Palo Verde Glory

This is the best time of year in the Sonoran Desert: Spring, lasting from sometime in February to usually the end of April or even into May. We looked at some wildflowers in the previous post, and I'll post pictures of cactus blooms soon, but today I want to highlight the amazing and startling palo verde blossoming, which has just begun and will last another couple of weeks.

Everywhere you go in town and out of it, particularly in the foothills, you will be awed by the brilliant displays of palo verdes in bloom.

These gorgeous trees were flowering alongside the Rillito River

There are two main types of palo verdes--the Blue Palo Verde, which blooms first, and the Foothills Palo Verde, which blooms a week or so later. The Blue blossoms are a deeper yellow color, like the filling in a lemon pie. The Foothills is paler, more like lemon pie with meringue. The difference is caused by the fact that the petals on a Blue Palo Verde are all yellow, while the Foothills tree has one white petal on each flower.

Blue Palo Verde Blossom

Foothills Palo Verde Blossom

This beautiful Blue Palo Verde greets visitors in the central part of Tohono Chul Park:

 Whenever I'm driving around, my heart feels as if it has stopped when I come upon one of the thousands of our glorious palo verdes and its magnificent blossoms. I'll leave you with a long shot and closeup of this stunning tree that I saw a couple of years ago in a medical plaza.

 

Sonoran Spring Beauty

This time of year is breathtaking throughout the Tucson area. Hiking in a desert canyon can be like stepping into a medieval millefleurs tapestry. Our yards and medians have erupted in color. Courting and nesting birds are everywhere, as are butterflies of all sizes. Please join me for a brief walk in Tohono Chul Park for a small taste of what I see every day.

One of the new entry paths into the Park, lined with Parry's penstemon

Brittle bush grows in profusion everywhere, on easements, in washes, in yards, and throughout the Park

Penstemons appear to be growing from this ocotillo, which will send out its own blooms any day now

Gorgeosity in the Sundial Plaza, along with a scrap-metal vulture

Blackfoot daisies line several paths

Hedgehogs are the first cacti to bloom; these are Boyce-Thompson variety

These lovely flowers are new to me this year: Baby's Bonnet

On the way out of the Park, let's stop for a close look at these beautiful tufted evening primroses

But wait! There's more! Here's a look at late spring from last year, with a different cast but just as much beauty.