Tag: copyright 2012

Cactus Blossoms in Pima Canyon

Delicate buds develop into a flower, and then, into a cactus tuna

MichaelStephenWills4 Comments

A set of photographs of buds and blossoms of the Prickly Pear Cactus taken in Pima Canyon of the Pusch Ridge Wilderness of the Catalina Mountains.

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Eight New  Blossoms

Here are 8 flower bud growing from one cladode (pad).  There is a 9th bud on a second cladode.  What is interesting about these pads are the needle shadows.  Although thin, each provides some protection from the sun.

Cactus Closeup

This delicate bud will develop into a flower and, then, into a cactus fruit (in spanish, tuna).  The fruit retains those tiny spines, called glochids, which detach on the smallest contact.  The pads are also covered with them.

Prickly pears are known for growing into thickets.  The Cuban government created a “cactus curtain” of prickly pears around the Guantanamo naval base in the 1960’s, to prevent Cubans from escaping to refuge in the United States.

Cactus Flowers

Look closely at the anthers of these flowers.  Each curls over when touched, depositing its pollen.  The habit of prickly pears to grow together in thickets mean there are clusters of blossoms in springtime.

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills

Flowering Saguaros in Finger Rock Canyon

Some Fallen, Some Blessed

MichaelStephenWills9 Comments

My visit to Finger Rock Canyon of the Santa Catalina Mountains filled two mornings.  On the first morning, the subject was the lower canyon as morning light filtered over the eastern ridge.

Early morning to the north / northwest looking over a 20-foot fallen Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantean), toward lower ridges of the Santa Catalina Mountains.  The saguaro is among a stand of healthy fellows, some with new growth and flowers on the tips of arms and main columns. This giant must have grown over rock through 60 years.  It was brought down when the roots weakened.  Specimens that are more reliably rooted can live to 200 years.

A clump of brittlebush shrub (Encelia farinosa) grows from the same rock.

Pima Canyon is the next over, behind that near ridge which provides similar shade.  Unlike Finger Rock Canyon, the Pima Canyon trail follows the western cliff and loses the shade much sooner.  During our three-week trip, my wife, Pam, and I visited Pima in our first week.

These photos were taken between 6:20 and 7:00 am.

Along the trail I noticed a multitude of buds on the tip of selected saguaro arms.  In a previous blog, there’s a photo of this same saguaro in the shade.  The following series captures the one blossoming top just as the sun passes over the eastern, shadowing, ridge.

The same saguaro, two minutes later…….

Here is a portion of the saguaro forest, around 7 am with the lower canyon filled with light.  There are a few foothill homes with west and southwest Tucson.  The Tucson Mountains are in the distance.

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills