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Tag: blooms

04 June 2018

Exploring the Blooming Desert for the first time

buds blooms saguaro Vulture Mine Road Wickenburg ArizonaBecause I haven’t been around the lower elevations in central Arizona near the Sonoran Desert beyond the end of April I’m seeing a lot of blooming desert for the first time.  Flowers in the yard, natures’ wildflowers, and best of all the saguaro cactus.  They seem prolific to me yet I have no other years to compare to.

 

buds blooms saguaro Vulture Mine Road Wickenburg Arizona

I began seeing the buds and blooms in photos from folks around Tucson several weeks ago.  Summer temperatures work their way northward and soon those around Phoenix were showing off.

desert cactus rocky outcrop Vulture Mine Road Wickenburg ArizonaNo saguaros grow where I am at almost 5,000 feet so I drove to Wickenburg about 30 miles south of Yarnell and 2000 feet lower where I found lots of buds and some flowers along Vulture Mine Road.

flowering saguaros Vulture Mine Road Wickenburg Arizona

Palo Verde flowering Saguaros clouds Vulture Mine Road Wickenburg ArizonaThese tall sentinels seem to march up the hillside.  Buds and blooms show up at the ends of the arms mostly.  And with these beautiful saguaros being at least 30 feet tall I’d need a ladder or to hover like a bee to clearly see or photograph close up to the flowers.

yellow cactus flower Vulture Mine Road Wickenburg ArizonaOpuntia cactus were also flowering and much easier to see and look down on.

yard art garden Desert Willow Yarnell Arizona

yard art Sierra cat on shed porch Yarnell ArizonaYarnell’s high chaparral ecosystem lies in transition between lower Sonoran Desert and Juniper/Pinyon.  The vegetation is rather a mix of lower and higher elevation species but mostly Arizona Oak, cypress, and cottonwood plus of course people have landscaped with non-native species.  Berta has a green thumb so plants some lovely green and flowering plants around the yard that I’m trying to keep watered.  Most are located in clusters for easier watering and often ringed with red bark chips separated by rather dull desert-beige crumbled rock and interspersed with interesting yard art.

red flowering Desert Willow Yarnell Arizona

red flowering desert willow Yarnell ArizonaThe Desert Willow was planted after so many trees were lost to the Yarnell fire and I was shocked to see how heavily laden it became with deep-red long-tubed flowers suitable for bugs, bees, and hummingbirds.  Although not blooming flowers, the Dusty Miller has taken over except for the also deep-red Idon’tknowwhatthey’recalled flowers.

 

 

boulders desert cactus rocky ridge SR96 ArizonaAfter seeing more photos by friends taken along the road to Bagdad I took a 45-minuet drive looking for saguaro blooming.  Unfortunately I didn’t start early and was there mid-day under intense Arizona blue sky and temperatures pushing past 85°F.

desert boulders flowering Saguaro cactus SR96 ArizonaAs I surveyed the landscape I spotted two nearby saguaros that seemed to call my name.

white flowers saguaro road to Bagdad ArizonaI carefully wound my way around the low brush and potentially snaggy vegetation keeping a vigilant eye out for snakes.

white flowers saguaro road to Bagdad ArizonaThe perfect Sonoran Desert bridal bouquet and matching boutonniere

white flowers saguaro road to Bagdad ArizonaGetting up close to saguaro flowers is a difficult and dangerous activity.  But I did manage to find some adjacent boulders to carefully climb and actually got almost face to face with the blooms, and the bees.

white flowers saguaro road to Bagdad Arizona

As summer progresses the blooms die and the delicious sweet fruit eventually ripens.  Maybe I’ll get a chance to harvest some of that, carefully.

 

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Arizona, Places I've been, Sonoran desert, United States blooms, buds, cactus, flowers, saguaros 11 Comments
03 July 2010

Blooms at Cape Royal

Ranger Gaelyn giving Arch talk at Walhalla overlook North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Once a week my schedule takes me to the Walhalla Plateau where I give a 1pm talk about the history of Southwest Archeology at Walhalla Overlook. I was there last Tuesday and saw blooms at Cape Royal.

View south from Cape Royal Walhalla Plateau North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Plus I gave a 2:30 geology talk at the end of the road on Cape Royal.

Sego Lily & Prickly Pear cactus blooms Cape Royal North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Prickly pear cactus and sego lily

I love seeing how the blooms change weekly.

Wax currant beginning fruit Cape Royal North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Wax currant beginning to fruit

Cliffrose fruit Cape Royal North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Cliffrose showing its feathery tail fruit

Paintbrush blooms Cape Royal North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Paintbrush

Wonder what will be blooming next week?

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Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park North Rim, National Parks and Monuments blooms, Cape Royal, Walhalla Plateau 13 Comments
12 June 2010

Beginning to bloom at Grand Canyon

Flowering Utah Serviceberrry along Bright Angel Point trail North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Utah Serviceberry

Last week as I walked the Bright Angel Point trail I noticed a few plants beginning to bloom at Grand Canyon. This narrow trail is on a ridgeline running between Roaring Springs and Transept canyons.

Flowering Wax currant along Bright Angel trail North Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Wax currant

Warm air rises from the depths and creates a transition zone between the upper Sonoran desert and the Ponderosa Pine forest giving these plants a head start.

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Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

I started exploring US National Parks in 1977 and 20 years later became a seasonal Park Ranger.  I’ve lived full-time in a RV for 30 years working summers and playing winters.  I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow old, other than grow up.

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