Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Christine and I headed up to Flagstaff over the past weekend to see our grandson in the musical "Chicago." On the way we stopped at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. We hadn't been since 2011 and so had forgotten just how amazing and beautiful it is.

While I had my camera, I spent more time just contemplating its beauty rather than looking for birds to photograph.

I did come away with some photos, but they don't do justice to this wonderful place.

Turkey Vulture

Wilson's Warbler

Great Blue Heron and Turkey Vulture

Lesser Goldfinch

Harris Antelope Ground Squirrel

Canyon Lizard

Pipevine Swallowtail

Queen Butterfly

Cactus Flower

Prickly Pear Cactus Flower: The Best for Last

The last -- and my favorite -- of the "5" Star Prickly Pear photos. I especially like this photo because of the rich dark burgundy and black background that offsets the yellow flower. The burgundy inside the flower matches the background for added beauty. I took this photo at Saguaro National Park.

Prickly Pear Cactus Flower

Prickly Pear Cactus Blooming

Prickly Pear Cactus is everywhere in Southern Arizona. It grows like a weed. If a pad breaks off, it will grow roots and become a new plant.  But it is also susceptible to drought. And, it is also the home of ground squirrels and other burrowing animals. While the cactus serves to protect the animal the burrowing leaves the roots exposed which eventually kills the cactus. Between the current drought and the burrowing there is quite a lot of dead cactus everywhere as well. 

Yet, starting in late March and into May, the Sonoran Desert becomes alive with Prickly Pear Cactus flowers. On any given cactus there will be 20-40 cactus "pads." On each cactus pad there will be 2 to 8 flowers. 

Here is the first of several "5" Star Prickly Pear Cactus photos. I especially like the composition of this one with the cactus off center allowing for the contrast with the grasses and wildflowers.

Prickly Pear Cactus Blooming

More Cactus Blossoms

Walked around today taking more cactus blossom photos. 

The first two, like those in the white flowered barrel in yesterday's post are a type of barrel cacti grown in nurseries. They are relative small ( a foot or two maybe)  but produce wonderfully colorful flowers. Yesterday's was white today a pink one and a red one:

The next, also from a nursery, is a type of "old man's beard" producing a very strange looking maroon flower. The flower never "unfolds". It remains as you see it until it drops off. Dozens of flowers per stalk.

Staghorn Cholla

Rabbitt Eared Prickly Pear

The Most Common "Engelman's" Prickly Pear

A Purple Prickly Pear about to Bloom

A Long-spined Purple Prickly Pear. Notice the red inside vs the more common Prickly Pear

Ah, Vacation!

Christine and I will be gone for the next seven days visiting some of the National Parks in Colorado and Utah. While we are gone I'll have a photo each.

Today we pick up our son Matthew and his wife Rung in Phoenix. (They live in Hawaii). Then on to Flagstaff for the night.

This cactus has produced wonderful flowers every year. Not this year though. All but one of those branches died during our record freeze. We see how the remaining branch does over the next year or so.

Cactus Blooming Today

This hasn't been a great cactus blooming season primarily because of the lack of rain this year and the record freezes we experienced in February, a normally mild month. However, the various barrel cactus made it through the freeze very well -- and, we have been watering them by hand. The result is some beautiful blossoms. Here are a couple of photos I took today:

Prickly Pear Cactus Flowers - They're Everwhere

As you can see the Prickly Pear flowers come in many different colors. Yellow with red inside, pink, cream, or just plain yellow. I counted 17 budding flowers on the pad of the last photo. Imagine 50 pads per Prickly Pear. Now imagine a hundred or more Prickly Pear.

Bloomin' Cactus - Part II

Here are some more cactus in bloom. The first is a "flying saucer." Don't quite get the name, but the flowers are huge: five inches across. The second and third are cacti that I haven't positively identified. One is like the rare Peruvian Cactus, the second is similar to the Organ Pipe Cactus. If anyone can help with their identification it would be appreciated. Nonetheless, they are quite beautiful. The white flowers on the last photo are 8 to ten inches long.

Cactus Flowers - Part I

Just about every plant in the Sonoran Desert has thorns. And, just like roses, beautiful flowers as well. The top photo is of Chain Fruit Cholla or also called Jumping Cholla. And, it is called Jumping Cholla for a reason. You'll walk by and swear that you never got close to it but there is a clump sticking in your arm nonetheless. The second photo is Staghorn Cholla. And the third one, worst of all, is Christmas Cactus. Not sure why it is called Christmas Cactus other than they like to leave little "gifts" in your arms, hands, legs -- anything exposed. If you get a clump of cholla stuck in you, the best way to get it out is with a comb. Just about anything else could make it worse. If you get a thorn, then tweezers are necessary. And, if the thorn is in pretty far into your skin and still long enough, cutting the tip of the thorn before pulling will help. The thorns are hollow and cutting the end reduces the pressure. The problem with the Christmas Cactus is that all the thorns are tiny. They are hard to see. Definitely, though, tweezers (and a magnifying glass) are the only answer. Some people try tape, although I have never had much luck with it. It seems to make matters worse for me. Anyway, enjoy the beauty -- but from a safe distance.

More Flowers from The Azure Gate B&B

It is not just wildflowers that are blooming now. It seems like almost everything is blooming. The top two photos are of trees that sit side by side. When not flowering they look identical -- height, color, leaves, etc. On close inspection the leaf of the top tree is ever-so-slightly larger. The second tree is a pomegranate tree -- for sure, and produces large pomegranate fruit. The first tree produces no fruit at all. And, as you can see its' flower is red and white with many layers of pedals. The second, has fewer leaves and is entirely red. I am not an expert in this area. I have thought all along that they were both pomegranate trees, the first being a male tree and the second being a female. That would explain the differences. However, if anyone reading this can confirm or set me straight I would appreciate it. The third photo is a creosote bush. We have lots and lots of them. Normally, they look very spindly and, well -- dead. But, this is the best I have ever seen them. Full of leaves and flowers. The fourth photo is oleander which absolutely thrive in this desert sun.

Bloomin' Cactus

Well, I was going to share another "sunset photo", but it rained all night and is raining again today and it just didn't seem to fit. I am not sure whether my alternative fits either but, I'll try to explain. With all this rain we are having the wildflower and cactus blooming seasons should be spectacular. So, I thought maybe if I shared a prickly pear cactus blooming it would perk up our spirits with something to look forward to. If you have not visited the Sonoran Desert in late March, April, and May you have missed the desert in all its grandeur. Wildflowers come first, then hedgehog cactus, and then the prickly pear. Prickly pear cactus is everywhere, it grows like a weed. Often Round Tail Ground Squirrels (also referred to as "pack rats") make their home under the cactus. Over time, this results in the "death" of the cactus which is not the most pleasant -- to put it another way, you would never want a photo. However, in April, they bloom. Each pad of each prickly pear may have anywhere from three to ten flowers the size of a rose. Easily a hundred flowers per cactus. Multiply that times the number of prickly pear cactus and you've got a beautiful flowering "garden." Next to bloom are the agaves and aloes. We have hundreds on the property. They shoot up stalks with colorful yellow, orange, or red flowers. These plants may bloom well into the summer. In June and July come the Saguaros. The saguaro flowers are white and form a "crown" at the end of each "arm." Then come the barrel cactus with a crown of red or orange flowers on top. All in all a photographers dream. All in your back yard. Thank you, rain!!!