Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden
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The Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden (12 acres) is an arboretum and botanical garden located in the Rancho San Rafael Regional Park at 1595 North Sierra, Reno, Nevada. It is open to the public without charge from sunrise to sunset.
The site is located at an elevation of 4,600 feet in a transitional zone between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Basin Desert. It receives an average annual precipitation of 7 inches, daily temperature varies 50 degrees Fahrenheit or more, and the growing season is less than 100 days.
The garden's primary purpose is to demonstrate gardening in the high desert environment. It includes the following areas:
- Burke Garden is modeled upon an English country garden, with elm trees and perennials in bloom from early May through September, including iris, bleeding heart, delphinium, foxglove, lupine, and campanula.
- Dixie's Plaza Garden contains perennials and annuals.
- Honey's Garden contains yellow and white flowering shrubs and roses, with waterfall and pools.
- Songbird Garden contains aromatic flowers, seeds, and fruits, attracting many native birds.
- Evans Creek flows through the middle of the site. It originates from snowmelt and springs on Peavine Mountain, and flows onward to the Truckee River and then to Pyramid Lake.
