A Color Burst

It was a lazy Saturday morning and I was in sloth mode.  I hadn't even taken my usual walk around the 3-mile neighborhood loop.  If you've ever seen the sloths of Central America, you know that their favorite 'activity' is just hanging out, usually sleeping.  To quote National Geographic, "The sloth is the world's slowest mammal, so sedentary that algae grows on its furry coat."  Rather than in a tree, I had perched myself in a comfy chair on the patio to enjoy the glorious, but all-too-brief show of the trichocereus cactus blooms in the garden.  Big puffy clouds kept the sun at bay and the temperature in the quite pleasant range. 

 

Trichocereus, also known as hybrid torch cacti, are popular with gardeners in Tucson for their huge, brilliant blooms.  Hybridized from tropical species, they are fairly cold tolerant, asking only for a bit of filtered shade and an occasional splash of water.  I have a collection of perhaps twenty plants in my Jardín Cactita, the little cactus garden.  A paltry number compared to the Desert Museum's large collection.

 

 



 

Cactus bees come to gather the abundant pollen and nectar, and pollinated plants will produce large, round fruits filled with tiny seeds. Being hybrids, it's doubtful that the seeds are viable, but I should ask a knowledgeable grower about this.  I might try growing some new plants from seed.

 

 

 For the most part, the blossoms only last one day, closing up by late afternoon, never to open again.  A couple of the species, however, produce flowers that will open for a second day.  Thus, it's important to take advantage of the event, drop what you had planned and simply enjoy!

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Flower anatomy is primarily what determines the taxonomy of plants.  While it might seem obvious from looking at a plant that it is a cactus, that's not necessarily so.  Many non-cactus plants, for example, have spiny, sharp projections.  People often mistake some euphorbias, agaves and ocotillos for cactus.  Cactus flowers have a multi-lobed stigma (the white, or cream, structure in the center of the photos, the female part) and many stamens (the male, pollen-carrying structures deeper in the center). 

So, I was sipping my coffee, taking photos, enjoying the flowers and watching the hummingbirds zip around.  My year-around hummers are Costa's and Anna's and I am so accustomed to the sounds they make. 

 

 

So, when a new sound entered my consciousness, I looked quickly around to see one of the Anna's being chased by .  .  . a rufous??  Wow, what a surprise!  There was no doubt - the lovely rust-colored wings, the orange-red iridescent throat, and that famous rufous aggressiveness.  Even with my camera in my hand, I was too dumbstruck to take a photo.  Not that he would have slowed down long enough anyway.  The birding experts say the male rufous migrate early, but THIS early?  Oh, that was exciting.  The rufous made a couple more speedy passes by the feeder but never stopped to drink.

 

No sooner had I calmed down than another hummingbird flew right by my face and it was a blur of color that only registered as blue.  Blue?  Sure enough, a few moments later a better view revealed the red beak and the brilliant colors of a male broad-billed.  What a crazy day!  Flying flowers competing with the torches. 

 

A desert spiny lizard came out and posed with the flowers. 



Some Gambel's quail stopped by the snack bar.

 

 

And those flowers just kept on blooming.

 



Maybe every day should be a sloth day!  I won't get nervous until I start to see the algae grow.

Breeze in the Pines

How lucky we are in Tucson to be able to drive 30 miles up into the Sky Islands, leaving the 100°+ temps behind and spend the day in the cool mountain breezes.  In the Sonoran Desert region, forest-clad mountain ranges with cool, moist habitats are separated and isolated from one another by 'seas' of arid, hot desert, and can be compared with islands in the ocean, thus the term Sky Islands.  An incredible diversity of plant and animal life exists  on these mountain slopes.  According to A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert, (Steven J. Phillips & Patricia Wentworth Comus, eds., Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press, 2000),

In fact, the "sky islands" of southeastern Arizona and adjacent Sonora are now recognized by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as one of the great centers of plant diversity north of the tropics.



Looking from Mt. Lemmon to Tucson in the valley below, with the Santa Rita Mountains in the distance.

The first thing you notice upon arriving at the trailhead of the Aspen and Marshall Gulch trails is the sound of the breeze blowing through the pines.  And, of course, the almost-chilly mountain air.  My friend Marilyn and I set out on the Aspen Trail with no agenda except to have no agenda.  Yes, we look and listen for birds, but also examine plants, exclaim over fascinating insects, take in the forest scents, thrill to the clouds of butterflies, take too many photos (me), discuss flower identification and marvel at the sheer beauty of our surroundings. 

Especially plentiful were Nais Metalmark butterflies on Fendler's ceanothus.  The tiny white flowers were also attractive to a collection of other insects including flies, bees, wasps and other butterflies. 

 

 

 

Tiny blue butterflies of several species delighted us at every turn.  The shocking blue upper wings of the echo azure made their identification easy.  Yellow-eyed juncos were the most common bird species, often hopping along on the ground, a mom feeding a juvenile.  We were excited to get excellent views of the red-faced warbler who sat still just long enough for me to think about getting a photo.  A beautiful red dragonfly (flame skimmer?) sat patiently for his portrait.

 

 

And just when I was losing hope of seeing one, a small horned lizard scrambled across the path and then froze, waiting for the giant mammals to pass. His camouflage was so perfect that if he hadn't moved, he never would have been spotted. We weren't about to pass, however, without some photos.  This is the greater short-horned lizard, a higher elevation horned lizard who primarily feeds on ants, but will also take beetles, grasshoppers and other insects. 

 

As we sat on a log having a snack, a fresh and beautiful Arizona sister butterfly fluttered by, sitting only briefly.  Stands of bright red bearded penstemon bloomed alongside the path, bird songs competed with one another high up in the trees, and strange little bugs went about their business.  How would you like to be known as the fungus-pleasing beetle?  Well, this guy is, and the fungus seemed mighty pleased!

 

 

Taking the return trail through Marshall Gulch we descended into a cool, moist, leafy microhabitat where deciduous trees such as big-tooth maple dominate, and the creek remnant pools are lined with red and yellow monkeyflower and golden columbine. 

 

 

A beautiful two-tailed swallowtail butterfly patrolled along the creek, and congregating on rocks in the pools were groups of blue butterflies.

 



Too soon we had reached the parking lot, which was now full, and it was time to sit at the picnic tables having a little lunch while going over our lists and through our field guides. 

 

 

Here is our bird list for the day:

Yellow-eyed Junco

Turkey Vulture

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Acorn Woodpecker

Cordilleran Flycatcher

Common Raven

Mountain Chickadee

White-breasted nuthatch

red-breasted nuthatch

Pygmy Nuthatch

House Wren

Hermit Thrush

American Robin

Black-headed Grosbeak

Spotted Towhee

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Stellar's Jay

Red-faced Warbler

 





May your summer bring you cool mountain breezes through the pines.  Happy Summer Solstice!





 

 

The Yard Birds

Weren't they a rock group in the 60's?  Part of the British Invasion, I seem to remember.  The current version of the Yard Birds may not be as loud, but they sure are a lot prettier!  Happily for us, many species of birds have adapted to human habitation, and provide us with the daily pleasure of their company right in our own back yards. 

Here, then, are the birds who visit me on a regular, or not so regular basis.  I'm not a purist, so if I see them in or from the yard, they count!

Every Day

 

Verdin

Cactus Wren

House Finch

House Sparrow

Mourning Dove

White-winged Dove (summer)

Gambel's Quail

Cooper's Hawk

Anna's Hummingbird

Costa's Hummingbird

Gila Woodpecker

Lesser Nighthawk (summer)

Lesser Goldfinch

Brown-Crested Flycatcher (summer)

Often, but not Every Day

 

Northern Cardinal

Pyrrhuloxia

Phainopepla

Red-tailed Hawk

Harris' Hawk

Common Raven

Curve-billed Thrasher

Western Screech Owl

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Turkey Vulture

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Northern Mockingbird

Occasionally

 

Roadrunner

Peregrine Falcon

Prairie Falcon

Sharp-shinned Hawk

American Kestrel

Great Horned Owl

Zone-Tailed Hawk

Lucy's Warbler

Rufous Hummingbird

White-Crowned Sparrow

Abert's Towhee

Purple Martin

Ash-Throated Flycatcher

Seen, But Rarely

 

Black Phoebe

Western Bluebird

American Robin

Yellow Warbler

Violet-Crowned Hummingbird

Broad-billed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Western Tanager

European Starling

Hooded Oriole

Black-Headed Grosbeak

Spotted Towhee

Yellow-Breasted Chat

Wilson's Warbler

Northern Rough-Winged Swallow

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret
Bewick's Wren
Inca Dove

 

 

 

 

I'm sure there are some I've forgotten.  I'm not always great about writing them down. 

Here's wishing you Happy Birding, even if it's just in your own back yard!

Barberry

This week I'd like to introduce you to another plant of the Sonoran Desert.  You may be familiar with this family as it is widespread and contains many species.




Berberis wilcoxii

Berberis haematocarpa

So many times when I have taken visitors on a tour of the Desert Museum grounds, I get asked about that "holly-looking plant".  Visitors invariably notice these interesting plants and ask the docent about them as it reminds them of a familiar plant from home.  Both species above, along with another one you’ll be surprised about, are barberry species, in the genus Berberis and the family Berberidaceae, and are planted in our Mountain Woodland.  The third species is B. longipes, a Sierra Madre plant that grows in tree, rather than bush, form.  The B. wilcoxii and B. longipes are located behind the benches facing the bear enclosure, while the B. haematocarpa is along both sides of the path near the wolf enclosure.  Two more species, B. fremontii and B. trifoliate are included the Desert Museum’s collection.  Look for B. fremontii in the Bee Garden, and B. trifoliate in the Desert Garden.

Berberis is a very large genus of perhaps 500 species worldwide, many of which are widely planted as landscape specimens, and some imported species of which have become invasive.  Barberries are closely related to the genus Mahonia, and some references use the names interchangeably.

The genus Berberis has many antibacterial, antitumor and tonic medicinal uses.  Berberine, universally present in rhizomes of Berberis and Mahonia species, has marked antibacterial effects and is used as a bitter tonic.  Since it is not appreciably absorbed by the body, it is used orally in the treatment of various enteric infections, especially bacterial dysentery.  For highest concentrations, the root and root bark are best harvested in the autumn.

The primary bioactive constituent of the species in the Berberidaceae family is the yellow alkaloid berberine.  It is found in the foliage, stems and roots, although usually strongest in the roots. The roots and lower yellow stems are gathered from midsummer to winter, the leaves from May through mid-fall. The cleaned roots are chopped while still fresh since they become very dense and hard once dry. If there is a layer of brown bark on the stems and roots, this is scraped off and only the yellow parts are used. The leaves can be collected and dried in a paper bag. The dried leaves, stored away from any light, will last for up to a year. The dried roots and stems will last for several years.


 In the Southwest, curanderas boil the leaves in water and drink the tea twice a day for anemia, and take the decoction early in the morning before eating to bring on menstruation. The leaves or roots are boiled or tinctured and taken internally to cleanse the blood. The Navajos use a decoction of the leaves and stems to relieve the inflammation of rheumatism. The tea from the roots has been used as an alterative, antisyphilitic, diuretic and laxative. Of the species with juicy berries, the ripe berries can be made into a tasty jam that some call happy berry jam because it tends to lighten depressed moods.

Plants in the family Berberidaceae all have high concentrations of xanthophyll (yellow) pigmentation in the stem. A yellow dye is obtained from the inner bark of the stem and roots. An ink is made from the wood. Dark green, violet and dark blue-purple dyes are obtained from the fruit. A green dye is obtained from the leaves

Six species of Berberis have been identified in Arizona.  The most common of these is B. haematocarpa, known also as red barberry for the red, juicy berries it produces.  It can be found growing in desert grasslands and oak woodlands, from 3000’ to 5000’ in elevation.  On our recent visit to Arivaca Cienaga, many large red barberry plants were blooming along the paths.  Growing to about 12’ tall and 12’ wide, the dense evergreen shrub makes a good wildlife cover.  The fragrant flowers have 6 yellow petals and stamens and grow in a loose cluster.  The fruits can be used to make red jelly, and are relished by birds, while the root and bark are useful for making a yellow dye.  Leaves are pinnately compound with 3-5 leaflets which are lobed, each of the lobes ending in a sharp spine. 

B. trifoliate, also called trifoliate barberry, has narrow leaves with 3 leaflets, each of which is deeply lobed.  Flowers are also very fragrant and the fruit edible.  B. fremontii grows at higher elevations, typically 4-7000', in pinon-juniper and pine woodlands, and blooms from April to July.  The Hopis use the wood for crafts and the roots for yellow dye. 

 

The Desert Museum has an incredible collection of plant species, and it seems that every time I’m on the grounds I notice something I hadn’t seen before.  It’s a constant learning experience. 

 

 

 

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MATR3

http://museum2.utep.edu/chih/gardens/plants/berbtrif.htm

http://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant%20html%20files/berberistrifoliata.html

http://www.purrfectlyherbal.com/education.html

Epple, Anne Orth; A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona; The Globe Pequot Press, 1995, pp.72-74

Montgomery, George; Curator of Botany, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum; personal correspondence

Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science, Vol. 26 (1), 1992, pp. 2-4

 

 

Waiting For George L.

The Desert Museum has a new mountain lion.  This is a very big deal.  After our two longtime resident mountain lions were 'retired' to an off-exhibit facility to live out their old age, everyone (staff, volunteers, docents, visitors) have been waiting anxiously for a new mountain lion.  The mountain lion is the symbol, the mascot if you will, of the Desert Museum.  It just wouldn't do to be without one.

One of our now-retired mountain lions

 Although I am not privy to   all the details, I do know that acquiring an animal of this type for zoo exhibit is not an easy task. But, we got word a while back that a cub had been obtained in California and would soon be coming to the Desert Museum.  But, ssshhh!  We want to keep it a secret, make sure it all goes well.  There is a great deal of paperwork, quarantine, and watching his health.

Here's his story.  Someone discovered him in the backyard of a home in San Jose, California and called Fish and Wildlife.  He was dehydrated, undernourished, covered with fleas and ticks, and weighed only 15 pounds.  He was only 3 months of age and should have still been with his mother.  Two months later, he now weighs over 50 pounds.  He is one lucky cat.

Finally, we were told that the day had come when the cub was to be released in his new home.  To ease his transition, the exhibit would be blocked off to the public for the first week, giving the little guy time to acclimate.  By last Friday, staff and volunteers were allowed along the pathway to help him get used to seeing people staring at him.  A few of us saw him, but he spent most of his time inside, out of view.

On Monday, he was introduced to the press and to the public.  People began coming in droves to see him.  But, he remains shy and elusive, just as cats are supposed to be.  Friday is my regular day at the Museum, and I was anxious for some time to spend at the mountain lion exhibit.  Around 11 in the morning, I parked myself, along with another docent and many visitor, in front of the exhibit and waited for the cub to emerge.  A keeper went in the enclosure and disturbed a bat who began circling frantically above our heads.  A gorgeous Clark's spiny lizard in bright blue breeding duds climbed the rocks, a rock squirrel scrambled into view, the thick-billed parrots squawked from their nearby enclosure and a giant Sonoran desert toad sat patiently in the reeds.  We all waited.

The keeper put a big red ball out to entice the cub.  It worked.  Soon there he was, not venturing out of the cave, but clearly visible and oh! so incredibly adorable.  We are not supposed to anthropomorphize, but sometimes it just cannot be helped.  The visitors and the docents were thrilled that our wait had paid off.  Our view didn't last long, but allowed a few photos.

To increase interest and visitor participation, the Museum is having a naming contest.  Their first ever.  I heard that so far there are over 800 entries.  I'm glad I'm not on the committee making that decision!  The very first mountain lion at the Museum was named George L. Mountainlion, and every subsequent one has carried the same name.  So those of us who have been around the Museum for a while just naturally thought this one should be George L. also, following in the tradition.  This is the public relations age, however, and apparently George L. is passe.  So, sometime this summer, we will learn what the newest, and now famous, cat will be named.  Stay tuned .  .  .

Fairy Duster

Baja Fairy Duster

(Calliandra californica)

They like hot weather, are drought-tolerant, aren’t fussy about soil, and hummingbirds and butterflies love them!  Ah, the perfect desert plant.  You can see two  species of fairy duster on the Desert Museum grounds.  The red-flowered Baja Fairy Duster (Calliandra californica), as its name implies, is native to the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, but grown widely here in Arizona as a landscape plant.  Calliandra eriophylla, called just Fairy Duster, or false mesquite, is the Arizona native, which has a pink flower. 

The puffy, exotic flowers of the fairy duster are what grab your attention.  The showy part is actually a collection of long, spiky stamens, forming a powder-puff ball 1-2” across.  Blooming can occur at any time during the year, but is most prolific in the late winter/early spring. Calliandra belong to the subfamily Mimosa of the family Fabaceae.  In this group, the petals are fused and so tiny as to be not noticeable.   Being in the family Fabaceae, the flowers are followed by small bean pods, which split open when ripe, expelling their seeds.  The seeds are sought by many small birds. 

Both species of fairy duster are small, semi-evergreen shrubs lacking spines.  The dark-green, feathery leaves are bi-pinnately compound.  The native C. eriophylla is more cold-tolerant than the Baja species, which may freeze to the ground in the coldest winters.  During times of drought or cold stress, many, if not most, of the leaves will fall, but will soon be replaced when conditions improve.  Growing low to the ground, Calliandra provide cover and protection for small animals and plants, and is also used as browse by deer and other mammals.  C. eriophylla ranges throughout the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, on open hillsides and sandy desert washes and slopes, mostly below 5000’.  Besides hummingbirds, other small birds such as verdins, finches, wrens and gnatcatchers will feed on the blooms of fairy duster.  Pollinators include bees, flies and butterflies. 

A Gift for the Garden

After giving a friend a tour of my garden recently, I thought back to how many times I said, "A friend gave me this specimen," or "This came from a neighbor's yard."  So, I just did a quick little inventory and I was amazed at how many of my garden plants were gifts from friends, relatives or neighbors.  Gardeners love to share their passion for plants, whether for a special occasion, or just clipping off a piece of cactus to give to a neighbor. Desert plants, for the most part, are well-suited sharing, so desert gardeners are constantly trading starts with one another.

There are the torch cactus starts from my neighbor Kim, since passed away, that remind me of her every time they put forth their magnificent blossoms.  

The once-tiny balloon cactus, a gift from Nancy at our annual Parker gathering.  It has prospered in its bowl with other cactus friends, regularly producing a cluster of lovely yellow flowers.

Agaves from Kitty, Barbara and Marilyn.  They are truly the gift that keeps on giving as most will freely produce offsets, or bulbils, reproducing themselves for an endless supply of agaves.  

This little red-spined barrel was a gift from Shellie and Gary after their stay at our house.  She knows how much I love the contrast of the bright red spines against the green flesh of the stem.

More barrels, the fishhook variety, came from neighbors who didn't want them in their yard.  Yes, I was happy to help them out and give the cactuses a new home.  Moving a fat, round, spiny cactus is no easy feat!

Former neighbor Becky was being overrun with these sharp-spined yuccas and encouraged us to help ourselves.  They continue to flourish, bloom and reproduce.

Prickly pear cactus are particularly easy to share - just whack off a piece of a pad, stick it in the ground and away it goes, growing new pads and even blooming before long.  Becky and Brian have an abundance of this Texas red-beard cactus, which has a stunning, red-orange flower, so they generously offered as many pieces as we wanted.   

Since taking a start off a prickly pear does not harm the parent plant, I have helped myself to starts of this purple Santa Rita which was growing close to the road.  

These little Coryphantha came from Marilyn, when her parent plant produced offsets.  I thought perhaps I had lost the bottom one in the big freeze of 2011.  It turned a reddish color and felt rather soft.  But now a healthy color has returned and it sent out a funny little shoot.  

Organ pipe cactus, notoriously slow-growing, was a gift perhaps 10 years ago from Gary and Shellie, and has finally sent out an additional shoot.  Patience is a virtue in cactus gardening.

Daughter Cindy gave us a small pencil cholla years ago, and now it is huge and so happy.

Every gift of a plant is a living reminder of a friend.  The joy of the garden is best when shared.  

Happy Gardening!