If you have driven north on Oracle Road, you have almost certainly passed the yellow truck. Maybe you have driven by it a hundred times without stopping. If so, you are missing one of Oro Valley’s most remarkable small businesses.
Tucson Cactus & Koi sits on a three-and-a-half-acre property at 7810 N. Oracle Road, and nearly everyone who finally walks through the gate says the same thing: it is far bigger and more beautiful than it looks from the road.
By Michael Burns, ILoveOV.com
A Vision Built from Scratch
The business was founded by two cardiologists, Santiago Ramirez and Lee Goldberg, who shared a passion for both desert plants and koi ponds. They wanted a place that brought those two worlds together and gave the community something it did not yet have. To bring that vision to life, they recruited Daniel, a horticulturist with a background at Tucson’s respected Bach’s Cactus Nursery and more than 25 years of field experience.
Daniel did not just manage the nursery. He helped identify contractors, worked with engineers, navigated Oro Valley permitting, and served as the de facto project manager for the entire build, despite having no prior construction experience. He also spent three years growing plants at off-site locations before the doors opened.
“If I had to do it over, I would do some things differently,” Daniel says with a laugh. “But I think I did pretty well.”
The property itself reflects his eye for design. The layout, the greenhouse, the placement of every plant, the pond — all of it reflects his conviction that aesthetics matters the moment a customer walks in. Dead or declining plants are pulled immediately. Every specimen is labeled and clearly priced. Nothing is left to guesswork.
Two Worlds, One Place
Tucson Cactus & Koi offers exactly what the name suggests. The nursery side offers an extensive selection of cacti, succulents, trees, and desert-adapted plants, including rare specimens not found anywhere else in the region. Customers come from Oro Valley, Saddlebrook, Mountain Ranch, Sun City, Rio Rico, Green Valley, and as far as the Phoenix area.
The pond and water feature side of the business handles everything from design and construction to aquatic plants and fish. The nursery is believed to be among the largest aquatic plant nurseries in the Southwest, offering varieties that support natural pond filtration and create a self-sustaining ecosystem for fish. Customers can choose from on-site koi tanks, and the team can advise on everything from full custom pond builds to simpler backyard water features.
A newer and growing part of the business involves full residential landscaping consultation. Daniel can visit a property, help develop a planting plan, and coordinate with a trusted third-party installer — making Tucson Cactus & Koi a start-to-finish resource for homeowners planning a desert landscape from the ground up.
The Knowledge That Sets Them Apart
Ask Haley Stevenson, assistant manager and a nearly five-year veteran of the nursery, what the most common mistake desert gardeners make, and she does not hesitate.
“Overwatering — and the opposite extreme, not watering at all,” she says. “People think desert plants never need water. But in July, when it hasn’t rained in a month, and it is over 100 degrees, those plants are suffering. A slow drip for 30 to 45 minutes once a week can make a real difference.”
That kind of practical, honest guidance is what keeps customers coming back. It is also what separates a specialty nursery from a big-box store. Daniel is candid about the competition: large retailers can sell plants at prices a small nursery cannot match, but the trade-off is expertise. He has overheard employees at other stores advise customers to water succulents every day, which he calls a death sentence for the plant.
At Tucson Cactus & Koi, staff are trained on the questions customers consistently ask, and the goal is always to send people home with the right plant for the right spot—and the knowledge to keep it alive.
Deep Roots in the Community
The nursery has built an 8,000-person email list and a combined social media following of 3,000 across Instagram and Facebook. A significant part of that audience came through the Tucson Electric Power tree program, which has also brought in many first-time visitors.
Haley manages social media and has taken on an expanding role in community events. She coordinates the nursery’s annual art festival, now in its fourth year, scheduled for Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event draws local plein air painters, artisan vendors, a coffee cart, live music, and is expected to include a food truck this year. If past years are any indication, people will still be wandering the grounds well past the official closing time.
The nursery also participates in the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce, the popular Stacks Where’s Waldo summer hunt, and various community collaborations. Upcoming plans include hosting large metal art installations on the property and expanding workshop offerings, including a recent collaboration with Board & Brush that combined custom wood planter painting with succulent planting.
Come See It for Yourself
Haley’s message to Oro Valley residents is simple: stop in.
“We love this place, and we want everyone else to love it as much as we do,” she says. “A lot of people have driven by that yellow truck for years and never come in. The ones who finally do are always amazed.”
For ILoveOV.com readers making their first visit, mention this article and receive 15% off your purchase.
Tucson Cactus & Koi is located at 7810 N. Oracle Road in Oro Valley. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. Visit tucsoncactusandkoi.com for more information.
;>)