Prickly Pears that I picked locally in February 2020. I refrigerated these pears, and they’re still fresh in early April:
Pears are still on this plant as flowers begin to bloom:
Nearby in the neighborhood, this Prickly Pear is blooming:
Globe Mallow:
The Firestick remains pale red all year long. I have yet to see it flower during my first year here in Phoenix:
I have yet to identify this. Note the subtle green buds that grow into small white flowers:
A Penstemon. It’s tubular flowers attract hummingbirds. The ubiquitous Brittlebush appears at the bottom of the picture:
I have yet to identify the wildflower in the foreground. A Lantana peeks out in the lower righthand corner:
I have yet to identify the following shrub:
Palo Brea means “tar stick” in Spanish – literally “stick tar.” This Palo Brea is in full flower:
The flowers grow into seed pods. A dried pod from last season, center, still hangs from the tree.
Desert Bluebells and Mexican Poppies under a Palo Verde tree which is just beginning to leaf out:
The same landscape from a different angle:
Mexican Poppies:
Bluebells along a wall, shown below. The trees in the background are a Lemon (right) and an Orange. Some of last year’s crop remain on the trees just as they’re beginning to flower.
Desert Bluebells among the river rocks:
The first flowers that I’ve seen this season. This is an Engelmann’s Prickly Pear:
A Beavertail Prickly Pear full of buds is shown below. You can also see the proliferation of buds in the previous photos. Desert Bluebells are laid out along the river stones, below. A Bird of Paradise appears behind the Prickly Pear. Its new leaves are reddish-purple. Zoey is looking expectantly from the garage door. I have yet to identify the whitish flowering plant in front of the Prickly Pear:
A similar view with my 2004 Dodge Neon parked in the driveway:
Brittlebush — The most ubiquitous shrub in this area. It lines the highway between Phoenix and Tucson, overhanging the roadway’s shoulders.
Brittlebushes with a many-armed saguaro cactus in the background — pronounced SWAH roe:
Lupine — pronounced LOO pin:
Trailing Rosemary — spreads like a groundcover:
Non-native clover is in the foreground.
Hot Tea with Sugar 