This Teddybear Cholla is in my yard and loaded with blooms. I’m trying to get a Cholla forest going which will encourage Cactus Wrens to build their nests there. The common name of this cholla comes from its fuzzy appearance. Don’t be fooled, though 🙂
Category Archives: arizona
Buckhorn Cholla
Buckhorn Cholla (Opuntia acanthocarpa) blooms seen yesterday afternoon. The blooms vary in color. I’ve seen yellow, yellow/orange, yellow/red, and orange/red. The bloom in this photo was about 2 1/4 inches wide. The name Buckhorn comes from the antler-like appearance of the cactus. Antlers full of thorns!
So why is Chris touching it?! This second photo was taken at the first sign of new growth. The brand new growth is actually soft and pliable and is the only time you would be able to touch it and not leave with a spine in your finger.
Cheesebush
The more common name for Hymenoclea salsola is Burrobrush but it’s also called Cheesebush because of the cheese smell you get when you crush the foliage. I didn’t know this when I shot the photo so I’m eager to go back and try it 🙂
The shrubs were spotted in the Cholla and Granite mountain area. For more information including how they were used by native peoples, click on the following link: Hymenoclea salsola
Acourtia wrightii
The most exciting find (thanks Chris!) this weekend was Acourtia wrightii commonly called Brownfoot or Perezia. The leaves and flowers looked almost identical to the Desert Holly I photographed last year but this plant was 2-3 feet taller. As it turns out, they are of the same genus: Acourtia. The dwarf version is Acourtia nana. This one and another were spotted on the Preserve near Brown’s Ranch. One was at the base of a Catclaw (ouch) and the other at the base of a Palo Verde.
The next day, we hiked the Cactus Trail at Granite Mountain and found several large specimens out in the open. Some were just starting to bloom and some were in full bloom as shown in the photos below.
Desert Straw
Brownplume Wirelettuce or Desert Straw are a couple of common names for Stephanomeria pauciflora.
The flower is a little over one half inch wide. The SuperMacro setting on my Canon S5 did a fantastic job of capturing a single flower.
We’ve seen these sub shrubs in the desert around us before but having flowers on them this year has made identification easier.
Globemallow
This beautiful specimen of Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) was growing out of a cliff in the wash.
Ahh…what a difference lighting makes! The top photo was captured in shade. This close-up shot of Globemallow was backlit by the setting sun.
New Mexico Thistle
Some common names for this thistle is New Mexico Thistle and Desert Thistle. I used a little photoshop to try to make it stand out from the background but green twiggy stuff against green twiggy stuff is difficult to capture.
I wanted a macro shot of the head but I was lucky to get anything because of high winds.
Delphinium parishii
I went to shoot Ocotillo blooms late yesterday and found this on the trail instead! I’m pretty confident that it’s a Paleface Delphinium (Delphinium parishii). It’s also called a Desert Larkspur. The flower is really interesting and reminded me a little of a Columbine because of a backward facing spur. I don’t know if this Delphinium is rare but it sure was exciting to see! (Cholla Mountain area)
Teddy Bear Cholla Bloom
Teddy Bear Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) blooms are fairly small and very light in color so most people don’t even notice them. Probably a good thing since getting too close to one of these Cholla almost guarantees that you’ll leave with segment stuck on you somewhere 🙂
Fading Phacelia
We’re still seeing a few Phacelia (very few) but wildflowers will probably be totally gone this week. I’m already going through Wildflower withdrawal 🙁