Sunday, March 28, 2010

...after the rains: Eschscholzia mexicana...


...This winter's desert rains came at the right time--we have poppies! Although there are at least some wildflowers every spring, carpets of Mexican gold poppies aren't an annual guarantee in Tucson...
So, a nice treat this year:


...desert lupine almost always seems to grow along with the poppies--a natural pairing of orange and puprle...
...the taller stems with the purple 'balls' are chia (a variety of salvia)...

...I took these photos at Catalina State Park,
NW of Tucson; I drove there after work last Thursday evening...


...closer to home--along a creekside trail in Sabino canyon, hikers' cairns and a shrub of 'desert rockpea:'

...yellow fiddleneck:

...layered daisy...(aka 'spreading fleabane'):

...don't know what this non-flowering plant this is,
 but these tiny hole-edged leaves caught my eye:

...but the poppies do steal the spring show, eh?

So. Spring in the Sonoran desert. Enjoying it while it lasts...the 90-degree days aren't far off. My in-laws are flying into town later this week from WA--good timing...

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