As you walk amongst the twelve-million year old boulder formations on the Boulders Resort 1,300 acres you will find a variety of Sonoran Desert plants for your enjoyment, carefully maintained by the resort grounds staff. Here some of the plant species you will find:

Hedgehog Cactus – a small, low-growing cactus; it is the first of the cactus to flower, producing large magenta blossoms in mid to late April. This plant gets its common name from its spiny appearance.

Ocotillo – has many long, stiff-barked and thorn-guarded stems. Desert tribes would eat both flowers and seeds from this cactus or make a beverage by soaking the blossoms in water. Blossoms grow in bright red clusters from April to June.

Prickly Pear – is one of the few yellow flowered cacti producing abundantly during May. Its pear shaped pads are the largest of several species. In summer, it bears fleshy fruits, which are purplish in color and edible raw or cooked (after removing the spines, of course).

Snake Weed – is an aggressive plant that takes over desert ranges, over-grazed by livestock, providing limited food for sheep and hroses.

Saguaro – is one of the largest desert cactus, which may grow over 30 feet tall and can weight up to 10 tons. The first arm of the Saguaro begins to grow after 75 years. Its blossom, seen in late May, early Jun, is the state flower of Arizona. Saguaro fruits were at one time a part of the desert Indian diets.

Compass Barrel Cactus – has a simple columnar stem up to 4 feet high, grayish red spines with yellow tips. During the summer a funnel-form flower appears either golden yellow or red with orange stamen.

Desert Lavender – are grayish shrubs, often called See Sage because of their value as a honey plant. The lavender scented shrubs provide suitable forage for livestock.

Blue Palo Verde – is common at the resort. Being relatively leafless, the green trunk and branches take over the function of leaves. In April and May the tree is covered with masses of yellow flowers.

Pink Fairy Duster – has long stemmed flowers that grow in attractive clusters. This small bush blossoms from February to May.

Turpentine Bush – is flat topped with thin, long leaves. The plant is remarkably resinous, and the crushed foliage emits an odor similar to turpentine.

Desert Marigold – is a Sonoran native with bright yellow flowers that can be seen throughout the year. Its main flowering season is late fall and again in the spring.

Teddy Bear Cholla – has branches with joints that are easily knocked off. The spines are thick and cover the stems so densely they almost look hairy.