It’s my pleasure to share the desert spring with you.
All these photos were taken during the month of March in the area around Vulture Mine Road south of Wickenburg, Arizona, unless otherwise noted. Click on the small photos for a better view.
(1) Palo Verde -(Photo taken at Sore Finger Road)
(1) Palo Verde
(1) Palo Verde
(2) Cholla
(3) Hedgehog Cactus – “Purple Torch” variety
(2) Cholla
(4) California Buckwheat
(5) Phacelia
(6) Desert Senna (Daisillo)
(7) Fairy Duster
(8) Ratany (Purple Heather)
(8) Ratany
(9) Wishbone Bush (Fuzziness not the fault of camera or photographer. These delicate blossoms wouldn’t be still due to a slight breeze!)
(9) Wishbone Bush
(10) Cholla Cactus, variety unidentified (Sore Finger Road)
(11) Sweetbush
(11) Sweetbush, closer view
(12) Tiny flowers of California Buckwheat, (4), greatly enlarged
(13) Brittlebush
Of course, this photo essay doesn’t include all the plants blooming now, such as the ocotillo and creosote. There are more flowers that are simply too tiny or too pale for my camera to capture well.
The barrel cacti, teddy bear cholla cacti, the prickly pear cacti, and the saguaro cacti are not in bloom at this time in this part of the desert.
Saguaro and teddy bear cholla
Your help identifying these flowers will be appreciated!
rvsue
NOTE: This post is dedicated to all who think the desert is drab and boring.
THANKS FOR SHOPPING AMAZON FROM MY BLOG!
Your purchases are very much appreciated.
Wow!!!!! Am i first?????
Congratulations, Tina!
nice photo’s, looking forward to the day I get to see them bloom for myself.
Think of me and the crew when you see them for real! 🙂
jojoba blossoms are really beautiful!They’re even more appealing knowing that they can’t hold still either,tee hee.There’s something to be said for being moved by the Wind,the guidance can’t be beat and it’s always just appealed to my wild side.Great photos,thanks again for the smile I’m wearing.enjoy it all with the crew
Glad you’re smiling, weather. One benefit of the photography hobby is seeing small flowers enlarged and being able to examine their delicate detail.
Not sure how your camera icons are…. but if you have one icon that looks like a man running fast… that is the one to use for flowers that won’t hold still! That is the “high speed” icon. You can use it for fast high speed sports, running horses, antelope, trains or windy day flowers! 🙂
Nope, don’t have that icon, but I can go into the menu and change speed settings. I should do that. Sometimes I don’t make adjustments because the sun is so bright I can’t see what’s displayed on the menu. Nice try. Appreciate the effort. 🙂
Jojoba and the teddy bear cholla are my favs.
Identification of the flowers??? sorry I can’t help. Isn’t #6 the ones you were going to help weed out of someone’s yard?
I’m not sure if all this cholla is teddy bear or jumping cholla. I’m guessing teddy bear because the lower branches turn classic teddy-bear brown. Me? Weed someone’s yard? Huh?
Rocky Mt Bob’s
Wow, Wow, Wow! How beautiful. It’s still very brown in Dallas. Even the flowering trees which we have so many of don’t seem very vivid. They were just starting to open up and we had another freeze. I bought my tomato plants Saturday and am going to think positive. Your desert is a treat for the eyes.
Hi, Susan… The purchase of tomato plants is an act of faith. . . faith that winter won’t last forever. Spring is coming!
I love that….”The purchase of tomatoes is an act of faith….”. So true. (-: I’m going to put it in my book with other quotes I love. With credits to rvsue! Have a great day!
Hi Sue and Crew!
All I can say is “Beeeuuuutiiifuuullll! ”
How’s that for a mouthfull ….:-).
Hi, Betty-shea!
🙂 Nice to see color since we are still have 2 feet of snow. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Mary. Two feet? 🙁
It gets harder and harder not to have a pity party here, but I do try to look at the positive. This morning we had ONLY 4 below zero rather than the 20 below those north of us had. 🙂 See positive. Yup, 2 feet of snow still on the ground and mountains of snow banks well over 6 feet high. But it is toasty warm inside. 🙂
I look forward to R. (Colorado) identifying those that you have not. I question your #9 identity as jojoba. I don’t think it is although I can not tell you what it might be. In your picture of the jojoba bush the white flowers look like they may be on a plant that is growing up through the bush but again I can not tell that with any certainty.
You #10 cactus might(?) be devils cholla also known as club cholla. I’m not sure with just the flower in focus but it looks like it is on a low growing cactus with cholla like links. That is what I’m basing my guess on.
You know, Ed, I identified #9 as jojoba tentatively, relying on memory of our excursion this morning. Looking at the photo, the leaves (fuzzy in the background, don’t look like jojoba).
Yes, I bet R. (Colorado) will help us out. I realize it’s difficult to identify a plant based primarily on its flower. I didn’t dare post more photos to show leaf shape, height of plant, plant form, etc. as this post has so many photos already.
Finally, flowers!! But I’m not going to be any help with the identifications. LOL
Daffodils are blooming here; Bradford pears and forsythia are budding out.
Hooray for you! Spring has arrived.
Those are three beauties… Daffodils are my favorite… Bradford pears are lovely lining a street . . . and good ol’ forsythia — red stems in winter, yellow flowers in spring. You bring back recollections of the East. 🙂
I like the palo verde’s blooms. They almost look like a hibiscus.
You’re right! I didn’t see that. These flowers are tiny compared to hibiscus but the resemblance is remarkable.
Hi, Milt… 20+ years? Oh, how I wish for 20+ years. . . I appreciate the IDs. I’ll wait for someone else (or my wildflower book) to confirm or deny. 🙂 Nice to hear from you.
NEXT DAY… Milt! I should’ve trusted you! (Sorry… I will trust your plant knowledge from now on. Promise!) I will label #4 and #5 as you identified them. Thank you.
I can not see enough of your #2 cactus to say with any confidence but I don’t think it is a chain cholla. The flowers on them are usually on arms of the cactus that are hanging down toward the ground rather than pointing up.
My guess is they are Staghorn Cholla. If the flower buds open with a long stamen that is yellow tipped and surrounded by a cluster of shorter ones with magenta petals then that would convince me that I was right.
If the flowers open with white and pink streaked with lavender petals then you are probably correct.
Hi again, Ed,
I’ll try to insert a photo or two of the #2 cactus that show the entire plant, and maybe the buds will open before we leave here. I’d love to know the correct name. You’re a great teacher!
I’ve seen the chain cholla with the drooping arms and thought, maybe this one is too young to droop . . . Hmm . . . “too young to droop” . . . like ME! Haha!
Wow, wow, wow! The desert is so lush and beautiful. I was in Las Vegas for 5 years, but the desert there is much more barren and flat. The first time I went to Tucson I was blown away by the lovely saguaro cacti and all he flowering shrubs. That was a big part of why I decided to move there, and your photos are proving I made a good choice!
From the first day I moved to the desert I felt at home there. It seems like you have a similar experience Sue. I wonder if I had a previous life as a desert dweller. Trees are lovely, but there is something about the wide open spaces of the desert that really gets to me. I feel as if I can see the bones of the earth. It feels so peaceful.
Just can’t wait till I get there!
Hi, Ginger…
“… see the bones of the earth.” Oh, yeah, the West is a geologist’s wonderland. Just last night I was thinking about the incredible landscapes we traveled through in Utah. It wasn’t safe to stop to take photos of the most spectacular scenes.
This blog doesn’t come close to displaying what I see on my travels. Maybe that’s good… Let people be stunned, as I was, the first time they see the West!
Oh, my! I had no idea how lovely a desert is in bloom! Perhaps I can persuade myself to stay longer to watch the show next year. My fan should be fixed by then! GORGEOUS , GORGEOUS Photos!
Hi, Gloria,
What I REALLY want to see are saquaro blooms. I think they show up late and before then I’m ready to seek more adventures across the West!
Sigh, thank you.
You’re welcome, Badger.
My goodness, I didn’t realize there were sooooo many kinds of chollas. The flowers are beautiful and I am learning. Thanks for the pictures of the beautiful flowers.
You’re welcome, Emily. I’m guessing you’re seeing signs of spring in New Mexico. Hope so!
A cholla by any other name just wants to jump and travel with ya!
Ha! Cute! How about… “A cholla by any other name just wants to jump and be your teddy bear!”
Well I will be no help in identifying these flowers….but I do know pretty when I see it!
My favorite though is #7….the Fairy Duster! Taking photos of flowers when there is a breeze is difficult. I have taken many of them.
Funny …this just reminded me when I was hiking and taking photos of flowers on the way. It was a sunny warm day….I knelt down on knees and elbows to get that perfect photo of that perfect flower. When I stood up and looked back down there was a snake right next to where I kneeling…..ugh. Needless to say I was careful of where I knelt down for the rest of the day.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Deb,
Ooh, your snake story gives me the creeps. You reminded me of a romantic picnic in Florida. My husband and I were lying on a blanket (just relaxing!) when he looked over my shoulder and said quietly and calmly, “Don’t move.”
Yep, a snake passed by our blanket. Later when I asked my husband what kind it was, he said he didn’t know. I’m pretty sure he did know and the fact that he wouldn’t tell me . . . . Yikes!
The desert is rich in flowers, Sue! We’ve just got forsythia & daffodils! Looking forward to next year when Jim & I will see the desert bloom in person! Thank you for another great post!
You’re welcome, Dawn. It’s my pleasure to share this with you.
I’m happy that you and Jim have a trip to the desert to look forward to.
Guess I was either too early or too late; not much blooming while I was there. Disappointing.
Timing is everything! When I miss something (as I often do in my travels), I say to myself, “Now I have a reason to come back.”
I think the desert is gorgeous and look forward to seeing it all for myself! These are fantastic photos Sue, thanks for sharing the beauty of the desert with us. 🙂
You’re welcome, Linda, fellow desert-lover!
I appreciate the enthusiastic feedback. Hope all is well in Austin . . .
Well ya knocked our eyes out with these! WOW! It is amazing to see these blooms!
LOVE, love, love it. Especially liked the last shot of the different cactus and your trailer, looks like new growth that is velvet.
Now from an Applachian Mt person, your plants are different but some could be in same family. So don’t laugh now at my feble hillbilly attempt to name some plants, duhhh… no 11. looks like our “yellow thistle” No 12 looks somewhat like our “Milkweed” bloom, No 6. looks like our “Purslane” and No. 4. like our “Sweet Everlasting” Betcha still laughing. Keep em coming Sue, Take Care.
Hi, Diane,
I don’t think the connections you see between Appalachian plants and desert plants is silly or far-fetched. Maybe there are connections… along the lines of how we are all related if you look back far enough. 🙂
Be proud to be an “Appalachian Mountain person!”
The cholla do look velvety in the photo and from a distance in real life. Like the wispiness of the palo verde, the cholla up close are not as cuddly as they seem! Ha! I’m pleased you like that pic.
Hi Sue:
I’m quite sure that #4 i wild alyssum. I think one of the other commenters said something about ridding a yard of (maybe it was the alyssum). My experience is that once alyssum settles down and matures after planting seeds, it is quite tenacious if one tires of it!!!! I love it and your photos are spectacular. Thanks, mp
Hi, Mary-Pat,
My guess was some type of alyssum, too. Other readers are saying it’s California Buckwheat (Milt and R.). I’ll try to find the difference and I’ll take a closer look at the plant if I can find it again . .. . Thanks for the compliment re photos. 🙂
Sue for good identification, need the size, good shot of stem and leaves, maybe buds before the bloom, and where located, soil, creekside, roadside, close up of the tail on snake. LOL
Oh and close up of the head of snake, any pits?
Hi, Diane…
I know… I put y’all at a disadvantage with only the blossom for a clue. Gotta’ watch out for using too much bandwidth… I’m pushing it with 20 pics!
Wouldn’t it be something if we found a snake in one of my photos? Not good.
#4 California Buckwheat
#5 Phacelia
#6 Desert Senna (Daisillo)
#8 Ratany (Purple Heather)
#9 is Wishbone Bush (Four O’clock family). One of my favorites because always brings one very special memory of my husband. Flowers of this plant are white sometimes with a dust of pink but in one place in Anza Borrego Desert SP during our early morning hike my husband spotted one plant that had hundreds of deep purple flowers. This was a very unique spotting and we were so lucky because Wishbone Bush flowers open in the evening and close in the morning. Each flower lasts only one day.
#10 Silver Cholla (maybe)
#11 Sweetbush (I would need to see foliage of this plant)
#12 Buckwheat (close up of one round head)
Teachers pet….. 🙂
Thanks, R. (Colorado)! This is great!
I envy your knowledge of plants. I want to learn the names, at least. I don’t know why, but it makes walks much more enjoyable when one can recognize plants, like friends made in the past. I appreciate you teaching me and my readers.
Depending upon my internet connection, at some point today I’ll label the photos. Good job!
(BTW . . . Don’t pay any attention to those students who need to study harder.)
Plant identification up here is easy:
pine needles! hahhhhhh
Good job! Well done!
#8 looks like Range Ratany. It’s a partial root parasite on neighboring plants.
Oops, R Colorado beat me to that one!
Hey, a confirming vote is good to have. Always smile to see you appear here, remembering how we laughed . . .
We need to do that again! Funny how you can meet somebody just once or twice and discover that they have the same twisted sense of humor and laugh the night away! Speaking of sense of humors, (or is it senses of humor?) I was going to suggest that we play a game with you. We will name 2 Sonoran desert flowers and you have two days to find them and post their picture. If you find them, we all order something from Amazon. If you don’t find them, you lose nothing but you can count on me giving you a hard time! How does that sound? I found a nice online book that we can choose from. 🙂 http://issuu.com/tubacvillager/docs/flowers
Well, wait a minute….. I have to find the flower in real life, take a photo, and post it? You gotta’ be kidding!
Why don’t y’all find the flowers in this post and then go buy something from Amazon. Sound good?
LOL! I knew that you wouldn’t go for it! By the way, I’ve placed two orders since I posted. I will place orders no matter what. I love Amazon and not having to deal with people in the stores!
Same here, Chris. Happy Amazon shopping! 🙂
As I head off today to make funeral arrangements for my dad, the pictures you posted today have lifted my spirit. I enjoy your blog so much. Thanks for sharing.
I am so sorry for your loss Sandy.
Sandy,
Our deepest condolences on the passing of your father. Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time.
Cindy and Jules
So sorry for your loss…..May peace and comfort find you during this difficult time.
Sandy
Planning a funeral for a loved one is a heartbreaking thing to do.
You will look back on this for the rest of your life and be proud that you found the strength to come through for your dad.
No doubt he is proud of you too.
My prayers for you at this difficult time.
You’re welcome, Sandy,
God bless you on this sad and difficult day. I’m sorry for your loss. These flowers are for you and your dad.
I’m so sorry for your loss Sandy.
thanks everyone for your kind words
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Marilu
Hi Sue & crew
Back from our 1600 mile trip to Fl.
Had a great time.
Great pictures.
Wonderful, George! Thanks for stopping by. . .
Once again, Beautiful. Sometimes we can find wonderful things in unexpected places. Keep ’em coming and stay safe.
And I love being surprised on walks, discovering tender flowers in this arid environment. It’s fun!
Gypsy Purl–are you a knitter? I am.
Hi DeAnne in TN: No, but believe it or not I have a 20 year old daughter who knits! I own a Chevy G20 van that my husband and I use for short trips and I named her Gypsy. My favorite piece of jewelry is a strand of Pearls my deceased sister gave me years ago. She taught my daughter how to knit. Just put 2 of my favorite things together, hence the name Gypsy Purl, with a slight twist.
I love it! Thanks for sharing!
Yep, the desert in bloom is a wondrous place. It is so hard for people to believe that something so barren most of the time can be so beautiful. Great pictures Sue.
Well, Alan, I finally found some palo verde in bloom. You’ve been telling me how beautiful they are and now I know! Only a few had flowers (over at Sore Finger Road). I can see how the time of arrival of flowers depends upon many factors . . . on a southerly slope, near rocks, along a wash . . . or not.
The palo verde here aren’t flowering yet. Some day my timing will be perfect and I’ll see the desert turned to yellow. (I hope!).
Thanks for the compliment on my photos. I’m pleased with them, considering I take pics “on the fly.” I run here and there like a little kid, taking photos!
The Palo Verde will bloom a few flowers a t a time over a period, this gives the bees more time to pollinate them. Now the Acacia, when they get enough water they will explode into millions of tiny yellow flowers, it looks like the tree is on fire. But they need days of rain before they will bloom.
Desert blooms are my favorites. It’s like they are facing the harsh conditions with their best face forward. Thanks for sharing!
That’s it! I was trying to come up with a way to describe the specialness of desert flowers and you got it perfectly — Each flower in the desert is “facing the harsh conditions with their best face forward.”
Which reminds me . . . I see analogies in nature all the time, little lessons in pictures… Here we are told to put our best face forward when dealing with adversity… Thanks for writing!
Sue,it’s wonderful and not at all surprising that you reacted with excitement at the phrase “facing the harsh conditions with their best face forward.”To paraphrase a response you once made to me,if desert flowers can be described this way,there are individuals who can,in fact humanity as a whole can,fit that description,wear that mantle.All the most noble and invigorating truths I know become part of stories I see in my head,then use to help people get their true identity by recognizing that we are what we need,we are the hero in the epic tale,overcomers one and all…
When someone can put their best face forward they are in the posture needed to look up,to see the Light,to want the horizon,to reach for more….to live
You amaze me, weather.
Great show RvSue. It is really amazing that you can get such nice results from a small camera. You have a good eye and masterly of desert photography. Your book will be so great! YLTA
Thanks, Mick. Always good to see you here. We were talking about you in comments under the previous post… how you know more about the Wilson antenna than the Wilson people themselves . . . . 🙂
Ha! My book… THIS is my book!
Speaking of books, I saw a show on PBS about an author/illustrator of children books. Virginia Lee Burton, what an amazing and beautiful lady. Her work and life was simply amazing. She was your type of lady Sue.
When you think about it, flowers are always looking for the positive, see how they keep their faces to the sun. I like flowers but I don’t know many by name, I just know what I like. “Purdy” pictures Missy…
Hi, Jim,
Face the sun… Look for the positive. Another example of how nature speaks to us!
I look out my window to the ocotillo in bloom. It seems like a representation of my life. . . each branch reaching determinedly upward, thorns every inch of the way, and a happy, bright blossoming at the end.
Missy says thanks!
Hi Sue! Just finished placing a small order on Amazon, so when you get your mega commission of <25 cents, think of me! rofl
I can't remember what you wrote recently-ish that got me to thinking about Tiogo George and I went back and reread through the majority of his writings. Now that I'm finished I was wondering what ever became of him? Do you keep in contact with him by chance? It was neat when I was reading several years ago and he mentioned that you had asked about his ladder!
Hope you're enjoying sunshine and fresh air and oodles of quiet time with The Crew!
Lacy
Hi, Lacy,
No, I don’t keep in contact with George. I never established a relationship with him. I only contacted him that one time, I think. What became of him? As far as I know, he returned to the San Diego area to retire from blogging and to be near family.
Every order placed with Amazon from my blog is important… Here’s why: My “earnings” are based on a percentage commission. That percentage starts low at the beginning of each month. As the number of orders increases to pre-set thresholds, my percentage increases in .5% increments. The effect is retroactive to the first of the month!
Those 99 cent e-books people order (and other small purchases) help me a lot! Think about it…. It’s the end of the month and I’m 3 orders away from moving from a 7.5% to a 8.0% commission. Someone orders 3 things (maybe only totalling $3) and EVERYTHING ordered for that month jumps up to an 8% commission rate! YIPPEE! Some items have a ceiling on their commission, but most don’t. It’s fun!
I say all this to tell you how very much I appreciate your order, no matter how small. THANK YOU!
I use your link when I make a big purchase but never thought of going through your link to get those cheap ebooks for my kindle. I’ll be sure to do that from now on. Glad you mentioned it.
Wow Sue, like Cherie I had no idea that even the LITTLE things matter. Granted, I don’t do high volume on Amazon but I’ll be certain that EVERYTHING we do (husband and my kids included) will go thru you! I’m gonna put on my thinking cap and see what else I can sneak in before the end of the month. My husband’s paycheck is commission based in a similar way and we too spend time at the end of the month seeing what else will come in to help make the numbers rise in our favor!
Thanks again, Lacy. You’re so good to me!
Thanks, Cherie, for all your purchases, large and small. 🙂
I miss seeing all the desert flowers blooming at our place in NM, but I am sure Emily O is enjoying it for me. I loved seeing all of your photos of the blooming cacti around your campsite! I only saw the saguaro bloom one time and it was amazing! One winter in Tucson, I even got to see snow on the saguaro! Lovely! We have a baby owl blooming in Myakka, I have to get back and get a photo before he takes off! He is all fuzzy and fluffy now! Raining today and more rain expected tomorrow, maybe Wed I can get a good pic of him. Thanks for sharing all the wonderful desert flowers! Loved it!
A baby owl… What a great photo op… good luck!
The flower photos are beautiful. I think that the white ones in picture 4 are possibly wild yarrow.
Hi Sharon,
That #4 flower is being debated as California Buckwheat, Wild Alyssum, or Wild Yarrow. I found it again on our morning walk and brought back a sprig. You remind me to see what I can find with google search that matches the sprig. Darn computer is so slow these days!
Sue,
The visitor participation this time was really enjoyable to watch unfold.
R.(Colorado) wins it hands-down. Someone who has obviously spent hours roaming the desert, flower book in hand. A really wonderful way to spend the time, by the way.
Just like you wandering the desert, camera in hand.
You are pretty good at bird identification I have noticed. A nifty skill when treated to their graceful presence.
I love desert quail and their buddies the roadrunner whose coo is so soft and pretty.
Thanks for the pics and the “competition” among your readers, Sue.
You’re welcome, Diann. My readers are a fun group. Everyone adds their own flavor to the soup pot!
I’ve always enjoyed birds. A short while ago, while eating supper outside, I watched the turkey vultures ride the air currents in spirals. They do that every late afternoon and early evening. Our camp is on Vulture Mine Road. I guess the vultures have lived here a long time.
How did you know Diann from MT that I “spent hours roaming the desert, flower book in hand?” Yes, it used to be a really wonderful way to spend the time with my husband who as a chemist also enjoyed wildflowers as much as I did. He is the one who looked at all details and always carried a magnifying glass in his backpack. I still love wildflowers but it is such different experience with him being gone.
RVSue, thank you for letting me to share my very personal experiences on your blog. Do you mind if I make a little correction to #9? It is Wishbone Bush.
I appreciate the correction, R.!
If you don’t mind educating me some more …. How do you know #4 is CA Buckwheat and not Alyssum or Yarrow?
Sue,
I’m sure R. has a better answer that what I am offering but I’m trying to learn also.
I told you that I’m not very good at identifying wild flowers but I am good using Google Search. When I look at your pictures and those identified as California Buckwheat online I would say that is what you have.
All of the pictures of Wild Alyssum that I could find had a yellow flower and not a cluster as in your picture. Now Sweet Alyssum is a possibility because they do have white flowers and do cluster but the question was about Wild Alyssum.
All I could find for Wild Yarrow show that they also are white and a cluster but they are formed like a mushroom – flat on the bottom. Your picture shows the cluster in a ball.
I look forward to R. explaining how California Buckwheat was chosen, perhaps I will learn something.
I appreciate your analysis, Ed. I’m leaning toward California Buckwheat, too. It’s fun learning this!
Because I have spent hours, roaming the outdoors, guides in hand! Birds, flowers, animal tracks. You name it. Just guessed that you were an amateur botanist.
I am glad you were able to spend such quality and interesting times with your husband.
Diann
Ditto, Diann. How blessed to have those experiences . . .
Hello Sue I apologize I just put pics of flowers on my post and blog. I did not mean to copy you!!! If I had read my email first I would of known and wrote something else. Once again sorry, Sadie n Bill
Bill, I popped over to your blog. Very nice memory you shared and beautiful pictures. I can’t speak for Sue, but in my opinion, there can never be too many pictures of flowers. Thank you both.
Mary is right, Bill. Can never have to0 many photos of flowers…
Bill, I took a quick look at your wildflowers and those unidentified are Phacelia, Brittlebush, Globemallow and Desertstar.
A week ago the Vultures came back to my little town of Wikieup AZ. I counted almost 60 circling across the road from Hidden Oasis RV park. They say that when the Vultures return to this area we will have fine weather from then on. So far..so good.
That’s interesting, Joe. From what I’ve experienced in Arizona, we’ll have fine weather, with or without the vultures return!
Hi Sue ~~
The flowers are absolutely beautiful. Thanks so much for brightening my day.
Paula
You’re welcome, Paula.