We bought this Bishops cap barrel cactus over ten years ago in the Phoenix area. It lived with us at the California house for most of that time and had flowers most every summer. Since living here in Arizona, it has had many flowers – more and more often – than in the California patio. Today, eight flowers were open simultaneously – a record for this cactus. Click on the image to enlarge.
Today was our grocery shopping day. I usually pick out some flowers to take home and today I picked a dozen of these pretty “Duett” roses. They are very showy with their pinkish orange color. The color is similar to that of salmon steaks or flamingo feathers. Click on the image to enlarge.
Yesterday, we went to the post office and the supermarket. While Bob was checking the PO Box, I walked over and took this picture of some cactus flowers on a devil’s tongue cactus behind the bank. Click on the image to enlarge.
On our way out to walk the dogs this morning, I noticed that the echinopsis “Easter Lily” cactus flower was open. I grabbed the camera and got a picture while I could. By late morning, the flower had wilted. There are several more flower buds on the cactus, so I will be alert to get pictures of them as they open.
According to Wikipedia, echinopsis species are native to South America (Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay). They grow only in situations where the soil is sandy or gravelly, or on the sides of hills in the crevices of rocks. Apparently, they are OK in Arizona too, Click on the image to enlarge.
This is a pink flower on a cholla cactus here in town. Now, we have dozens of cholla on and around our lot and none of them produce pink flowers – always orange or yellow. I’d like to get a cutting of this and plant it in a pot until it’s big enough to transplant to a place in the yard. But, this one (the only one in town?) is on a private lot. Click on the image to enlarge.
Two years ago, when Bob and I were just buying the lot to build our retirement dream home, the wild desert cacti on the hill and in the wash behind the graded part of the lot were teeming with spring flowers. That’s still true today. I walked up the hill a bit to get this image of a beautiful cholla flower. If I recall correctly, reader and commenter Crotalus says this is a buckhorn cholla, a.k.a jumping cholla or a dozen other names. Whatever it’s called, the flowers are gorgeous. Click on the image to enlarge.
We went shopping in the Northwest Valley today. Bob stopped to get gas and I noticed that the “Pride of Barbados” (Red Bird of Paradise) flowers were blooming on the shrubs next to the gas station. I snapped this photo of a red bird blossom.
The elevation at our place in Wickenburg is about a thousand feet higher than the valley and our red birds come about a month later than theirs. Still, I got to see my favorite shrub in bloom today. It is a nice preview of what will be in our courtyard next month. Click on the image to enlarge.
