Bloomin' Spring

There's a time of year in the Sonoran Desert when plant life is perfect. That time is now. We have a few hot days and a bit of rain, and the Ocotillo, which looks like a collection of thorns and sticks, breaks out in leaves and flowers.

Close up, the flowers are incredibly beautiful, but they have no scent. Although hummingbirds don't seem to mind.

Then there is a paddle cactus in the front yard that is covered with blooms. In the morning they are bright yellow.

In the afternoon, they deepen to orange.

And in case you aren't completely sure if you prefer pink or yellow, this agave has a flower spike of each one.

It's a wonderful time of year, it lasts about four weeks, and then hell comes to spend the summer. But right now, it's gorgeous.

–Quinn McDonald is a naturalist, artist and creativity coach who lives in the Sonoran desert.

Filed under: Nature, Inside and Out Tagged: agaves, ocotillo, Sonoran desert