Wander Through More Than 3000 Cacti and Succulents at This New “Arid Garden” in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens

If you’re a sucker for succulents, this new “Arid Garden” – which opened at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens on November 19 – is one to check out.

There, you’ll find more than 3000 cacti and succulents – from 400 different species – many of which were sourced in South America, and Arizona in the US. Plus, the garden has a number of mammoth plants weighing in at up to 250 kilos, and others that are more than 80 years old.

It was designed by Andrew Laidlaw, a long-time landscape architect for Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. And, from a bird’s eye view, it’s meant to emulate the molecular structure of a splayed-leaf aeonium (or tree houseleek) succulent.

“The Arid Garden is a contemporary take on the classic 16th-century parterre garden design, which describes a large space which is broken into smaller spaces with pathways to wander and look at plants,” Laidlaw said in a statement.

“These landscapes tend to be quite inward-facing, which is something we’re implementing in the Arid Garden. It’s all about being in the garden and looking at the plants.”

The garden, which you’ll find near Gate C on Anderson Street, has several entry and exit points so can navigate it any way you like.

rbg.vic.gov.au