Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park

Living Laboratory of Desert Plants

Description

The arboretum, a museum of living plants, was created from 1923 to 1929 with the intention of instilling in humanity an appreciation of the earth's magnificent and varied flora. The articles of incorporation allow for all forms of experimentation and research on both plant and animal life, and the facility encourages a call for increasing public interest. Management is a cooperative effort of Arizona State Parks, the University of Arizona, and the private nonprofit corporation that owns the physical facility. The arboretum is primarily a service-oriented institution seeking to do the following: ascertain the types of plants that will thrive within the Sonoran Desert; display these and introduce them for use within the state and the southwest; make seeds available to botanical gardens, arboreta, parks departments, and government agencies; and offer a wide range of educational services dealing with plant science and biotic communities.