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California Natives and Cactus Gardens

Originally a road and parking lot, this strip of land was turned into a garden area in the 1980s. The first garden to be planted here was an English perennial garden, but a drought led gardener Henry Hilgert to use California natives, plants that require little water to survive. After an old wooden gazebo at the edge of the California Native Garden was torn down, the Cactus Garden was installed, showcasing a wide variety of succulents native to the deserts of North and Central America. Ornamental Horticulture students learning about California natives use the plants in this area as a reference.

Nestled in the garden is a collection of art designed and built by Cal Poly students and professors. The rustic metal sculptures were constructed by a Landscape Architecture instructor and the Cal Poly metal shop. The intricate concrete pieces are molds of an old San Francisco building.

The vivid red and yellow blooms of the Protea.

Plant Spotlight: Old Man Cactus
The white hair covering the Old Man Cactus helps the plant reflect the desert’s hot sun. Beware, though, the hair covers the plant’s sharp spines!

Plant spotlight: Golden Barrel Cactus
With its bright yellow spines and furry top, the Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusoni) is named after the Greek word for “hedgehog.” Native to Mexico, a large Golden Barrel Cactus can have a diameter of over two feet! In the summer, the cactus blooms pale yellow flowers.

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