Thursday, April 16, 2015

April 19

In Tucson


The desert wildflowers are so beautiful, in part because of the harshness in which the flourish. This year I’m told is a good year on account of the rains that came in February and March, encouraging even the most reluctant foliage to display color.

Here are my favorites: The ocotillo are all in bloom and leaf, strange looking stalks with tiny leaves and small fiery red candle clusters on each long arm, looking similar to the flowers of our sumac trees, but more orange in flower than red.  The prickly pear pads seem to be in competition among one another to produce the perfect shade of yellow and orange, with some as pink. The flowers on the tops of the pads open quickly at midmorning, when the sun’s rays warm the plant. They remain displayed throughout the day, and close again at dusk. Pentsimon reminds me of the Catchfly coloring, striking pink and tiny petals on a light colored and corded stalk. It seems to favor dry washes and trail sides.

The Palo Verde trees are covered in tiny yellow flowers, thousands tucked within its branches, giving the tree a constellation of green and yellow, delicate looking as it moves about in the breeze.

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