All of a sudden, it seems, the colors of the desert burst forth, and for a short, glorious time, flowers everywhere are advertising their wares to potential pollinators and awed onlookers. From prickly pear to cholla, saguaro to palo verde, the desert is going crazy. My walk around the neighborhood was slowed by the urgent need to photograph every flower. Of course, I didn't get them all, but here's a little taste of what enamored me so.
First, the flowers . . .
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| Cholla Cactus |
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| Cholla Cactus Flower |
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| Ocotillo, Saguaros, Palo Verde |
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| Prickly Pear Cactus |
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| Cholla Cactus |
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| Cholla Cactus Flower |
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| Saguaro Cactus |
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| Cholla Cactus |
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| Prickly Pear Cactus |
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| Prickly Pear Cactus |
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| Prickly Pear Cactus |
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| Cholla and Palo Verde |
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| Purple Prickly Pear |
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| With Yellow Flowers |
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| Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus |
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| Prickly Pear Flower |
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| White Ratany |
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| Twining Milkweed Vine |
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| Purple Prickly Pear surrounded by Catclaw Acacia |
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| Blue Palo Verde |
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| Blue Palo Verde Flower |
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| Yellow Bird of Paradise |
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| Ocotillos |
But, it wasn't all flowers. Some of the other sights . . .
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| Phainopeplas and Dove in Ocotillo |
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| Cooper's Hawk |
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| Beautiful Long-Nosed Snake |
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| The snake's tail |
And, when I got home, who should come to visit? This handsome fellow.
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| Desert Kingsnake |
All the flowers are somewhat early as we've had a warm, dry spring. After the blue palo verdes bloom, come the more numerous foothills palo verdes, which will turn the entire landscape yellow with their beautiful blooms. They are slightly paler yellow than the blue PV flowers due to the presence of the white banner petal. So the show will go on for a while.
The Sonoran Desert in spring will forever alter your perception of "desert" in a good way!
