Blooming Yucca

Unlike agaves, the main yucca plant does not die after blooming. Yucca keep growing but in some species the lower spines die as the plant grows. Unlike most other succulents, yucca are cold tolerant and grow as far north as Montana and North Dakota. They are pollinated by the yucca moth. Although they look ferocious, they are relatively benign and would only be dangerous if you happened to run into one. As spiny plants go, they are relatively easy to avoid. We have had different species of yucca growing at some of the houses we have lived in over the years.

Busy as a bee

Bees and flowers go together. We had bees build a hive in our roof and by the time we figured out that they were there, we had to have hole chopped in our roof and the bee specialist removed over 100 pounds of honey. Unfortunately, all of that honey went to waste because the bees had been fumigated. This year they tried again, but we found them early enough to stop them before they established a hive. In the abstract, bees are really nice and quite friendly creatures, but not so if they get mad. Sort of like people, don't you think?

A House with a view

Have you ever dreamed of having a house with a view. This is a reality for this cactus wren nest with an excellent security system and adequate spacing from neighbors. Not much room for the children to run around or play. Nesting in cactus is really quite common and the longer and more threatening the spines the more the birds like the location. One advantage, you don't need to post a no trespassing sign.

Still Growing

Life unfolds one day at a time, just like this agave. Every day is only slightly different than the last. But over time, major events mark our lives. I can no longer remember the ordinary, average day, I only remember the events. I remember a traffic accident but not where I was going or why I was going there. I remember falling off a cliff, but not who I was with or how we got there. Whatever happens today will become the same spiraling pattern of events in our lives. We may remember the events, but not the day. 

A Sign of Age

It is amazing to me how people will spend millions of dollars trying to avoid looking their age. The classic is the AARP magazine that always has a picture of some 70 years old actress that looks like she just graduated from high school. Becoming old is a full time job and I want to be paid for it. Who would know about all the things I have done and suffered if I looked like I was seventeen years old? If anyone comes along and says, my but you look just like you did twenty years ago, they are lying. Being old is being invisible. When I am in a social gathering, no one under the age of forty or so will even notice that I am alive. 99 out of 100 younger people will walk right by me as if I wasn't there. Young women now open the door for me! It was time to feature a photo of something really old and beautiful.

Spring Glory Again

These gorgeous cactus are called claret cups. They are relatively rare in the wild and I have only found them on very rare occasions. This plant is growing at the Desert Botanical Garden. One thing about this and other cactus flowers is that they only bloom once a year for only a few days. If you miss those days, you have to wait another year to see the blooms. Some cactus only bloom one day, once a year. Some of the most beautiful natural phenomena last only a very short time and you may only see it once in a lifetime.

Variation

One remarkable thing about cactus flowers and those on prickly pears most commonly, is that the flowers on the same plant or from plant to plant can vary so much in the color of the flowers. Here you can see one flower and part of another. Guess what? They are blooming on the same plant. It is also not unusual to see the flowers change color during the day. Two cactus growing right next to each other, of the same variety, can have flowers that are different colors also. This color change can be remarkable from one year to the next.