This beauty opened up this afternoon. We waited until nearly dark to go out and get this photo of the fully opened flower. Click on the image to enlarge.
This cactus did not have flowers last year (although it did every other year before since we got it). This is the second flower this season, with another flower bud showing a potential for another later this week and at least one more bud tells us there might be more.
Ocotillo flower buds have started appearing on the ocotillo that we planted in the rock and cactus garden a couple of years ago. This ocotillo and another were rescued from a construction site by our neighbor who gave them to us to put in the garden.
The plants were dormant for quite a while until leaves and flower buds started appearing on this one a few weeks ago. The flower buds should start opening soon as many of the other ocotillos in town are already showing the crimson flowers atop the individual “canes” or stalks of the ocotillo. Note the spines on the canes.
image: flower buds and leaves near the end of one cane. Click on the image to enlarge.
From Wikipedia:
Fouquieria splendens (commonly known as ocotillo American Spanish: [oko?ti?o], but also referred to as coachwhip, candlewood, slimwood, desert coral, Jacob’s staff, Jacob cactus, and vine cactus) is a plant indigenous to the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Desert in the Southwestern United States (southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas), and northern Mexico (as far south as Hidalgo and Guerrero).
Ocotillo is not a true cactus. For much of the year, the plant appears to be an arrangement of large spiny dead sticks, although closer examination reveals that the stems are partly green. With rainfall, the plant quickly becomes lush with small (2–4 cm), ovate leaves, which may remain for weeks or even months.
Individual stems may reach a diameter of 5 cm at the base, and the plant may grow to a height of 10 m (33 ft). The plant branches very heavily at its base, but above that, the branches are pole-like and rarely divide further, and specimens in cultivation may not exhibit any secondary branches. The leaf stalks harden into blunt spines, and new leaves sprout from the base of the spine.
The bright crimson flowers appear especially after rainfall in spring, summer, and occasionally fall. Flowers are clustered indeterminately at the tips of each mature stem. Individual flowers are mildly zygomorphic and are pollinated by hummingbirds and native carpenter bees.
We have had a couple of new varieties of open flowers the last week. Left to right are Argentine Giant, Cholla Flowers and Beavertail Cactus flowers. All beautiful and more to come. Click on any image to enlarge.
This hedgehog cactus has been with us since we landscaped our place six years ago. The cactus was transplanted to its current location in front of the house from a spot on the other side of the driveway. It is now almost completely populated with these beautiful spring flowers.
Wikipedia has this item about Echinocereus Englemannii which I believe this cactus is:
The strawberry hedgehog cactus or Engelmann’s hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) is commonly found in desert areas of the southwestern United States and the adjacent areas of Mexico, including the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Baja California and Sonora. It usually grows in clusters, sometimes up to 20 and more stems. Its bright magenta flowers bloom in April in its southern extremes to late May at northern locations. The flowers are borne at the upper half to one third of the stem. They are funnelform in shape, up to 3.5 inches long with dark-green stigmas. The fruit is very spiny. At first it is green, becoming pink and drying when ripe. The ripe fruit has spines which are easily detached. The seeds are black, and around a tenth of an inch in size.
The stems are initially cylindrical and erect in young plants, but later with the stem base lying on the ground. The stems are usually 1.5 to 3.5 inches in diameter and up to 25 inches high, and obscured by heavy spines. The plants have around 10 ribs, which are somewhat flattened and tuberculate.
Spines variable in color and size. Radial spines are shorter and needlelike, up to 0.8 inch long, white and arranged in a neat rosette. Central spines number 2 to 7 and are stout, usually twisted or angular, up to 3 inches long and variable in color: bright yellow, dark brown, grey, and white.
Echinocereus engelmannii is commonly used as a landscape plant in its native areas. In pot culture it requires well aerated gritty substrate, and a hot and sunny location in the summer. In the winter the plant easily tolerates light frost and wet (if well-drained) soil. In cultivation it usually does not bloom until it develops 2-3 branches.
I love it here in the desert all year around, but the spring flowers blooming might be my favorite time. This is some of the flower activity now showing in our garden.
At the top, a bright pink beavertail cactus flower opened up today. Below from left to right are golden barrel cactus flower, a lemon blossom in the “orchard” and an ocotillo flower bud just sprouting from the top of one of the canes. Click on the image to enlarge.
One of the best things about spring is the desert wildflowers. We had just barely passed out of town limits on our way to California today when I saw this patch of poppies and other wildflowers along the roadside.
There were wildflowers all along the route to Palm Desert today and a brief point when passing between Chiriaco and Cactus City where we saw lots of beavertail cactus bright pink flowers. We didn’t get any sharp images of those, but we will eventually, since there are plenty of beavertails with flower buds at home.
Click on the image to enlarge.
