March 12 through 17, 2012

Come celebrate spring in the desert during our 8th Annual Cactus & Succulent Event. Tour the greenhouse, take a stroll along the ethnobotany trail, learn to cook dinner with hot rocks, learn about the desert, and bring the kids for some fun with plants!

Cactus & Succulent Sale

A checklist will be posted as soon as possible. We’re still trying to determine which plants survived the recent cold weather!

Sale starts on March 12 at 9:00 A.M.
Come early for the best selection of Chihuahuan Desert cacti! The majority of our cacti are seed-grown in our greenhouse or from Sul Ross State University’s native Plant Propagation Program in Alpine. Some of our seed-grown favorites include the spectacular Glory of Texas and some interesting species native to Mexico.

Festival Events

Guided Hikes into Modesta Canyon (Daily, starts at 10:00 a.m. at the Visitors Center)
Learn about the amazing diversity of the Chihuahuan Desert flora, fauna, and geography. You will explore a canyon spring and take in some incredible views. This fun and exciting hike is moderately strenuous in places, and requires about 1.75 miles of walking and hiking.

Learn about the Plants and Animals of the Chihuahuan Desert
(Daily lectures, start at 2:00 p.m. in the Visitors Center)

• March 12; Native Bees by Cynthia McAlister
• March 14; Welcome to the Chihuahuan Desert by Dr. Cathryn Hoyt
• March 15; Cacti of the Chihuahuan Desert by Dr. Cathryn Hoyt
• March 16; Plant and Animal Adaptation to Living in the Desert by Jessica Glasscock
• March 17; Welcome to the Chihuahuan Desert by Dr. Cathryn Hoyt
• March 18; Native Bees by Cynthia McAlister
• March 19; The Color Red: The Importance of Cochineal by Dr. Jennifer Jordan

Guided Garden and Greenhouse Tours
Daily, starts at approximately 2:45 following the lecture.

Ethnobotany Trail
As you explore the gardens, look for special signs illustrating how plants such as agaves, mesquite, agarita and others were (and still are!) being used for food, drink, medicine, and textiles.

SPECIAL EVENTS!
Ethnobotany Demonstrations (Saturday, March 12)
Join us on March 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. as Reeda Peel from the Center for Big Bend Studies demonstrates how Native Americans prepared foods from cactus, acorns, and mesquite. She’ll cook some tasty treats on a stone griddle and using a traditional method of stone boiling.

Book Signing with Gertrud Konings (Saturday, March 19)
Gertrud Konings, co-author with Ad Konings, of Cacti of Texas in Their Natural Habitat will be at the Visitors Center on Saturday,  March 19 to sign their beautiful book and talk to you about the cacti of Texas.  Cacti of Texas in Their Natural Habitat will be available for purchase in the gift shop.