It is often thought that deserts are barren places, but they are actually full of plant life and animals specially adapted to live in the harsh environments.

A special exhibition at the Missouri Botanical Garden entitled Desert Show: Plants and People of the Western US Deserts aims to highlight this during the summer of 2013.

The event will take place between June 29th and July 31st and costs just $5 to enter and look around.

It will feature rare plant species and detail their history, including how they have been used by people such as the Native Americans down the centuries.

Cacti will play a large part in the exhibition, but there will also be other attractions such as a replica dwelling for guests at St Louis hotels to check out.

Residents of the Millennium Hotel St Louis will find they can reach the Botanical Garden in just eight minutes by road, so hopping in a taxi could be the ideal way to get there.