I was on the hunt for macro subjects yesterday and found this wonderful dried flower. No identity yet. It was about 3/8ths inch wide.
Tag Archives: desert flora
playing in photoshop
I think Yucca threads are really cool so I’m always trying to capture a good shot of them. A little drama was added using Photoshop.
Scouting for a photo of the day
Walking around the house quickly to find something to post today, I notice a small white spot on a little Mesquite I just planted. The super macro setting on my Canon S5 revealed an alien creature 🙂
Mexican Palo Verde
This Palo Verde (Parkinsonia aculeata) is also called Jerusalem Thorn. It has green bark like other Palo Verdes but it also has thorns on the bark. The leaves are more willow like and the blooms typically have one orange petal. Beautiful. It is not native but is trying hard to be 🙂
fall is in the air!
This Janusia vine had more blooms this year than any since we’ve been here as is evident by all the winged fruit on them now. Look for it when you’re hiking in the Preserve! A fall color shot if I ever saw one 🙂
wishbone bush
The flowers on this Desert Wishbone Bush (Mirabilis bigelovii) a few steps from my back door are only 1/2 inch across. I thought it only bloomed in Spring so I was surprised to see it blooming for the past couple of days. The flowers wilt after the sun comes up so this was shot in the shade (with my Canon S5).
Janusia
Janusia is in bloom. Here’s a shot from this morning of the tiny native vine growing on a Buckhorn Cholla. The vine takes over but doesn’t seem to harm the cactus. I just read that Desert Tortoise like to eat Janusia.
two for one
Plants from a nursery almost always come with extras in the pot. I usually pluck them out but in this case, I got lucky with this little Verbena. It looks really pretty surrounding the barrel cactus. Spread your little seeds, Verbena!
banana yucca fruit
Finally a photo of this fruit for my archives! I’ve been trying to get one for a couple of years so I was very excited to see this yesterday. I had heard there is only one moth that pollinates the yucca but I didn’t know about the incredible set of circumstances it takes for the pollination to take place. It’s no wonder we rarely see the fruit. If this kind of thing interests you, click on the following two links which will tell you all about the Pronuba Moth.
pink
So far our Mammillaria grahammii have been blooming twice a year (July and October) so I’ve learned to hunt for them at those times. This shot was late yesterday so they are right on time. The tiny cactus typically grows at the base of other shrubs and since the flowers only last one day, they are very easy to miss.