March 1st ...Equals the start ...of Spring, 2025

[Silas_Sancona]

With the start of a new month comes the start of a new season ..defined by the only way of defining the seasons that matters,  Meteorologically..

Final month of " winter " spent well above average, + our first official 90s for 2025, ..a month early,  = plenty of stuff awakening from their winter naps in the yards ..and beyond...


Hippeastrum " Stargazer, Minerva,  ..or .... " right at peak bloom, while inflo #2 produced by this plant gets ready to open..



Solanum houstonii



Calliandra eriophylla..




Echinocereus coccineus  ..or triglochidatus.. flowering  ..One of the two planted in the yard at least..





..Ahead of the Beavertails and specimen these offsets came from at the old house too..  






Seed started Coral Honeysuckle i thought i'd killed after yanking last fall..




White Veined Pipevine  ** Not pictured ** Native Pipevine, A. watsonii is already starting to flower..




Clitoria mariana  peeking out of the soil about 4 weeks ahead of schedule..




Caliche Globemallow




Though it has thrown around a few sporadic flowers, Erythrostemon palmeri is already reloaded with buds..




While a few in the neighborhood are just starting to show any color, looks like the TX Mtn Laurel will beat the Sweet Acacia across the street to the stage this year..















The pale - flowered specimen....







Orange Tecoma cultivar.




 

[Silas_Sancona]

Tis 'also  the season for getting spring projects completed before the dawn of " Nuke Season " begins to illuminate the eastern horizon in a couple months  ..if not earlier this year...


Slightly raised, gravel- filled beds separating the block wall from the back lawn looks much nicer than letting the lawn take up all the space..

As mentioned before, specific Canna / summer flowering annual stuff will fill these beds..








In this particular section, left the level of gravel placed in the block holes a little lower compared to other areas ( ...Where i filled the holes to the top ) ..Because this part of the yard stays shaded and moist in winter,  even one as dry as this year apparently ...and the bottom of all the blocks placed here aren't open, ..thus being able to retain some water, ...or at least allow water to slowly drain,  considering another experiment with native Fern spores here next winter..  May stick some Yerba Mansa offsets in a few of the holes too.

Still undecided on whether or not the corner ..behind the log.. will be good enough for throwing a Hedychium in there, or still too hot / sunny..



Now that it is enclosed, need to get / mix in  a couple bags of compost ..and get what Tomatoes / Peppers  Mex. Oregano ( Lippia gravolens ) / Basil will go in there planted.  Italian Long pepper planted 2 years ago? ...awakening to Spring,  #3.. 

Hiding under the 5-6" of block buried below the soil line lies another 8-10" of hardwire cloth around the entire edge of the bed which should deter the furry menace.  

* Hopefully *




Next area to be done.. Don't think the yard would look right if i didn't do this section.





Since i'm pretty sure i'll have gravel left after i complete the final two sections of raised beds along the back wall,  will likely fill in this area around the base of the Ficus, after i lay down hardwire cloth to keep the furry menace out..  For whatever reason, Bermuda ..which grows everywhere else, will not fill in under here. Would look nicer with a defined, slightly raised bed around it anyway..

Thing in the pot in front of the Ficus is a zone 13 Bursera sp native to a small area of Oaxaca along the Pacific coast of Mexico ..






Extra driveway space filled in..  Head off it is a 3ft wide raised bed ..so anyone parking there doesn't hit the block wall separating the front and back yards..




Random " add in " spots to the sidewalk beds.. 




Aside from spreading the mounds of older rocked moved from a different spot, only things i need to add to the " main " bed out there are the two Plumeria i'm planting, the " summer flowering " cacti, and a pair of Colorado Four-o-Clocks ( Mirabilis multiflora )..

Next fall, i tackle installing 16-18" barrier below the scalloped edging ( if i don't decide to move it to the sidewalk edge / replace w/ block.. )  to keep the Bermuda out..





 

[Silas_Sancona]

Aside from Spring flowers and Spring projects,  Spring is always a great time for resuming hunting for stuff on the " hit " lists..

Figures that while on a mission to add another Tomato,  i'd find something on one of those lists..

In this case, a " Jungle Cacti " that has been ..on the list.. for years..   It really should be an easy find, but ..for whatever reason, hasn't been,  up until recently.  I hadn't intended to look around again until later  but size of these specimens = couldn't pass on the opportunity.

Epiphyllum * Formally Selenicereus * chrysocardium ..The most exotic looking of the " Fishbone / Ric Rac " - Type Epiphyllums..







On a humorous,  -and somewhat disappointing-   side note,   Tag on all of these on the shelf where found were labeled as a ....Philodendron.. 🤣  ..Could not be any further from one of those..

Funny ..and sad.. that the nursery these came from ( Well known whole seller in S. Cal. ) didn't catch a very obvious faux pas  ...before the plants were distributed. 


..Now to find a larger pot / spot outside where it won't get thrashed by the sun / heat..  ...And get it out of the  grower's Peat Moss Trash..

[Silas_Sancona]

Awakenings  ...and small things..

- Progress -

Bonellia * Formally Jacquinia * macrocarpa ssp. pungens  specimen in recovery  ..Gettin' there..




- Small Stuff -

Portulaca suffrutescens



Asclepias subulata ..and Acaciella angustissima  ...Who will win the " it's getting crowded " game..





- More Plumeria waking up -


JJ Chablis



Kimo



Mardi Gras,  the big one..



** Not Pictured ** Need another week or two to be sure but very possible Divine will flower on at least 2 of her tips this year..



Desert Willow






...Speaking of which..   W/ the successful germination of seed, ..Yes, even one is a win..   it is confirmed that any seed produced on X Chitalpa  aren't always sterile..  Will try more later..






Uncarina peltata  ..stirring..   Adenium are also showing their first signs of waking up..





Reverse of fall color,  new leaves on Coulteria ** Formally Caesalpinia **  platyloba seedlings showing off some color as they emerge..



...Same idea on Erythrostemon ( Formally Caesalpinia ) palmeri..   Since the leaves on it are much smaller,  tougher to notice the color of emergent foliage..



Like clock work, Echinocereus reichenbachii  v. albispinus  budding up..  Will this be the year -any- of the Stoney Creek Echinoceri start flowering??

[Silas_Sancona]

Near peak Mtn Laurel, some at least...





















As the Sweet Acacia start to awaken..

[Tracy]

Despite signs of spring coming it is still winter here.  Nights are cold still and water temps in the ocean have dropped to their lowest in 2025.  Ocean temps definitely correlate to on land conditions in this area.  We are still awaiting spring.   Old timers in the area have always warned that early March is still a risky time for overnight lows that can be records for the year.

Signs of spring were apparent on.my walk.  A neighbor's Macrozamia has some cones beginning to emerge. 

[Silas_Sancona]

A little color between  spring storms...

Blackfoot Daisy.. 



Erythrostemon palmeri



Glandularia gooddingii



Sphaeralcea laxa



Aristiolochia watsonii



Late Desert Bluebells, and Calliandra eriophylla





...Another sure sign of Spring ..The return of Anthophora californica



 

[Silas_Sancona]

Some 2nd place < Astronomical > Spring color  ...and other things..



Hippeastrum X " Red Lion "  ...No doubt about this one.




Hippe X Minerva ..or Stargazer  ...or ...whatever.. Note the developing seedpod on the 1st stalk in the background. Pretty sure this was the flower i'd dusted w/ pollen from " not Red Lion ".




Hippe X White seedpods starting to open..  One of the seedpods could be a successful cross between it and the " not Red Lion " that was the first to flower. Other two pods i simply transferred pollen between open flowers on that stalk.  Harvested this pod and another roughly about a day from opening to see if harvest timing makes a difference in how seed germinates. Both are in pots..



Seed from the final pod will be floated since that is another way to germinate Hippeastrum seed.




Late Lupinus sparsiflorus



Only Lupinus nanus  that managed to pop this year..




Lupinus texanus  look like they were saved by the recent rains and are getting ready to flower..



Calliandra eriophylla  ..the darker pink one.. ( Flowers on the other are much paler ) 






Aloe in a nearby park..









Sphaeraleca ambigua, dark pink form..





S. ambigua,  lighter pink form, and Encelia farinosa




Water Lilies, ( ..Probably Nymphaea X " Colorado "  ) budding up.. Probably in bloom within the next week or two.



Neltuma glandulosa also starting to awaken. will probably be bright green by the end of next week.



One ..of the numerous neighborhood Hong Kong Orchids in bloom atm..






1st check on a some Plumeria i'd stumbled upon  while street - viewing near a local mall. ..some of the bigger / older specimens in the neighborhood.






Same neighborhood =  .....Possibly... the largest Delonix regia  i've come across anywhere in Phoenix..  MUCH taller than any of the others i've documented nearby or seen in other people's yards, mirroring some i'd see around my old neighborhood in Bradenton / Sarasota.  Another " found on street view " specimen.




Eyes definitely on this one as we gear up for flowering season..  Very curious how the owner managed to get their specimen as large as it is.. dense tree cover surrounding it might play a part.


In contrast, other Royal P.  2 doors up from the big one appears to have been nipped by January's 2 week chill spell. Green on it, so it should be fine. Burn is simply cosmetic.





Young'ins a' poppin...


Delonix r.    ...from the neighborhood  tree..   An additional 2 dozen down atm from seed i'd collected in Fl. back in 2015..




Last of the D. pumila i had.. Unlike last year's batch, these appear to be sprouting successfully..




Senna purpusii



Senna hirsuta




...Waiting to see exactly what these are..  Sold as Lysiphyllum hookeri  when bought ..back in 2017.. but not quite sure that is what i got.. While technically not a Bauhinia sp., Leaves on Lysiphyllum are supposed to resemble other " Orchid trees "..



Speaking of Bauhinia  ..some B. lunaroides ,  gifted by a reptile..




Malvaviscus arborescens v. drummondii..  Test batch of seed produced by my specimen.



A very rare Hoffmannseggia  i've been trying to get past the initial germination stage for about 5 years..  Fingers crossed..


 

[Mazat]

On 2.3.2025 at 07:21, Silas_Sancona said:

Dies ist auch die Jahreszeit, um Frühlingsprojekte fertigzustellen, bevor in ein paar Monaten die Morgendämmerung der „Nuke-Saison“ den östlichen Horizont erhellt, wenn nicht sogar schon früher in diesem Jahr.


Leicht erhöhte, mit Kies gefüllte Beete, die die Mauer aus Steinen vom hinteren Rasen trennen, sehen viel schöner aus, als wenn der Rasen den ganzen Platz einnimmt.

Wie bereits erwähnt, werden diese Beete mit bestimmten Canna- und im Sommer blühenden einjährigen Pflanzen gefüllt. In diesem speziellen Abschnitt habe ich den Kiespegel in den Löchern der Blöcke etwas niedriger gelassen als in anderen Bereichen (… wo ich die Löcher bis zum Rand gefüllt habe). Denn dieser Teil des Hofs bleibt im Winter schattig und feucht, selbst in einem so trockenen Winter wie dieses Jahr … und die Unterseite aller hier platzierten Blöcke ist nicht offen, … sodass etwas Wasser zurückgehalten werden kann … oder das Wasser zumindest langsam abfließen kann, da ich im nächsten Winter ein weiteres Experiment mit einheimischen Farnsporen in Betracht ziehe. Vielleicht stecke ich auch ein paar Yerba-Mansa-Ableger in einige der Löcher. Bin mir noch nicht sicher, ob die Ecke hinter dem Baumstamm gut genug ist, um ein Hedychium hineinzuwerfen, oder ob es immer noch zu heiß/sonnig ist. Jetzt, wo sie umzäunt ist, muss ich ein paar Säcke Kompost besorgen/untermischen und mir überlegen, welche Tomaten/Paprika, mexikanischen Oregano ( Lippia gravolens )/Basilikum dort eingepflanzt werden sollen. Italienischer Langer Pfeffer vor 2 Jahren gepflanzt? ...Erwachen zum Frühling, Nr. 3.  Unter dem 12–15 cm dicken Block, der unter der Erdoberfläche vergraben ist, verbergen sich weitere 20–25 cm Drahtgeflecht um die gesamte Beetkante, das die pelzige Plage abschrecken sollte.  















 

*Hoffentlich* Nächster Bereich. Ich glaube nicht, dass der Garten ohne diesen Abschnitt gut aussehen würde. Da ich mir ziemlich sicher bin, dass nach der Fertigstellung der letzten beiden Abschnitte der Hochbeete entlang der Rückwand noch Kies übrig sein wird, werde ich diesen Bereich um den Ficusfuß herum wahrscheinlich auffüllen, nachdem ich Drahtgeflecht ausgelegt habe, um die pelzige Plage fernzuhalten. Aus irgendeinem Grund wird Bermudagras, das überall sonst wächst, hier unten nicht auffüllen. Würde sowieso schöner aussehen mit einem abgegrenzten, leicht erhöhten Beet drumherum.. Das Ding im Topf vor dem Ficus ist eine Bursera sp. der Zone 13, die in einem kleinen Gebiet von Oaxaca an der Pazifikküste Mexikos heimisch ist.. Zusätzlicher Platz in der Einfahrt ist aufgefüllt.. Davor ist ein 3 Fuß breites Hochbeet ... damit niemand, der dort parkt, gegen die Mauer aus Steinblöcken stößt, die den Vorgarten vom Hinterhof trennt.. Zufällige „Zusatzstellen“ für die Beete am Gehweg..  Abgesehen davon, dass ich die Hügel aus älterem Steingut, das ich von einer anderen Stelle gebracht habe, verteilt habe, muss ich dem „Hauptbeet“ da draußen nur die beiden Plumeria hinzufügen, die ich pflanze, die „im Sommer blühenden“ Kakteen und ein Paar Wunderblumen ( Mirabilis multiflora ).. Nächsten Herbst werde ich eine 16–18 Zoll hohe Barriere unterhalb der gezackten Kante installieren (wenn ich mich nicht dazu entscheide, sie an den Gehwegrand zu versetzen/durch Steinblöcke zu ersetzen ...), um das Bermudagras draußen zu halten.





































 

looks excellent and is even more effective thanks to this subdivision.

Wonderful🤗😀

[Mazat]

On 10.3.2025 at 00:49, Silas_Sancona said:

In der Nähe des Gipfels des Mount Laurel, zumindest einige ... Während die Duftakazie zu erwachen beginnt ...

Great 🤗 

[Rivera]

Tellima grandiflora, locally native. I now have many plants, as the two small gift plants I received from a friend have seeded themselves prolifically and their offspring have also matured. It surprised me that they not only germinated and grew in moist shady situations, but also in dry sunny spots and even on porous concrete that was adequately moist.

Alyogyne huegelii, two varieties, one in a pot and the smaller plant in the ground.

Fragaria chiloensis with a hybrid Dudleya above and to the left. The strawberry plant does set numerous small fruits every year.

Closeup of same Dudleya sending up peduncles but not blooming yet

Dudleya pachyphytum, no flowers but this large rosette just bifurcated.

Lobelia aguana, vigorous and awesome

Dudleya hassei with Clivia in the background. I'm not drawn to the variegated selections of Agave bracteosa, but next to the Dudleya is an awesomely compact cultivated variety of the species that first originated at Rancho Soledad. Of course, a rodent gnawed off this plant's first pup.

Clivia

My favorite amongst them

Armeria maritima, with poppies and miner's lettuce behind it in the second photo

The racoons wiped out our fall crop of passion fruit. I netted the few remaining fruits late in the season, which overwintered and are ripe now.

Guatemalan selection of Spanish moss

Another Guatemalan epiphyte, Disocactus eichlamii

Dendromecon harfordii forming buds with our most beautiful invasive plant behind it. I remove Calla lilies from most of the yard, but I've allowed a couple clumps to remain.

[Mazat]

On 10.3.2025 at 03:12, Tracy said:

Trotz der Frühlingsboten ist hier noch Winter. Die Nächte sind immer noch kalt, und die Wassertemperaturen im Meer sind auf den niedrigsten Stand seit 2025 gefallen. Die Meerestemperaturen korrelieren eindeutig mit den Landtemperaturen in dieser Region. Wir warten immer noch auf den Frühling. Alteingesessene in der Region haben immer gewarnt, dass Anfang März immer noch ein Risiko für nächtliche Tiefsttemperaturen besteht, die Rekordwerte für das Jahr erreichen können.

Auf meinem Spaziergang waren die ersten Anzeichen des Frühlings zu sehen. An der Macrozamia eines Nachbarn treiben die ersten Zapfen aus. 

Here also cold in the morning 30.2 degrees fahrenheit thursday and yesterday and max in the day 66,38 degrees fahrenheit and 68.8 degrees fahrenheit.

[Mazat]

11 minutes ago, Rivera said:

Tellima grandiflora, heimisch. Ich habe mittlerweile viele Pflanzen, da die beiden kleinen Pflanzen, die ich von einem Freund geschenkt bekommen habe, sich zahlreich ausgesät haben und ihre Nachkommen ebenfalls herangewachsen sind. Zu meiner Überraschung keimten und wuchsen sie nicht nur an feuchten, schattigen Standorten, sondern auch an trockenen, sonnigen Stellen und sogar auf ausreichend feuchtem Porenbeton.

Alyogyne huegelii, zwei Sorten, eine im Topf und die kleinere Pflanze im Boden.

Fragaria chiloensis mit einer Dudleya-Hybride oben links. Die Erdbeerpflanze trägt jedes Jahr zahlreiche kleine Früchte.

Nahaufnahme derselben Dudleya, die Blütenstiele aussendet, aber noch nicht blüht

Dudleya pachyphytum, keine Blüten, aber diese große, einfach gegabelte Rosette.

Lobelia aguana, kräftig und beeindruckend

Dudleya hassei mit Clivia im Hintergrund. Die bunten Sorten der Agave bracteosa gefallen mir nicht, aber neben der Dudleya steht eine unglaublich kompakte Kulturvarietät der ursprünglich auf Rancho Soledad vorkommenden Art. Natürlich hat ein Nagetier den ersten Ableger dieser Pflanze abgenagt.

Clivia

Mein Favorit unter ihnen

Armeria maritima, dahinter Mohn und Winterportulak auf dem zweiten Foto

Die Waschbären haben unsere Passionsfruchternte im Herbst vernichtet. Die wenigen verbliebenen Früchte habe ich gegen Ende der Saison mit einem Netz eingesammelt. Sie haben den Winter überstanden und sind jetzt reif.

Guatemaltekische Auswahl an Spanischem Moos

Ein weiterer guatemaltekischer Epiphyt, Disocactus eichlamii

Dendromecon harfordii bildet Knospen, dahinter unsere schönste invasive Pflanze. Ich habe Calla-Lilien aus dem größten Teil des Gartens entfernt, aber ein paar Büschel habe ich stehen gelassen.

those little cheeky bears 

[Rivera]

3 hours ago, Mazat said:

those little cheeky bears 

Yes, ever the rascals they are.

[Silas_Sancona]

More  Bauhinia X blakeana bliss..









March    ...Of the New World Acacias...

Vachellia rigidula - Blackbush Acacia.  Nice 'Rhaads







Vachellia schaffneri  - Twisted Acacia / Huizachie Chino









Vachellia farnesiana - Sweet Acacia





Mariosousa heterophylla * Formally M. willardiana *   Palo Blanco





As the Palo Verde begin rehearsal before heading to the stage..  Parkinsonia florida  always being the first to get the show going.... 

[Silas_Sancona]

Beavertail and Hedgehog Season has arrived...







Erythrostemon palmeri .." Big Blue " in the background





With each new year, new leaf color on Clitoria mariana  just gets better.



Aristolochia fimbriata





One of the various forms of Eriogonum fasciculatum, CA. Buckwheat.




Berlandiera lyrata  and Salvia farinacea  just about ready to go..






Tiny Lupinus texanus




Awakening Mesquite..




While the standard Blue Hibiscus, Alyogyne huegeii  is seen here occasionally ( ..And seems to do well if given some shade from the afternoon sun / a little extra water in summer )  White flowering form of A. hakeifolia is new,  here at least.  Nursery had brought in the large specimen pictured a couple years ago. Has held up well thru the last two brutal summers.











Variation in flower color  within some 24gal Handroanthus impetiginosus  in the nursery..














As happens every so often when i'm out simply doing price checks on material,  something immediately grabs your attention as soon as you walk out into the nursery..

In this case, a new,  purple - flowered form of Mandevilla..  That's right,  ...Purple..  Not Pink, ..another take on Red or White..  or maybe a brighter shade of the Sunrise Yellow Orange seen in some recent introductions out on the market now..   Legit Purple..  

As much as i avoid buying stuff from this particular wholeseller, this time will be the once in a blue moon exception..

Since most of the commonly seen Mandevilla crosses / forms in the Hort. trade are Pink, Red, Yellow, or White, casual thinking is to get purple in,  this cross might involve one of the few blue / purple -flowered sps.,  like M. duartei, or leptophylla. 

Then again, perhaps it was a chance seedling. ...Compared to Plumeria,  not sure if the flower color of Mandevilla seedlings stays true to the parent,  or can end up being completely different when they flower.


Regardless, it's a keeper.









To varying degrees, same flower color is mirrored in all of the Purple colored Plumeria that have been developed * / released  ** into the trade over the last decade or so  ( ** Serendipity, * Tropical Aurora, ** Jack's Purple, etc )




Big Blue, lighting up.. Rest of the P.V.  in the 'hood are right behind it..  Tis' the Season




 

[Silas_Sancona]

Some color on the final Sunday of March     ..and the first month of Spring.....

Addtnl. notable Hong Kong Orchids in the neighborhood..







Beavertails flowering in the yard ..Finally,  lol..   Budded up before the larger specimen at the old house, but decided to bloom after that one started  ..Weirdos, lol..





As thought,  A little heat the last couple weeks helps bring Nymphaea X " Colorado " fireworks up from the depths...  Was discussing how this particular park should add a couple more colors to the pond w/ someone else admiring them and pointing out the frogs hiding among the pads..

My choices?  Nymphaea X " Tanzanite ",  ..and either Nymphaea X " Red Antares " , and / or  N. X " Red Flare " ..Both of these Tropical Waterlilies open at night and are extremely fragrant..  Nice treat while hanging out here on one of our hot and stormy Monsoon evenings..
























Grand Neltuma glandulosa at the same park..














" The Beast " < Left >, and Swamp creature Chilean Hybrid Mesquites < Right >  Over the wall..





First of the G. coulteri to show obvious signs of flowers to come..  Ironically, once again, it is the smaller specimen planted out front rather than the bigger one, or the potted specimens out back..



They should follow shortly.. 

While perfectly healthy, thinking the bigger one out front is still munching through years of Cat - deposited Nitrogen  before it really starts flowering  ..If it flowers shy-ly again this year.  We'll see...

Between the 3 ( Two here, One at the old house )  it is the only one that hasn't been covered in flowers when these flower. It will get there regardless..



While the rest are awakening steadily,  confirmation that Plumeria X " Divine "  will be ....Divine... this year.  Throws them on just this branch, or three out of 4 on her atm this year? ..we'll see..





Portulaca suffrutescens, ....Another " trust your gut " confirmation..  As mentioned when they started to awaken earlier than i'd assumed they might,  developing flower buds, that will likely open soon, confirms my earlier hunch.. 




Ruellia californica v. peninsularis  ( ..or is it the other way.. Don't really care regardless ) ..Do they ever stop being spectacular..




 Acer sp in the Low Desert?  ..Heck no..  That is Uncarina peltata..  No flowers again this years = telling me it needs to get into a new pot, asap.





Dyckia choristaminea  getting ready..   @Rivera  We'll see what the hummingbirds think.   No scrapes developing on D. rariflora, which sits above and behind where this sits, but, they'll likely start rising from it soon.



Bursera fageroides,  waking up..   



Good Ghaaad'!    The desert is so boring and devoid of color!.....................

[Silas_Sancona]

Some scenes from an inaugural visit to local Oasis #3 on the last day of March..  While more simplistic and younger in age than the other, better known " Oasis " on this side of the valley,  here, you are able to catch a glimpse of what various parts of the valley looked like before many of the C.A.P. canals were cemented in, and most of the Fremont's Cottonwood lining many of them were chopped down.

Is also a glimpse of what the middle section of the Gila River   ...Section of it that passes through Florence, under I -10, through the Gila Indian Nation/ Reservation, and into Buckeye, ...where the Salt and Gila Rivers unite...    looked like before the building of the Coolidge dam and added water diversions caused this section of the river to go dry, at least at the surface. 

Final nail was human - accelerated demise of what Cottonwood / Willow Gallery forests had held on after a prolonged drought caused massive crop failure, which in turn caused settlers along the river att to chop as much wood as they could to sell to survive.

While it looks barren and ..sorta sad.. when passing through this area atm, there are efforts under way, both within and outside the Gila nation,  to piece together restored patches of as much of this habitat to the middle Gila as is possible in today's climate.

Perhaps in the future, the Coolidge dam won't be needed and can be taken down, thus allowing more water from the Gila to reach, all the way through, once again.


View standing among these giants may be slightly different compared to Cottonwood galleries visited further south, but, distinct scent and cool shade provided while sitting beneath on a hot spring day, soothing, flowing water - like ruffle of the canopies in a breeze / countless birds singing high in the treetops is just the same.. Splendid.. 

For other areas of the valley. bringing back Cottonwoods to the canals would help create more desperately needed urban canopy, and draw more people to the utilize the pathways along many of the canals themselves..

Here, in time, as the park gets established and the ongoing battle against a pretty aggressive Salt Cedar invasion is put down for good..  all shore areas of the recharge ponds that lack them, will likely be lined w/ Cottonwood  so that no matter where one stands on a path, these towering jewels on the desert are keeping things cool and inspiring awe somewhere where some might assume that can't exist  ..Because it is a desert..












































A couple cool season wildflowers encountered...

Lupinus succulentus






Salvia columbariae


 

[Silas_Sancona]

Highlights from a little Saturday shopping  ...and

Tucson Nursery Handroanthus ** impetiginosus  specimen in full glory..  ** =  After an enlightening conversation a week or so ago w/ another PT'er,  a little bit of debate on the actual ID of this, and other specimens of this species both here, and in CA ( ..And possibly FL. as well )

The confusion arises from the fact that it and another species, Handroanthus heptaphyllus are so similar looking that many specimens offered in the Nursery trade over the years may have been miss -ID'ed IE: Labeled  < and sold > as impetiginosus when in fact many are heptaphyllus..

Ranges of both overlap in S. America and since Trumpet Trees can cross ..Some at least.. it is very possible trees offered through the years could be crosses  -of some deg. at least-  between the two sps.

W/ H. heptaphyllus, sub petiole ( which connects the leaves to the main leafstalk )  is supposed to be longer than the leaflet at the end, and the leaf margin is often serrated. 

Example shown within an article written by Don Hodel several years ago: https://docslib.org/doc/9178862/handroanthus-heptaphyllus-the-correct-name-for-the-pink-trumpet-tree-in-southern-california

W/ " true " impetiginosus, the sub petiole is often much shorter than the leaflet.. Leaf margin smooth, or having minimal wavy-ness, rather than having saw teeth - like serrations.. Leaflets themselves can be fairly large / wide as well..

iNat observation example from Sinaloa.. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/104998752

H. heptaphyllus generally sticks to riparian / stream side - type habitats where moisture is adequate and the soil is deep.

H. impetiginosus often grows in much drier habitat, which is one reason it can withstand more seasonal drought where it occurs in Sonora and Sinaloa. 

So, which is which..

..I could go on  but, don't think i need to.. 

Regardless of it's exact parentage, this specimen,  and one i've had for years that came from it has weathered many years of drought, intense heat, less than perfect watering ( me.. )  and sub 29F cold / occasional snow ( the specimen at the nursery in Tucson ) ..Nothing seems to bother either..  And as i mentioned above, each year, the Tucson specimen just gets more spectacular..















Now to convince mine to start flowering, lol...



Finally.....   some good shots of the pink flowered form of  Bauhinia lunaroides, AKA: Anacacho Orchid Tree..

















Aside from picking up a couple Senna species,  a couple highlight purchases.. 

Lippia gravolens, Mexican Oregano.. A regionally native ..and prized... alternative to " traditional " Oregano which often struggles here.





Amsonia longiflora,  New to me, regionally native species from S. New Mexico and the Big Bend region of W. TX.  We'll see how this one does.

A very obvious plus?  Flowers emit a strong fragrance that could be mistaken for some of the intensely fragrant Jasmines,  or the " Star Gazer ' Oriental Lilies seen in almost every florist's shop.

Nursery worker was bringing a batch of these out as i was getting ready to leave.. Of course i had to grab one...






Calliandra eriophylla  specimen in full glory at another stop..    Catalinas in the background on the right.



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[Peter]

Wow that pink lunaroides!   Please to collect seed if you can; Jacob and I have small versions of the white one going but that pink is spectacular!

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Peter said:

Wow that pink lunaroides!   Please to collect seed if you can; Jacob and I have small versions of the white one going but that pink is spectacular!

Agree 100%.. An absolute stunner.. Have gotten shots of the tree when it had some flowers on it but, first time i remember catching it at peak bloom, completely covered.. 

When i was down there in Jan.,  nursery had about a dozen 5gal pink flowered specimens for sale..  Because they weren't flowering at that time, wanted to wait to see how pink they might be when i returned -if they were flowering by that time.. before picking one up.

Had just a couple left yesterday and color on the one that was in bloom was more of a pink blushed white rather than the obvious, darker hue of the parent tree.. so,  i'll be talking to them again about seed, or any " new "  specimens they get going off the parent tree this year.

Btw,  have a feeling we're going to start to see many more Trumpet Tree specimens around..  Lots of 5gal impetiginosus < ..or whatever the pink one is >  and chrysanthus on carts headed out of the nursery yesterday..

[Hillizard]

As usual my H. heptaphyllus is a few weeks 'behind' yours in terms of blooming. I really like the fact that it blooms twice a year (spring and fall) dependably. Once it's out of the shade of the mule palm next to it, I expect much more growth.

[Silas_Sancona]

>>>>>


Quick peek through a fence while making a stop at destination #3 for the day yesterday..  Would've done the usual post winter check in here, but headed somewhere else, so, a check in will wait until next month ...or on one of the planned trips roaming the region after Monsoon season has kicked in..

Regardless, aside from a hard to see Ficus palmeri  specimen tucked between the Brahea and Sabal uresana and etc stuff in view having some of it's top checked by the chilly spell this past January, " Target Tenders "  i could see, which i focus on looking over after winter,  look good..

So much nicer than Washingtonia......




Some nice, colorful, and affordable  Echinocereus viridiflorus v. canus <  ** Now apparently just E. canus ** >  in one of the nursery greenhouses..