Archive for the ‘Plant’ Tag
Potted Lemon Tree — Images by kenne
This past spring our potted lemon tree had three lemons from the few blossoms on the small tree. They are now near being harvested. Mean while the three is blossoming, with some new lemons already on the tree.
Now much of the west had a weather low that is bring freezing weather. Last night we had rain, with snow on Mount Lemon. Tomorrow morning’s low will be below freezing here in Tucson — time to cover some of the more tender plants.
kenne
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Wildflowers Along Carter Canyon Trail, Mt. Lemmon — Images by kenne
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Wildflowers Color The Mountain Meadows From Blossom To Blossom — Image by kenne
There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.
— from the Li-Young Lee poem “From Blossoms”
- Grow as the wildflowers grow! (suewestwood.wordpress.com)
- my very own wildflower meadow (wisejourney.wordpress.com)
- Wildflowers: A Field Guide (julieriso.wordpress.com)
- I love wildflowers. There, I said it. (planetbell.me)
- Wildflowers in the mountains (elenawil.wordpress.com)
- Wildflowers (rmcornelius.blogspot.com)
- An introduction to Wildflowers (showyourroots.wordpress.com)
- “My Indigo” by Li-Young Lee (poetsgeneration.wordpress.com)
- “From Blossoms” by Li-Young Lee (poetsgeneration.wordpress.com)
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Scouler’s Catchfly on Mount Lemmon — Image by kenne
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I tried to identify this flower in fireflyforest.com, but no luck. — Images by kenne
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Nais Metalmark Butterflies on Ceanithus Fenderli Bushes — Images by kenne
It’s all about timing, and this was the moment!
Yesterday, while hiking the Aspen Loop on Mount Lemmon, we came upon plants steaming with butterflies and quickly concluded that the bush was the caterpillar host for these butterflies. We discussed possible names.
The butterflies are the nais metalmark and the host plant is the ceanithus fenderli. “Males perch and patrol near the host plant for females. Eggs are laid singly on leaves or flowers. Caterpillars rest in shelters of leaves tied together with silk and emerge to feed on leaves and fruits. Mature caterpillars hibernate in leaf litter.”
These scenes were very impressive!
Since I’m not a butterfly expert, I hope I have done my homework well.
kenne
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The Agave Century Plant Blossoms Near The Prison Fire In The Santa Catalina Mountains As Record Heat Continues In The American Southwest
— Images by kenne
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Silverpuff Blossom and Seeds — Image by kenne
When picturing a wildflower
I see the blossom
not the seeds.
Picture a dandelion
a pretty yellow wildflower
not named after its
annoying seeds.
Picture a silverpuff
a pretty yellow wildflower
with toothed rays
radiating star-like points
only to be named after its
beautiful seeds —
a secondhand blossom
— kenne
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Staghorn Cholla Blossom
Prickly Pear Blossom — Images by kenne
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Hedgehog Cactus Blossoms — Image by kenne
One of the first cactus blossoms in the spring are those of the Hedgehog cactus. They have been blooming around the Tucson area for about a week, adding spring beauty as some of the wildflowers pass on.
Yesterday I got a report that some saguaro cacti have begun to bloom, which is early for such blossoms. But, these giant cacti do have a way of blooming when they want to — it’s time to start watching for the return of the white-wing doves.
kenne
Cacti
Here’s some fact-i,
About some cacti,
They’re plants you shouldn’t touch,
Because their spiny leaves are sharp,
It might hurt too,too much!
Yes those pointy spines they have,
Are cacti’s shield and cape,
Helping water stay inside,
Through spines it can’t escape!
They love the desert,
Sun baked lands,
For water’s what they store,
Inside their bodies,
Or their roots,
Like clothing’s in a drawer…
Cacti,
Cacti,
Succulents,
Are really pretty cool,
Just don’t give a kiss to one,
Or miss some time at school…
— Mr. R’s Plant Poems
- Hedgehogs are Blooming (Sabinocayonnaturalist.blogspot.com)
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Resurrection Plants Defining the Cliff. — Image by kenne
The Resurrection Plant is in the Selaginella genus of plants. Because of recent rains, the plant quickly turns green after having seemed to have died from a lack of water — seemingly returning from the dead therefore justifies its common name.
The plant’s ability to grow in the cracks of a rock-cliff, providing a mountain terrace look.
kenne
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Image by kenne
seeds jettisoned
dizzily dancing
riding the wind
capsules abandoned
doors remain open
attraction lost
to the ages
now it’s time
to turn the page
you know it ain’t easy
to see another view
but, these feelings
won’t go away
echoing off all tomorrows
echoing . . .
echoing . . .
kenne
32.270209
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Buffelgrass In Sabino Canyon — Images by kenne
When the Tucson area experiences sub-freezing temperatures, as it did a week ago, many express a concern for our stately Saguaro cacti. This icon of the Sonoran Desert can be damaged by long hours below freezing, depending on the health of each cactus, but the biggest treat to the saguaro is fire. The above images show many saguaro cactus surrounded by an invasive species, Buffelgrass. The upper right of the top photos has no buffelgrass, which represents a more normal view of the canyon vegetation.
Buffelgrass grows densely and crowds out native plants of similar size. Competition for water can weaken and kill larger desert plants. Dense roots and ground shading prevent germination of seeds. Buffelgrass can kill most native plants by these means alone. However, buffelgrass provides an intense fuel for wildfires and resprouts vigorously after fires, where most native desert plants are killed — including the saguaros.
Removing buffelgrass from steep slopes such as those being inspected by Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalist, Mark Hengersbaugh is a very difficult task, which often involves the individual removal of each plant.
The image below is from a posting about a year ago I did on buffelgrass. Many volunteers are at work removing this invasive plant, but many more are needed. (Click here for link to earlier posting.)
kenne
Markus removing buffelgrass in the Esperero Canyon, February 24, 2012 — Images by kenne
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A casualty of extreme weather, July, 2011 — Image by kenne
inspiration for “Nude Runners” November, 2011 — Image by kenne
Nude Runners 1st Posted November 10, 2010 — Image by kenne
Saguaro Cactus are large trees that live to be hundreds of years old. It is one of the defining plants of the Sonoran Desert. Like this Saguaro in Tanuri Ridge, these plants are large, tree-like columnar cacti that develop branches (or arms) as they age, although some never grow arms. The number of arms and the likely age of this particular plant, may have helped shorten this plant’s life due to current long drought and unusually cold weather this past winter. Our Saguaro was one impressive plant when I first photographed it last November. I’m sure that over the life of this plant, it experienced harsh conditions, but none as sever as the last nine months. Even with some of the arms actually reaching down to help support this giant (most Saguaro arms point up), our freaky weather took its toll.
Its many arms help depict many images in one’s “mind’s eye”, i.e., runners embracing one another at the finish line, or a symbol of, “He out heavy, he’s my brother.” Although the age of this plant is hard for this novice to determine, the Saguaro rarely grows its arms until after the age of 75. Definitely a slow maturer, the cactus only puts up a main stem or spike, for three-quarters of a century, during which it might grow as high as a foot after fifteen years, and even seven feet after fifty years. Yet, for many, they may still not have any arms. As the images show, this “big guy” in Tanuri Ridge had a lot of arms, all of which now lie helpless on the ground near the Rillito River.
This is a big loss to those of us who walk the Tanuri Ridge trails along the riverside. As someone who loves to “capture the moment,” the two (several exist from each shooting) I have near the end of its long life only causes one to challenge the imagination as to other moments that might have been captured over the years. At one time, there was running water in the river with large cottonwoods lining its edge — just imagine! Such imaginative moments are priceless.
kenne
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Crested Saguaro Cactus — Image by kenne
The cristate (or crested) saguaro is rare in the plant world. Science has not yet fully explained why this mutation occurs — many explanations have been offered. This one is located near the Sabino Canyon dam.
kenne
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Becoming is Superior to Being 
seeds jettisoned
dizzily dancing
riding the wind
capsules abandoned
doors remain open
attraction lost
to the ages
now it’s time
to turn the page
you know it ain’t easy
to see another view
but, these feelings
won’t go away
echoing off all tomorrows
echoing . . .
echoing . . .
kenne
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