about.

 I saw a lot of very old trees with magnificent bark.

 This wash winds its way through the park.

 This is a VERY tall and VERY unusual tree.

 Cactus gardens from around the world.

 Beautiful flowers.

 And the usual suspects for spiny and mean looking defense pikes.

 Desert wildflowers were in abundance.

 More unusual bark.

 This is a root system, turned on its side.  We were able to look at it from "the dirt side".

 There was an old homestead area, complete with homes, windmills and trucks.

 An old tree complete with expressive bark and very tall branches.

Add this to your must-see list and give yourself plenty of time.  I saw picnic areas, but did not see a place to buy food that was bigger than a packaged sandwich.  Bring your own lunch and plan to spend a day.