The Morten Botanical Garden and Cactarium, in Palm Springs, evokes dreamy backyards and iconic California ‘scapes. On our sunny afternoon visit, we tread carefully, because a woman is having a rounded cacti piece pried out of her hand upon our arrival – a jumping churro. Our eyes and cameras lead us to the blooming flowers of yellow and magenta, not to mention the purple cacti. The hill of mounded yellow barrel cacti – and the greenhouse of rare succulents – are often Instagrmmed, rightly so. Snaking, upside down, spidery moss overhead… the slightly hot, humid claustrophobic room would seemingly come alive when the humans sleep. The garden, small, but well-curated, includes cacti you can call you own — and mating turtles — that you cannot.
