Moominmama's Adventures: Desert Wildflowers


Wherein Moominmama enjoys the glories of a "Super Bloom" and meets new flowers in the Sonoran Desert...

This spring has brought unusual glory to the desert. While spring flowers are not unusual, a wet winter in the Sonoran desert has prompted what's called a "Super Bloom." 

The views are spectacular as the California and/or Mexican poppies raise their sunny faces, and the blue lupine shoot up in between.  

Add the flowering brittle bushes, delicate bluedicks, some desert chicory (white) and orange globe mallow against the green background, maybe golden sand or reddish rock, and it's a feast for the eyes. 




Moominmama must offer thanks to the many park rangers during my Arizona travels who have patiently identified these plants and answered questions during my attendance at ranger-led hikes!

Of all the flowers I have met this past month, my favorite is the fairy duster, because I don't remember ever seeing anything quite like it back east. Plus the name is so evocative!

They come in various pink and red colors, exactly the size that a little fairy might use for housekeeping! 

It seems in the desert that spikes or fuzz are strategies for dispersing genetic material. Not only was I struck by the fairy duster's bloom, the ubiquitous creosote bush blooms in yellow flowers and makes tiny white fuzzy seed pods.

Coyotes or rabbits that brush up against these plants then can carry seeds to a new place riding on their fur.

This may be especially important to the creosote bush because the local critters disdain to eat this bush. Apparently it's only appetizing to camels! The reason we know this is a story for another time but represents an interesting military boondoggle (see also: bomb-carrying bats).

Besides the amazing colors, there are also the intricate geometries of plants like the agave. The stiff leaves can be broken down for their fibers to make rope. Their hearts can be roasted for a nutritious meal. 

And when they bloom, they send up tall stalks with spectacular and varying blooms. I saw some of those last year but it's still a bit early for agave to be blooming here. 

The variety of delicate blooms that shoot up in the spartan desert is an ongoing surprise. Here's the desert penstemon in brilliant magenta that startled me while walking along a pebbly wash.

The surprises will continue, I'm sure, as prickly pear and some of the other early blooming cactuses start showcasing their varied flowers. Some of the wide variety of agaves too.

So Moominmama walks with her eyes open to new discoveries, enjoying new trails and amazed by new landscapes. I know I am missing out on some cross-country skiing back east but hope my friends will forgive me for sharing some of the bright colors of the desert.  

Come the hot summer, I'm sure this landscape will be a lot less welcoming, but it's glorious right now!






Location: Cave Creek, AZ 85331, USA

Comments

  1. Rochester NY QuakersMarch 23, 2023 at 1:14 PM

    Thanks for sharing your eyes and vivid interpretation of our SW. I've enjoyed your photos and prose. ~ Jeff

    ReplyDelete
  2. NMLApril 1, 2023 at 11:40 AM

    Beautiful flowers! You might find prickly pear jam in some local stores! A sweet side to the cactus.

    ReplyDelete

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