The Huntington Desert Garden in San Marino, California, is one of the world’s largest and oldest collections of cacti, succulents, and other desert plants. Developed in the early 1900s under curator William Hertrich, it became a major botanical project after Henry E. Huntington overcame his dislike of cacti and invested heavily in its creation, even adding a railway spur to bring in materials and plants. Now spanning 10 acres with more than 5,000 species, it is especially strong in agaves, yuccas, aloes, cacti, and euphorbias, and is valued not only for dramatic displays and exceptional specimens but also as an important research collection.