‘Peaceful sanctuary’: Laveen man growing tropical trees, plants in desert

PHOENIX — One place you don’t expect to see tropical trees growing is in the middle of the desert — but that’s exactly what Randy McCabe is doing near the base of South Mountain in Laveen.

Drive through the area and all you see is desert and several urban farms. Then, suddenly, you come across a conglomerate of trees normally found in tropical regions standing high in McCabe’s one-acre property.

It’s his own little piece of paradise.

“A few minutes into being here, you realize you can’t tell where you are,” he said. “You have no idea where you are, and most people don’t want to leave when they come here.”

The property has more than 100 trees and plants usually found in the tropics of Latin America and Southeast Asia. He has trees growing mangoes, avocados, bananas, figs, star fruits and various citrus fruits.

He also has bamboo, a golden shower tree, a banyan tree and — perhaps the most stunning of them all — a floss-silk tree with a thorny trunk and branches.

McCabe said he first learned about the property from a friend.

“She started telling me all these things about how the house was all cast concrete with nine-inch thick walls and was built in 1946,” he said.

“She said the yard had all these trees and was about 80 percent shade. That got my attention real fast.”

He went to see the house and was instantly surprised to see all the greenery.

“By the time I walked in about 50 feet I said, ‘This is it. This is exactly what I’m looking for,’” he said.

He bought the property in 1996 and has been busy maintaining the trees and plants, replacing some and adding a few more.

Enter Randy McCabe’s one-acre property in Laveen and you’ll be transported to a tropical oasis. He has more than 100 trees and plants usually found in the tropics of Latin America and Southeast Asia. I’ll have more on this on Monday via @KTAR923. pic.twitter.com/wPkRxgw667

— Griselda Zetino (@GriseldaZetino) August 13, 2018

Irrigation from the Salt River Project has allowed McCabe to grow all the trees and plants in the middle of the desert at a low cost. His water bill is usually about $160 a month.

During the summer, he gets irrigation water every two weeks. It drops to once a month during the fall and parts of winter. He also uses sprinkler and a hose to water the trees and plants.

The one-acre property also has Mayan and Indonesian-inspired concrete structures, many of which McCabe built on his own. They include an arc at the beginning of a brick walkway that snakes through much of the yard.

In addition, there are several fountains with fish and pieces from various countries, including a singing bowl used for healing and meditation.

But McCabe hasn’t come up with a name for the property. For now, he calls it his “peaceful sanctuary.”

“Sitting out here in the afternoon, after you’ve done all your work, and listening to some music and having friends over is absolutely beautiful — it really is,” he said.

Follow @GriseldaZetino