Andrew Gdaniec

Kew Diploma Student, Course 48

To attend The American Public Garden

Association Conference; learn about horticultural

practices in succulent collection of The Desert

Botanical Garden and study cacti in natural

habitats in SW USA.

18/05 - 07/06.2013

Merlin Trust Bursary Report 2013 ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW SCHOOL OF HORTICULTURE

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1. Table of contents 1. Table of contents ..…………..…………………...………………….……………...…………………….. 2

2. List of figures and tables ………………………………...……..……...……………..…………………... 3

3. Acknowledgements ……………………………………...………………………..…………………….... 4

4. Introduction ………………………………………...……………………………..……………………… 5

5. Aims and Objectives ………………………………………………………………..…………...……….. 6

6. Itinerary ……………………………………………………………………………………….………….. 6

7. General information ……………………………………………………………..……………..………… 8

7.1. Geography ………………………………………………………………………………...…...… 8

7.2. Climate ……………………………………………………………………………..……...…….. 9

7.4. Cactaceae in SW USA …………………………………………………………………………. 10

8. Work program ………………………………………………………………..…………………………. 11

8.1. The American Public Gardens Association Conference …...……………………………….….. 11

8.1.1. Desert Botanical Garden ……………………………………………………..……….… 11

8.1.2. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park ………………………...… 13

8.1.3. Wallace Desert Gardens ……………………………………………………………...…. 14

8.1.4. Boyce-Thompson Arboretum …………………………….………………….………….. 15

8.2. Natural habitats of cacti ………………………………………………………………...……… 16

8.2.1. Arizona …..…………………………………………………………………………..….. 16

8.2.2. Nevada and California ……………………………………………………………...…… 18

8.2.3. New Mexico and Texas ………………………………………….………………..…….. 19

9. Summary …………………………………………..……………………………….........................…… 20

10. Personal plan for the future ……………….……………………………………..…………………….. 21

11. Cost and expenditure ………………………………………………..…………...…….……………… 21

12. References/Bibliography ………………………………..…………...…………………………..……. 22

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2.1. List of figures Figure 1. Map of the United States of America indicating the areas visited …………..…………………… 5

Figure 2. Map of desert distribution in SW USA …………………………………..………………………. 8

Figure 3. The seasonal distribution of precipitation in SW USA deserts …….………………………...…... 9

Figure 4. Cacti of SW USA …………………………………….…..…………………………………....… 10

Figure 5. Desert Botanical Garden ................................................................................................................ 12

Figure 6. Nursery and living collections in DBG ……………………….…..….………………….…..….. 12

Figure 7. Herbarium in DBG ……….……………………………………………....………………….…... 13

Figure 8. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum ….……………………………………………………...……… 13

Figure 9. Saguaro National Park …………….…...………..…………………………………….……...…. 14

Figure 10. Wallace Desert Gardens ………...…………………………………….………………….…….. 14

Figure 11. Boyce-Thompson Arboretum .…………………………………………..……………...……… 15

Figure 12. Cacti in Arizona ………..……………………………………….………………………...……. 17

Figure 13. Cacti seedlings ………………………………………………………………..........………..…. 17

Figure 14. Cacti in Nevada …………………………………………………………………………...…..... 18

Figure 15. Cacti and companion plants in California ..………………….…………………...……….……. 19

Figure 16. Cacti in New Mexico and Texas ………………………………………………..……………… 20

2.2. List of tables Table 1. Travel Scholarship Itinerary .…….……… …………………………………………….…………. 6

Table 3. Costs of the Travel Scholarship ………...……………………..…………………….......……. 21

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3. Acknowledgements While researching, planning and carrying out this project the author has had kind support from the

following people. The author would like to thank them for the help, advice and time that they have given

him:

The Merlin Trust Horticultural Grant Committee

Joanne Everson, Merlin Trust Secretary, Team Leader, Rock Garden, RBG, Kew

RHS Bursary Committee

Lizanne Gomez, Bursaries & IF Coordinator, RHS Garden, Wisley

Hardy Plant Society, The Kenneth Black Bursary Scheme Committee

Pam Adams, Administrator of the Hardy Plant Society, Pershore

The Alpine Garden Society Travel Award Committee

Christine McGregor, Director of the Alpine Garden Society, Pershore

Dr. Nigel Taylor, Director, Singapore Botanic Gardens

Natalie Iwanycki, Herbarium Curator/Field Botanist, RBG, Burlington, Ontario

Brian Kissinger, Director of Horticulture, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix

Raul Puente-Martinez, Curator of Living Collections, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix

Vivian Lovingood, Office Manager, The APGA

Peter Berresford, private collector, Echinocereus specialist and editor of Cactus World, UK

Wesley Shaw, Manager of the Palm House, RBG, Kew

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4. Introduction

The following report summarises the three week travel scholarship I undertook to the United States

of America. This trip was made with emphasis to attend The Garden Evolution Conference which is an

annual conference of The American Public Garden Association (APGA) and on studying wild specimens to

better understand how one might cultivate them as interesting additions to a horticultural collection. The

conference took place in The Desert Botanical Garden (DBG), Phoenix, Arizona. DBG is one of the leading

succulent botanical gardens in the world and therefore offered an amazing opportunity to further my

knowledge of xerophytes. It involved travelling through the wilderness of SW USA for 2 weeks in May and

June 2013 (Fig.1). I was fortunate to be joined by Peter Berresford Echinocereus specialist and editor of

Cactus World, UK and Wesley Shaw, Manager of the Palm House, RBG, Kew, UK.

During the study trip I also took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum,

Saguaro National Park, Boyce-Thompson Arboretum, Wallace Gardens and Tucson Botanical Gardens

where I was able to gather valuable information about the gardens themselves as well as data on succulents.

The report provides information on the APGA Conference, the American cacti, includes an itinerary of

travel and an outline of the benefits to the author. An overview of costs and expenditure are also presented.

Figure 1. Map of the United States of America indicating the areas visited [http://maps.google.co.uk].

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5.1. Aims To establish a relationship and improve collaboration with other botanical institutions from North

America.

To observe cultivation techniques of succulents in the Desert Botanical Gardens to increase my

personal knowledge and increase available knowledge for RBG, Kew.

To assemble a good photographic record.

To expand the knowledge of cacti by observing them in their natural habitat.

To gain experience in field botany, recording and conservation work.

To gain knowledge and personal experience in an area which I have long found interesting and to make

contacts which may be beneficial for future and especially career opportunities.

5.2. Objectives To establish connections to other Botanic Gardens for future research possibilities.

To discuss and record cultivation techniques to increase the species diversity of collections in Botanic

Gardens.

To research further into association planting to assist in improving collections, to benefit the garden

aesthetically and to improve public knowledge of cacti.

To observe a range of species of cacti in their natural habitats and try to identify potentially successful

species to grow at Botanical Gardens.

To document digital images for the displays.

To produce a report for the benefit of Kew staff, students and any relevant funding bodies.

6. Itinerary

Table 1. Travel Scholarship Itinerary.

Day Date Activity 1 18/05/13

Saturday Fly to Phoenix from London Heathrow. Overnight in Phoenix.

2 19/05/13 Sunday

Day of acclimatisation, recover from jetlag. Overnight in Phoenix.

3 20/05/13 Monday

Attend in the APGA Conference. Visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park. Overnight in Phoenix.

4 21/07/13 Tuesday

Attend in the APGA Conference. Visit the Wallace Desert Gardens. Overnight in Phoenix.

5 22/05/13 Wednesday

Attend in the APGA Conference. Meet staff and have tour of the Desert Botanical Garden. Overnight in Phoenix.

6 23/05/13 Thursday

Attend in the APGA Conference. Overnight in Phoenix.

7 24/05/13 Friday

Attend in the APGA Conference. Visit the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum. Overnight in Phoenix.

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8 25/05/13 Saturday

Meet Peter Berresford and Wesley Shaw. Rent a car. Explore cacti locations in Apacze Trail and Barnhardt Trail (Echinocereus engelmannii ssp. fasciculatus,

Echinocereus engelmannii, Echinocereus apachensis, Ferocactus wislizenii,

Agave toumeya v. bella). Overnight in Phoenix. 9 26/05/13

Sunday Explore cacti locations in Black Canyon City, Marble Canyon, Lees Ferry and Badger Canyon (Echinocereus yavapaiensis, Echinocactus polycephalus,

Pediocactus bradyi). Overnight in Marble Canyon. 10 27/05/13

Monday Explore populations of Echinocereus engelmannii v. variegatus, Echinocereus

triglochidiatus ssp. mojavensis, Escobaria vivipara, Pediocactus paradinei,

Pediocactus sileri, Sclerocactus parviflorus, Ferocactus cylindraceus,

Echinomastus jonsonii in House Rock, Layby, Fredonia and Cedar Pocket. Overnight in Kanab.

11 28/05/13 Tuesday

Explore cacti locations in Moapa, Bluffs, Mt Charleston (Echinocactus

polycephalus, Ferocactus cylindraceus, Escobaria deserti, Echinocereus

triglochidiatus ssp. mojavensis, Echinomastus johnsonii, Agave utahensis v. eborispina, Agave utahensis v. nevadensis). Overnight in Henderson.

12 29/05/13 Wednesday

Explore populations of Echinocereus triglochidiatus ssp. mojavensis,

Echinocereus engelmannii f. munzii, near Cima and Baldwin Lake. Overnight in Big Bear Lake.

13 30/05/13 Thursday

Drive to Josue Tree National Monument. Explore populations of Echinocereus

triglochidiatus, Escobaria vivipara v. alversonii. Explore cacti locations near Needles (Echinocerus engelmannii f. howei). Overnight in Needles.

14 31/05/13 Friday

Explore populations of Echinocereus arizonicus, Echinocereus santaritensis and

Echinocereus bonkerae in Gila/Pinal border and White River. Overnight in Globe.

15 01/06/13 Saturday

Explore cacti locations in Altar Valley, Redington Rd. and North San Pedro River Rd. (Coryphantha robustispina, Echinocereus fendleri ssp. rectispinus,

Escobaria bisbeeana, Echinocereus rigidissimus, Echinomastus erectocentrus). Overnight in Tucson.

16 02/06/13 Sunday

Explore cacti locations in Bisbee, Spring Canyon State Park (Echinocerus

viridiflorus, Echinocereus pseudopectinatus) Overnight in Las Cruces. 17 03/06/13

Monday Explore cacti locations in Franklin Mountains and White Sands National Monument (Echinocereus dasyacanthus, Echinocereus chloranthus,

Echinocereus coccineus, Echinocactus horizonthalonius, Echinocerues

triglochidiatus). Overnight in Almogordo. 18 04/06/13

Tuesday Drive to Fort Stanton to observe and record Echinocereus viridiflorus and

Echinocereus fendleri f. kuenzleri). Overnight in Almogordo. 19 05/06/13

Wednesday Drive to Chiricahua National Monument and Graham Mountains and record the locations of Echinocereus santaritenzis and Echinocereus ledingii). Overnight in Tucson.

20 06/06/13 Thursday

Explore populations of Coryphantha recurvata in Syacamore Canyon. Travel back to Phoenix. Overnight in Phoenix.

22 07/06/13 Friday

Fly to London from Phoenix.

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7. General Information

7.1. Geography The Southwestern United States includes nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona,

California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. The core of the Southwest is

defined as the portion of New Mexico west of the Llano Estacado and the portion of Arizona east of the

Mohave-Sonoran Desert and south of the "canyonlands" and also including the El Paso district of western

Texas and the southernmost part of Colorado.

The common denominator of this region is aridity. The high, dry plains of Texas extend westward to the

Pecos valley of New Mexico. Although the southern spurs of the Rocky Mountains beyond the Pecos River

are cool and are dotted with evergreens, farther west are vast highly coloured sandstone deposits.

Occasional mesas or buttes rise above the peneplain through which the Colorado River has cut such

spectacular gorges as the Grand Canyon. Stretching westward from Arizona are the true deserts with their

growth of cacti and gaunt, parallel chains of mountains almost devoid of vegetation. There are four true

deserts in the US (Fig. 2): Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan, all conforming to the basic

definition of a desert as being a place of very low rainfall and restricted plant life. Of these, the former is a

predominantly cold desert, receiving much snow in winter, and many parts are not much difference in

appearance to some of the adjoining lands. The other three are hot for most of the year and more closely

resemble a desert of popular imagination, containing large areas with very little plant life, just sand and

barren rocks, or sparse grassland, often mixed with many types of cactus.

Figure 2. Map of desert distribution in SW USA [http://www.americansouthwest.net].

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7.2. Climate The Southwest is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Rocky Mountains to the east, and Mexico

to the south. It features a semi-arid to arid climate, depending on the location. There is a wide range of

elevation and climate types across the region. Elevation ranges from valleys that are below sea level to

mountains that have some of the highest peaks in the continental United States. The region is generally

drier than other regions of the United States. It includes deserts in the southern portion, such as the Mojave

Desert. Areas of northern California, the Rocky Mountains, and Sierra Nevada tend to get more

precipitation and snow. Additionally, the Central Valley in California is one of the most productive

agricultural regions in the country.

Annual precipitation is low (<400 mm), but the seasonality of precipitation differs substantially among hot

deserts. The Mojave Desert is dominated by winter precipitation; thus biological activity is greatest during

the cool season. The Chihuahuan Desert is dominated by summer precipitation with biological activity

during hotter conditions. The hottest of the three deserts, the Sonoran, is intermediate, receiving both winter

and summer precipitation. Each of these deserts is characterized by low productivity and slow plant growth,

both of which are primarily water-limited (Fig. 3).

Figure 3. The seasonal distribution of precipitation ranges from summer dominated in the Chihuahuan Desert to winter dominated in the Mojave Desert (Archer, S. 2008).

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7.3. Cactaceae in SW USA Vegetation communities are typically desert scrub, shrub–steppe, or desert grassland/savanna and are home

to charismatic plants, including saguaro cacti, organ pipe cacti, and Joshua trees. The cactus family includes

remarkable plants with several morphological and physiological adaptations that enable them to survive the

harsh desert conditions. Unlike most flowering plant families that have fairly narrow ranges of distributions

in terms of environment and latitude, the Cactaceae are distributed over a wide range of environments that

include the humid, wet tropics the tropical and temperate deserts, and the cold sub-arctic regions of Canada

and Patagonia.

The main cacti of SW USA include about 22 genera: Ariocarpus, Astrophytum, Carnegiea, Corynopuntia,

Coryphantha, Cylindropuntia, Echinocactus, Echinocereus, Echinomastus, Epithelantha, Escobaria,

Ferocactus, Glandulicactus, Lophophora, Mammillaria, Neolloydia, Opuntia, Pediocactus, Peniocereus,

Sclerocactus, Stenocereus, Thelocactus and about 170 species. Although they are widely distributed in the

region, some species are rare or uncommon.

During my trip I managed to visit populations of about 40 cacti species plus many different subspecies,

varieties and forms (Fig. 4).

A B

C D Figure 4. A – Carnegiea gigantea growing near Tucson; B – Echinocactus polycephalus growing in Marble

Canyon; C – Escobaria vivipara growing Joshue Tree National Monument; D - Echinocereus

fendleri f. kuenzleri growing near Fort Staton (Photos: A.Gdaniec).

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8. Work program

8.1. The American Public Garden Association Conference (20-24/05/13) I arrived in Phoenix on Saturday, 18th of May. All Sunday I spent in the Desert Botanical Garden. The

APGA was founded in 1940 as the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta, the American

Public Gardens Association (APGA) adopted a new name in 2006. Over the last six decades, the APGA has

emerged as the premiere association for public gardens in North America.

The APGA is committed to increasing the knowledge of public garden professionals throughout North

America through information sharing, professional development, networking, public awareness, and

research so they have the tools to effectively serve visitors and members.

This year the conference concentrate on garden evolution. Its theme reflected not only plant community

adaptations, but also historical changes. The conference was hosted by amazing Desert Botanical Garden

and Boyce-Thompson Arboretum, in partnership with Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tohono Chul and

Tucson Botanical Gardens.

During four days I had opportunity to attend many interesting presentations and see attention-grabbing

posters. Sessions varied from education, management, horticulture, marketing and science in public

gardens. The program can be find on the APGA website [http://www.publicgardens.org/files/files/2013_

APGA_Program_043013_rev1.pdf].

The conference was extremely successful this year, with about 700 attendees from North America and

many other countries like for example Jerusalem, Jordan, Pakistan, Germany and the United Kingdom.

With so many professional horticulturists and garden managers I had opportunity to develop my contact

and knowledge further.

8.1.1. Desert Botanical Garden The Desert Botanical Garden is a 140 acres botanical garden located in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded

by the Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society in 1937 and established at this site in 1939. The garden

now has more than 21,000 plants, in more than 4000 taxa, one-third of which are native to the area,

including 139 species which are rare, threatened or endangered. Of special note are the rich collections of

agave (176 taxa) and cacti (10,350 plants in 1,350 taxa), especially the subfamily Opuntioideae. Plants

from less extreme climate conditions are protected under shadehouses. It focuses on plants adapted to

desert conditions, including an Australian collection, a Baja California collection and a South American

collection. Several ecosystems are represented: a mesquite bosque, semidesert grassland, and upland

chaparral (Fig. 5).

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A B

C D Figure 5. A-D – Desert Botanical Garden (Photos: A. Gdaniec). During the visit I concentrated on the Nursery and Collection areas (Fig. 6), where I was honoured to meet

Curator Raul Puente-Martinez. He kindly made himself available and showed me amazing succulent

collections.

A B Figure 6. A-B – Nursery and Living Collections in Desert Botanical Garden (Photos: A. Gdaniec).

The other particularly interesting place for me was the Herbarium, where I had the opportunity to see the

dry specimen collection of Arizona cacti (Fig. 7). Raul gave me a lot of useful advices about curation

procedures, propagation protocols and data bases. I also met horticulturists who look after collections. I

gathered information about growing media, fertilizers and special requirements for specific genera.

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A B Figure 7. A-B – Herbarium in Desert Botanical Garden (Photos: A. Gdaniec). 8.1.2. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a fusion zoo, natural history museum, botanical garden, art gallery,

and aquarium located in Tucson, Arizona. It features 2 miles of walking paths traversing 21 acres of desert

landscape, and is home to more than 230 animal species and 1,200 kinds of plants. Founded in 1952 by

William Carr and Arthur Pack, the Desert Museum is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to the

conservation of the Sonoran Desert. The mission of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is to inspire people

to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran

Desert. The Desert Museum is unique among zoological parks for its focus on interpreting the complete

natural history of a single region, the Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran Desert region, as currently defined,

covers approximately 200,000 square miles nearly equally divided between land and sea. It includes most

of the southern half of Arizona, southeastern California, most of the Baja California peninsula, the islands

of the Gulf of California, and much of the state of Sonora, Mexico. About two-thirds of the land portion of

the Sonoran Desert, and 75 percent of its biodiversity, reside in Mexico, which means the vast majority of

species and habitats that the Museum works to understand and protect lie south of the border. The Sonoran

Desert is known as the lushest desert on earth, in large part due to its bi-seasonal rainfall (Fig. 8).

A B Figure 8. A-B – Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (Photos: A. Gdaniec).

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The Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 32 km east and 24 km west of

the centre of the city of Tucson. The total area in 2011 was 91,442 acres of which 70,905 acres is

designated wilderness. Both districts conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of

significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its

name from the saguaro, a large cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including

barrel, cholla, and prickly pear, are abundant in the park (Fig. 9). One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-

nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the

Mexican Spotted Owl.

A B Figure 9. A-B – Saguaro National Park (Photos: A. Gdaniec).

8.1.3. Wallace Desert Gardens The Wallace Desert Gardens is 12 acres of specular desert and arid plants from across the globe. Formerly

the home of H.B. and Jocelyn Wallace and located within the gated community of Sincuidados, Wallace

Gardens has been the best kept secret in North Scottsdale for more than 25 years. At present it can be

visited on a reservation-only basis (Fig. 10).

A B Figure 10. A-B – Wallace Desert Gardens (Photos: A. Gdaniec).

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8.1.4. Boyce-Thompson Arboretum Boyce Thompson Arboretum is the largest and oldest botanical garden in the state of Arizona. It was

founded in 1924 as a desert plant research facility and “living museum”. The Arboretum is located in the

Sonoran Desert on 392 acres along Queen Creek and beneath the towering volcanic remnant, Picketpost

Mountain. The exhibits include a cactus garden, palm and eucalyptus groves, an Australian exhibit, South

American exhibit, aloe garden and an herb garden to name a few. There are also numerous side trails such

as the Chihuahuan Trail, Curandero Trail, and High Trail.

Over 2600 species of arid land plants from around the world grow at the Arboretum. Agaves, aloes, boojum

trees, cork oak, jujube trees, legume trees, and, in the eucalyptus grove, one of the largest eucalyptus trees

in the United States. Cacti and succulents grow extensively throughout the Arboretum (Fig. 11).

A B

C D Figure 11. A–D – Boyce Thompson Arboretum (Photos: A. Gdaniec).

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8.2. Cacti habitats in Arizona

8.2.1. Arizona Two weeks of my trip I spend exploring natural habitats of cacti mostly in the state of Arizona. The

diversity of species is quite high but what it is more important in Arizona grow iconic cacti such as

Carnegiea gigantea (saguaro) or Stenocereus thurberi (organ pipe cactus). In this area cacti grow in semi-

desert conditions on rocky, gravely, sandy soils of the Sonoran Desert and the Southern Rocky Mountains.

Very interesting species can be found on gypsum hillsides.

The Sonoran Desert of southwest Arizona and the south-eastern tip of California has perhaps the most

archetypal desert scenery in the Southwest, with vast flat plains and abundant cacti, especially the giant

saguaro, which occurs most densely in Arizona towards the higher elevation reaches of the desert. The

desert is itself divided into subregions including the Colorado and Yuha deserts of California, the Yuma

Desert of far southwest Arizona and the Arizona desert further east. It continues a long way south into

Mexico, nearly 500 miles down the east side of the Gulf of California. Much of the Sonoran Desert is

protected, although other large stretches are part of military reservations. The most rich in species families

of plants are Fabaceae and Poaceae.

The Southern Rocky Mountains are a major subregion of the Rocky Mountains of North America located in

the southern portion of Wyoming, the central and western portions of Colorado, the northern portion of

New Mexico, extreme eastern portions of Utah and northern part of Arizona.

During our explorations we visited 20 locations of cacti. Luckily Peter Berresford visited many of the

locations about 10 years ago and for most of them we had GPS coordinates. One of my dream was to see

saguaro forest, I only didn’t expect that this species is so abundant. The most interesting places which we

visit was location of new described Echinocereus yavapaiensis in the Agua Fria National Monument, the

Marble Canyon with cristate form of Echinocactus polycephalus, the Kaibab National Forest with

Pediocactus paradinei, gypsum hillsides with Pediocactus sileri and P. peeblesianus (Fig. 12). Very

interesting observation is that all cacti seedlings germinate under nurse plants or big rock boulders which

give them protection against sun and heat and moisture is longer available. Similar situation I observe in

Ecuador and Canada (Fig. 13).

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A B

C D Figure 12. A – Echinocereus yavapaiensis; B – Echinocactus polycephalus; C – Pediocactus paradinei;

D – Pediocactus peeblesianus (Photos: A. Gdaniec).

A B

C D Figure 13. A – Ferocactus cylindraceus, Apacze Trail; B – Mammillaria grahamii, Barnhardt Trail; C –

Carnegiea gigantean, Saguaro National Park; D – Echinocereus rigidissimus, Bisbee (Photos: A. Gdaniec).

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8.2.2. Nevada and California On 28th of May we entered Nevada. The plan was to see cacti habitats around Las Vegas. This area is

described as the Mojave Desert. The desert covers the southernmost 150 miles of Nevada, a tiny area of

southwest Utah, lower elevation regions of northwest Arizona (bordering the Colorado River) and most of

southeast California. The topography is generally similar to the Great Basin, with isolated mountains and

wide, flat plains, but temperatures are hotter, vegetation sparser, and the hills are less numerous. All this

land is characterized by long, thin, parallel mountain ridges running north-south, separated by wider

valleys, often containing dry lake beds (playas) or salt basins. The few rivers run inwards, with no outlet to

the ocean; their waters ultimately either sink below ground or evaporate.

In the state of Nevada we visited three locations with Echinocactus polycephalus, Escobaria deserti,

Echinocereus triglochidiatus v. mojavensis and two remarkable Agave: A. utahensis v. eborispina and A.

utahensis v. nevadensis (Fig. 14)

A B

C D Figure 14. A – Escobaria deserti, NW Las Vegas; B – Echinocereus triglochidiatus v. mojavensis, Mt.

Charleston; C – Agave utahensis v. eborispina, NW Las Vegas; D – Agave utahensis v. nevadensis, Mountain Springs (Photos: A. Gdaniec).

In California we visited four locations with interesting Echinocereus engelmannii f. munzii which grows

only near the Baldwin Lake. As a horticulturists I was glad to see Fremontodendron californicum and

Yucca brevifolia (Fig. 15).

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A B

C D Figure 15. A – Baldwin Lake; B – Echinocereus engelmannii f. munzii, Baldwin Lake; C –

Fremontodendron californicum, Baldwin Lake; D – Yucca brevifolia, Joshue Tree National Monument (Photos: A. Gdaniec).

8.2.3. New Mexico and Texas

The Chihuahuan Desert is the second largest in the US, and also extends a long way into Mexico. It covers

the southern third of New Mexico, excluding several mountain ranges, and all of far west Texas, west of a

line between Del Rio and Monahans. Elevations are generally higher than in the Sonoran Desert and

precipitation is a little greater, with most rain falling during the summer thunderstorm season. Winters in

the Chihuahuan Desert are typically cool especially in the northern reaches of the desert where night-time

temperatures drop below freezing. The dry early-summer months of May and June are typically the hottest

part of the year in the desert. Unlike the other North American deserts, the Chihuahuan Desert does not

have a winter rainy season. Instead, over 90% of the annual rainfall occurs between the months of July and

October. This summer monsoon or rainy season is the result of thunderstorms that build in the afternoon

and significantly cool the summer days. Cacti are still quite numerous but are generally smaller than to the

west; instead, the dominant plants are yucca and agave, though even so, as with many other desert regions,

large areas have only the ubiquitous creosote bushes and mesquite trees.

During our trip we visited six locations in New Mexico and two in Texas (Fig. 16).

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A B

C D Figure 16. A – Echinocereus viridiflorus, Spring Canyon State Park; B – Echinocactus horizonthalonius,

Franklin Mountains; C – Echinocereus stramineus, Franklin Mountains; D – Author with very big specimen of Echinocereus triglochidiatus, White Sands National Monument (Photos: A. Gdaniec).

9. Summary My time spent in The United States of America was an amazing opportunity to meet experienced

horticulturists, make new contacts and promote best practice in the field. I also had chance to see not only

cacti but an extraordinary diversity of plant species growing in the wild and I am extremely grateful for the

support of the Merlin Trust Committee which made this trip possible.

All aims and objectives have been met. Travelling through SW USA has benefited my knowledge and

experience in following ways:

Development of plant identification.

Benefit from the experience of knowledgeable people.

Information passed on has positively influenced my learning processes and greatly assisted my

understanding of succulents in general.

Seeing cacti in their natural habitats was a fantastic experience and will be invaluable for potential

dissertation studies.

Developing many contacts and increasing my personal knowledge to aid the development of my future

career.

An opportunity for me to understand more fully a subject that I have long found interesting.

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10. Personal plans for the future The main aim of my career is to grow, research and conserve plants and develop international co-operation

with those interested in them. In the future I would like to be actively involved in succulent cultivation as a

horticulturist with a good science background.

The experience of this trip will be invaluable to a future career with succulent plants and will form a basis

for future study. In September I will assume the post of Curator at Gibraltar Botanic Gardens.

11. Cost and expenditure

Table 2. Costs of the Travel Scholarship – SW USA 2013. Expenditures GBP £ TRANSPORT Flight London to Phoenix (return) £ 775.00 Car hire (quotation) £30/day - 14 days £ 426.00 Fuel £ 350.00 Taxi £ 100.00 ACCOMMODATION APGA Conference accommodation £ 680.00 Accommodation: approx. £30 per persons per night for 14 nights £ 420.00 FOOD Subsistence: approx. £20 per person per day for 21 days £ 420.00 EXTRAS APGA Conference fee £ 524.00 Entrance to parks, gardens, toll roads etc. approx. £10 x 10 days £ 100.00 Total £ 3795.00

Received grants: a) The Merlin Trust Horticultural Grant

Amount Received £ 1500.00

b) The Royal Horticulture Society Bursary

Amount Received £ 1150.00

c) The Hardy Plant Society, The Kenneth Black Bursary

Amount Received £ 500.00

d) The Alpine Garden Society Travel Award

Amount Received £ 600.00

Signed:

Date:

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12. References/Bibliography Anderson, E. F. (2001) The cactus family. Timber Press. Backeberg, C. (1958-1962) Die Cactaceae: Handbuch der Kakteenkunde. Vol. 1-6. Jena, Gustav Fischer,

Germany. Benson, L. (1969) The native cacti of California. Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford. Benson, L. (1981) The cacti of Arizona. Stanford Univ. Press. Stanford. Benson, L. (1982) The cacti of the United States and Canada. Stanford University Press. Stanford. Bowers, N. (2008) Cactus of Arizona. Adventure Publications. Minnesota. Britton, N.L. and Rose, J.N. (1963) The Cactaceae. Vol. 1-2. Dover Publications. Champie, C. (1974) Cacti and succulents of El Paso. Abbey Garden Press. Epple, A.O. (1995) A field guide to the plants of Arizona. LewAnn Publishing, Mesa. Hunt, D. (1999) CITES Cactaceae Checklist. 2nd ed. Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew. Hunt, D. and Taylor, N. (2002) Studies in the Opuntioideae (Cactaceae). DH Books. England. Hunt, D. and Taylor, N.P. (2006) The new cactus lexicon. DH Books. England. Hochstätter, F. (1990) To the habitats of Pediocactus and Sclerocactus. Steinhart. Germany. Hochstätter, F. (1995) In the shadow of the Rocky Mountains; the Genera Pediocactus-Navajoa-Touneya:

Revised. Steinhart. Germany. Hochstätter, F. (2007) The genera Pediocactus, Navajoa, Toumeya. Steinhart. Germany. Loflin, B. and Loflin, S. (2009) Texas cacti. Texas University Press. Parfitt, B.D. and Gibson, A.G. (2004) Cactaceae. In: Flora of North America. Vol.4. Oxford University

Press. New York. Pilbeam, J. (2011) Echinocereus. BCSS. Pilbeam, J. and Bowdery, D. (2005) Ferocactus. BCSS. Powell A.M. and Weedin, J.F. (2004) Cacti of the Trans-Pecos and adjacent areas. Texas Tech University

Press. Starr, D. (1994) Desert Botanical Garden. Horticulture 3:48-54. Steenbergh, W. and Lowe, C. (1977) Ecology of the Saguaro. Washington. Taylor, N.P. (1978) Review of the genus Escobaria. Cactus&Succulent Journal(GB) 40(2): 31-37. Taylor, N.P. (1979) Further notes on Escobaria. Cactus&Succulent Journal(GB) 41(1): 17-20. Taylor, N.P. (1983) Die Arten der Gattung Escobaria. Kakt. Und and. Sukk 34(4-8): 79-79, 120-123, 136-

140, 154-158, 184-188.

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Taylor, N.P. (1985) The genus Echinocereus. Collingridge Books. Taylor, N.P. (1996) Die Bestimmung der Escobarien (Cactaceae). Mitbl. AfM 20(2): 72-90. Weniger, D. (1970) Cacti of the Southwest. Univ. of Texas Press. Austin. Zimmerman, A.D. (1985) Systematics of the genus Coryphantha (Cactaceae). University of Texas, Austin.