Surphur Butterflies on Creosole Bush Blossoms In Sabino Canyon (July 27, 2021) — Images by kenne
The recent monsoon rains have greened up the canyon, bringing out a lot of butterflies.
Unfortunately, I only had my 18-70 mm lens, so trying to photograph
the mostly surphur butterflies became challenging.
— kenne
Spring In The Sonoran Desert — Image by kenne
The Creosote bush is a plant of extremes: it is a widely used medicinal plant; it is the most drought tolerant
perennial in North America, and it may be the oldest living plant.
Creosote (Larrea tridentata), also known as greasewood, is the most common shrub in three of the four north American deserts.
It is too cold in the Great Basin Desert of Nevada, but it thrives in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts.
Creosote is an evergreen shrub, commonly up to six feet tall or taller, that has tiny green leaves, yellow flowers,
and grey-fuzzy fruit. It flowers several times a year depending on rainfall. — Source: Arizona Daily Independent
“See You On The Trail” (Saguaro National Park, 01/03/20) — Image by kenne
— kenne
Creosote Bush Seed Pods — Photo-Artistry by kenne
— kenne
Creosote Bush Blossoms — Images by kenne
** (Because we haven’t had any rain for awhile, the “smell of rain” would be welcome about now.)
Creosote Gall Midge — Computer Art by kenne
The creosote gall midge is formed by a gall-inducing fly which inhabits creosote bush. The life cycle begins when the female oviposits into the part of the plant where she inserts her egg along with a fungal spore. A gall forms and the fungal mycelium grows to line the inside of the gall when the egg hatches the developing larva feeds upon the fungus.
Creosote Seed Pods — Grunge Art by kenne
— kenne
A Group of Saguaros Under Nurse Trees. — Image by kenne
The previous posting (100 Year-Old Cliff Dweller) showed a photograph of a giant saguaro cactus all alone on a steep cliff. Its location was unusual, but given that most saguaros start life under a bush, i.e., a creosote, or a tree, i.e., palo verde and mesquite, making its existence very impressive. Equally impressive is locating a group of saguaros protected by both mesquite and palo verde trees, which begged the question, “What do you call a group of saguaros?” Tribe? Legion? Family? Thicket? Grove? Clump? Gang? Clan? Bunch? Band? Coterie? Whatever, even researching the question didn’t give us an answer. So, for now, you can choose. Given the Tohono O’odham Nation, or Desert People’s cultural connection to the saguaro, I choose “tribe.”
kenne
Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata) Blossoms in Sabino Canyon, November 10, 2014 — Images by kenne
One of the most common plants in Sabino Canyon is the creosote bush. Our neighbors south of the border cal the plant “gobernadora,” Spanish for “governess,” because of its ability to secure more water by inhibiting the growth of nearby plants. The plant exhibits a characteristic odor of creosote, and is the small inhabitants of the desert small after rain — the “smell of rain”. The bush normally blooms in the spring and summer, so the these new blossoms are a pleasant addition to the fall flowers in the Sonoran desert. Unlike most desert plants, the creosote bush has no thorns for defense, instead it is provided by a suite of toxic/ anti-feeding chemicals including the phenolic compound nordihydroguaiaretic acid. For more information, go to the Desert Botanical Garden website.
kenne
“It’s A Tough Life” — Image by kenne
The Good Fight
— kenne
Creosote Bush — Image by kenne
Creosote Bush
Mexican Poppy
Fairy Duster — Images by kenne
Desert Dances
— Gwendolyn Alley
Images by kenne
Driving old Route 66 in the foothills of the Black Mountains near Oatman, Arizona, we noticed one of the ever-present Creosote bushes along the edge of the highway was decorated. Figuring this had to be a photo opt, I stopped to capture the moment.
Continuing our drive to Oatman, we saw another decorated Creosote bush: then another and another. I have since learn that this is a Christmas tradition — children decorating the bushes along Route 66 outside of Oatman.
kenne
