
"Plump," "short," "spiny" and "weird" all describe plants in the Arid House. These plants are from hot deserts in Africa, the Americas and Asia. All are specialists at surviving droughts. The collection has many examples of unrelated plants with very similar forms from similar environments around the world - a phenomenon known as convergent evolution.
The peak season for the Arid House is late winter to early spring. Many succulents flower at this time, including the aloes (Aloe species), Easter lily cactus (Echinopsis species) and Jade plant (Crassula argentea).
The Arid House is in the Conservatory at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens site.
Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum needs private support and provides donors with many giving opportunities and recognition. For more details, please contact the Development Office at 1-734-615-9475.
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