The Palo Verde and Mesquite trees are coming to an end of their yellow blooms. The Ironwood and Saguaro's are still going strong...You can feel the heat is on  its way.  It has been a pretty gentle May for Arizona.  I hope you had a chance to get out there and enjoy it.

Another beauty

Tucson cacti picture

Snow on the Superstitions - Sunday April 10th Storm

            This is a prickly pear cactus, I love the rich color of the flowers.

Palo Verde (Cercidium) - Its name translates to "green stick" and with one glance you can see the green color on its trunk and leafless branches.  In early Spring it bursts into bloom with bright yellow blossoms and for a short while has tiny leaves.  Good screening tree or for light shade. Very drought tolerant so plant in a dry area.

 The Saguaro grows very slowly -- perhaps an inch a year -- but to a great height, 15 to 50 feet. The largest plants, with more than 5 arms, are estimated to be 200 years old. An average old Saguaro would have 5 arms and be about 30 feet tall. This is my favorite Saguaro in our neighborhood.

Ocotillo and Cholla Cactus

The Ocotillo is abundant in the Southwest because the soil is well drained on rocky slopes, mesas, out washed plains and desert grasslands. The ocotillo is deciduous, drought tolerant shrub. From its root crown it grows stems that can be any where from 9 to 30 feet tall.  The stems are covered with spines that can be 1.5 inches long. The leaves of the shrub are thick and leather like and grow several times in the growing season depending on the amount of rainwater available. The leaves are narrow 2-inch ovals, which can sprout within 3 day of a rainfall. The leaves turn brown and fall off when water is scarce.

In Usery you will find Mule deer, Coyotes, Javelina, Rabbits, Raccoons, Skunks, Kangaroo Rats, Pocket mice, Gophers, Kit Foxes, Jack Rabbits, Squirrels, Bobcats and Mountain lions.

I have not seen any Javelina, Foxes or Mountain lions yet. But if I do, and I have my camera - so will you.  We are so close to Usery they usually show up on our hill out back.

Usery has Palo Verde, Ironwood Trees, Hedgehog, Prickly Pear, Saguaro,Ocotillo, Pincushion, Barrel Cacti and Lupine, Poppy, Fairy Duster, Globemallow, Brittlebush and Creosote.

What a beautiful day

(e-keen-oo-KAY-ree-us tri-glow-chidi-A-tus) Echinocerens is from the Greek echinos, meaning "a hedgehog," and cereus meaning "a wax taper." These names refer to the plant's spiny resemblance to a hedgehog (or so the early Europeans thought) and the plant's shape, respectively. Triglochidialus means "three barbed bristles" and refers to the straight spines arranged in clusters of three. Also called claret cup cactus, after the reddish, cup-shaped flowers.

The name "quail," with roots in Middle Dutch through Old French, is related to "quack," an allusion to the vocalization of the European quail. The name "Gambel’s" is a recognition of William Gambel (1821-1849), an American naturalist who died on an ill-fated winter crossing of the Sierra Nevada. The scientific name "callipepla" comes from the Greek kalli (beautiful) and peplos (robe).

Watch your step......

Gila monster

a large orange and black venomous lizard of the genus Heloderma  ( H. suspectum  ) of the southwestern United States

Coyote eating next door

New bunnies everywhere

Cactus in bloom

This is the desert by my house.  Most people miss the beauty of the desert. So I am going to show you just what is happening in one little area. Perhaps it will inspire you to go on a hike and see what you can find.