A Visit to St. George

Recently I commented on a friend's Facebook post of some flowering cacti. I proceeded to tell her about a saguaro that was about ready to bloom, only to learn she was in Louisiana and wasn't able to take the short drive. She asked me to post the photos. I decided I needed to grab the camera and get the photos early in the week. I chose the windiest day of the season to get some photos. Luckily the cacti don't move much in 20-30+ mph winds.

My first stop was along Baseline for the blooming saguaro but then I remembered the great flowering cacti at St. George's Catholic Church in AJ.

Baseline Blooms:

This Saguaro does not have as many blooms as it did last year.

All the blooms were at the very top and this was the best

the camera would do with the angle. 

Here is a post about a blooming Saguaro from last year.

Ocotillo flower

Usually the Ocotillo plants are very tall and the flowers are at the tip.

Some of this plant's stems were at eye level and swaying in the breeze.

Lots of individual flowers on each stem tip. 

Compare the shape of the individual flower with the shapes of all 

other cacti flowers I will post (the next three posts).

Interesting flower shape

My Ocotillo model

Now to St. George's courtyard:

I thought this was an Organ Pipe Cactus, but upon some research

it is not. I believe it is one of the 25 Cereus (genus) of the Cataceae (family).

I am open to corrections!

The flower has a purple/pink tinge on the petals and the sepals.

The flower of an Organ Pipe is all white and has a slightly

different shape. Notice how these petals curve inward,

protecting the stamens.

A flower just beginning to open.

The flowers on this Pin Cushion are past their prime.

The Pin Cushion is usually the first cacti to bloom.

We saw them blooming in Yuma about a month ago.

Now this was a first for me.

The first open flower on a Barrel Cactus. Now I do not

know if all the brown tufts will become flowers or if they are

done flowering. But this plant clarified the yellow 'bulbs' I 

have seen on the barrel cactus are the fruits; the product after

the flower blossoms. I just learned they are edible.

I was so excited to see a Barrel with one flower, I was thrilled

to find several more Barrels with many more flowers...

and a bee wiggling its abdomen (head, thorax, abdomen) 

across the stamens, collecting pollen.

This is a type of Palm that is also blooming

Not the color of the most desert plants,

but interesting none-the-less.

A bird nest tucked between the arms of a saguaro.

Another nest, but this was in the Cardon Cactus.

Visit last year's posts to see the cardon

and its flowers. Many of the flowers were done

blooming this year when I stopped. Check the date when

I took the photos of this plant last year.

The Cardon Cactus in 2013.

Check it out in 2012.

Next post will be the cactus from the Arizonian Resort.