The Acacia Demonstration Gardens is part of a public park in Henderson, Nevada. In this desert environment where the average rain fall is annually less than five inches, the purpose of this local public garden is to educate residents on how to grow plants and create landscapes in their backyards built on a desert.
Concrete pathways lead visitors through the 19 display gardens within the 2.8 acres of the Acacia Demonstration Gardens. Some of the gardens show a particular style, such as tropical looking plants for a Mediterranean Garden or the native garden directing gardeners to spot plant characteristics enabling the natives to adapt, even thrive, in the hot dry climate.
Landscape Plant Ideas for a Desert Garden
Of course, native cacti and other succulents abound in the garden, like the Dasylirion acrotriche, called green desert spoon. The summer flowering 12’ tall stalk makes this native plant a reliable choice for a landscape.
But neighborhood gardeners are looking for unexpected tree, shrub and ornamental grass ideas, whether a native plant or not, and plant enthusiasts want something with that wow factor. Here are a few trees and shrubs seen in the Acacia Gardens:
- Sophora secundiflora,Texas mountain laurel, is an evergreen tree non-native to southern Nevada but grows well in the alkaline soils. The small tree has spring flowering fragrant racemes of bluish violet.
- Myoporum parviofolurin is a non-native prostrate shrub. The ornamental plant has reddish green stems, summer flowering bell-shaped blossoms that have a honey scent and later develop purple fruit.
- Nandina domestica, also known as dwarf heavenly bamboo, is not a bamboo at all, nor a native, but it is related to barberry. The foliage is all red or reddish purple in early winter. The white summer panicles are followed by bright red fruit.
Fruit Trees for Garden Desert Landscapes
Small fruit trees can be grown in the desert landscape and complement a backyard vegetable garden. The native Joshua tree, Yucca brevifolia, is a fruit tree and grows only in the Mojave Desert. But this tree may not fit into small gardens like the fig, peach and apricot trees found at the demonstration gardens.
At the Acacia Demonstration Gardens was planted Pistachia vera ‘Peters,’ a male pistachio tree. Gardeners interested in growing this dioecious nut tree should make room for a female and a male tree to have successful pollination occur. The garden room also included an irrigation system demonstration, as pistachio trees need deep, albeit infrequent, watering to thrive.
Another interesting tree with edible fruit, just planted, was Arbutus unedo called strawberry tree. It is a shrubby tree with reddish brown shredding bark. The autumn fruit is a colorful yellow or red and resembles, but does not taste like, strawberries. With its multiple seasons of interest, the strawberry tree is a viable choice as an ornamental too.
Conservation of Water in Desert Gardens
Native desert plants conserve water naturally, a lesson not lost on seasoned gardeners who make their home in the desert gardens of southern Nevada. But for newcomers to Henderson, knowing the principles of water conservation are underlining necessities to successfully landscaping a home garden here.
It is telling that although Henderson, Nevada, is located in the Mojave Desert, local gardeners still want to have grassy lawn. Among the demonstration gardens is a display comparing and contrasting the types of grass plants able to survive and reliable soil management techniques and landscape irrigation systems to use at home in the desert.
The Dry Wash demonstration gives residents an option in reducing the after effects of excessive irrigation that causes water runoff, increasing water waste moving through the valley, eventually making its way to Lake Mead. When used in the home garden, the Dry Wash landscape design will trap water runoff and allow gardeners to channel it toward plants, a strategy helping to conserve water.
Free Public Park for Plant Lovers
The Acacia Demonstration Gardens is part of a 16-acre free public park in Henderson, Nevada, that includes sports fields and walking paths for people and dogs and gardens for plant lovers. The Acacia Demonstration Gardens is located approximately 20 minutes from Las Vegas in southern Nevada.
It is a cooperative effort between the City of Henderson, Conservation District of Southern Nevada and local interested groups, such as University of Nevada Extension Master Gardeners, which has led to the success of the public park. The Acacia Demonstration Gardens teaches local residents how to plant a garden with landscaping ideas in a desert environment.
Another free botanical site, gardeners will appreciate because it is designed by horticulturists, is at the Bellagio Resort and Casino. The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is open free to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Gardeners visiting Las Vegas may also want to take in a botanical cactus garden at a chocolate factory.
Permission received for all photos used in this article.
Chris Eirschele - Chris writes on plants grown and gardens explored; she is a member of the Garden Writers Association.
