The Desert Botanical Garden is one of America’s premier collections of desert plants including a huge collection of cactus and succulents, from around the world. The Garden’s Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail exemplifies a typical Arizona-Sonora Desert location, with giant saguaros, creosote, barrel cactus, prickly pear cactus, cholla cactus, and palo verde trees. The strange branch on the prominent saguaro is called a “Cristate” variety and is the result of the growing point of the saguaro dividing into a disorganized tip. This is not a normal growth pattern but not uncommon. The Desert Botanical Garden is located in Papago Park on the east edge of the City of Phoenix.