Colorado Wildflowers on my Mind
We typically go to Colorado for fall color but we’ll be searching for wildflowers soon! Our last summer trip was 2003.
Canon 10D, 15mm lens.
Posts from the ‘Flora’ Category
Jun 30
Jun 29
Checking on the Queen
I checked on the Arizona Queen of the Night this morning and there is only a very slight increase in the size of the flower buds. From the information I’ve been reading, it seems a little late for them to be blooming but this has been a strange year. Unfortunately, I have a couple of trips coming up so I will probably miss the event 🙁
Jun 28
Crucifixion Thorn
We’re just at the right elevation for Crucifixion Thorn (Canotia holacantha) and I noticed they were not only in bloom yesterday but had more blooms than I’ve seen since I’ve lived here so I went back this morning for a better shot. The bee was a bonus 🙂
Jun 27
Mesquite Tears
I owe the capture of today’s photo of the day to my friend and Ethnobotany expert, Alice D. She joined me on my walk this morning with a goal of checking for Saguaro fruit up here that she could use in her recipes. Not much fruit ready yet but she had a successful morning anyway collecting other fruit and beans which she’ll use in her presentations. One huge Velvet Mesquite not only provided welcome shade for us but it was a oozing more sap than either of had seen at one time. Alice collected some bark with the sap…also for education. All in all, a very educational morning! Thanks Alice 🙂
The most fascinating for me were the drips which I named “tears”.
Jun 24
I Love Heat
It was 102 up here yesterday (113+ in the valley!) but for the first time since I’ve lived here, I’m not complaining. OK….love might be an exaggeration but I’ve really come to appreciate it over all the natural disasters the rest of the country has to endure 🙁
Captured with my Droidx on my walk yesterday morning.
Jun 23
Thicket Hairstreak
There were lots of Thicket Hairstreak as well as many other tiny butterflies on the wonderful Viet Springs trail last week. Rarely sitting still for long, they’re a challenge to photograph. I applied art filters to disguise the very busy background.
Thanks to Tom H. for the ID.
Jun 22
Peniocereus greggii
Arizona Queen of the Night is our most illusive flowering cactus. The majority of the time, it looks like dead sticks so they are almost impossible to spot. During my many hikes and also while surveying flora in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve , I have found several specimens. It’s been extremely dry so a portion of this one has already become dehydrated but, as you can see, there are several buds so I’m hopeful. Although they start blooming at night, the flowers can last til early morning as evidenced by a friend who captured one during the early morning at Tohono Chul Park in Tucson.
CLICK HERE to watch a video from there.
Jun 21
Common Dandelion
(I’m still sharing images from Aspen Nature Loop). Here’s a common Dandelion in its seed stage. My plan was to capture a few of the seeds flying away but it was SO windy, I was lucky to get this shot. I’ll be back in Flag a couple more times over the summer so I’ll get another chance. (Diffuse glow added around edges. Background is back-lit Aspen leaves.)
