Desert Flowers

I just thought I would post some photos of the flowers we see out on our walks. This is an ocotillo blooming but it doesn't have any leaves on its stems.

The real time to see flowers in Arizona is June and July but we aren't staying here that long. That's when the cacti bloom. I think these are Distant Phacelia or Wild Heliotrope.

I couldn't figure out what either of these flowers are named. It rained a few hours last night so there should be lots of flowers coming up soon.

These are Caliche Globemallow.

Well this is a saquaro cactus and we don't know why he formed this way. We called him Shar-pei since he's wrinkled like that breed of dog.

Maybe a California poppy.

See how the ground along the trail is covered in flowers?

We found another trailhead and really enjoyed this area.

Going up a hill the trail had many switchbacks. We are standing at one and you can see another to the left of center.

Nolan was actually taking a photo of a bicyclist that was doing this trail. You can barely see his yellow shirt if you enlarge the photo. There were lots of mountain bikes on this trail.

Someone had made the effort to construct this picnic table and another bench on an offshoot of the trail.

Just look at all those saguaro!

This dude is missing his top but he's still giving us the peace sign with his right arm.

This is a Fairyduster plant. The color is much better in person. If you want to see good photos of the flowers in this area, go to www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/

We went through one area that had running water and a couple big trees. This was before the rain.

I don't know the name of this plant.

At the Starr Pass trailhead it looks like turquoise was mined. There's a thin layer of green on most of the rocks around the parking lot.

Desert Penstemon

No flower here but I find Cholla skeletons interesting. I'd collect some of the downed pieces but I have no use for them and no yard to decorate at this time.

This is a live Chain-fruit Cholla.

We walked to Starr Pass. This is our view from left to right as we approached the pass.

The pass.

After we passed through I zoomed in on the cliff to the left and took this shot of a saquaro clinging to the side and it looks like birds were roosting in holes in the cliff.

I liked this balanced rock to the right of the trail.

Nolan took a lot more photos of the trail as we headed back since I was hunting for rocks. Just trying to pick up some I could tumble.

You sure can't tell from the photos just how rocky this trail is. Remember it's used by mountain bikers.

Back at the park I took a few photos of the flowers. This gal had been watering her lawn and it looks great now!

Aloe vera plants are blooming now. We see a lot of them planted in the road medians. The flower stalks look like asparagus when they are growing up.