Saturday, April 9, 2016

Timing is Everything

We arrived at Usery Mountain Regional Park on April 1st. We did not realize what was awaiting us this year.



Chain fruit cholla - in our campsite

 Buckhorn cholla - this one also in our campsite

Ocotillo: not dead sticks now


White ratany.

 

 Brittlebush Flowers

Creosote in bloom


Jojoba come in male and female plants

 


 Prickly Pear


Berries on desert mistletoe

 This is the teddy bear cholla that attacked Dora
  




Hedgehog Cactus




Prickly Pear
 








Christmas cholla




Foothill Palo Verde: the state tree of Arizona



Desert lavender


The buckhorn cholla were in full bloom. I never realized that they came in such a variety of colors or how beautiful this normally treacherous plant could become.



More of the beautiful buckhorn blossoms











Popcorn flower



 

As the cholla bloom was ending, the saguaro were opening. 






 



 View from our door

 Birds at the feeder include quail and doves

Evening falls