Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • The firebush is a real beauty of the tropics and is a commonly encountered native shrub in South Florida and many parts of Mexico and Central America. A relative of coffee, the firebush, (also known by many other names such as Mexican firecracker, hummingbird bush, scarlet bush, and redhead, attracts large numbers of butterflies and hummingbirds who feed on the sweet nectar provided by the bright orange and red tubular flowers. This one was found growing in a nature preserve in Palm Beach County in South Florida.
    Firebush
  • The firebush is a real beauty of the tropics and is a commonly encountered native shrub in South Florida and many parts of Mexico and Central America. A relative of coffee, the firebush (also known by many other names such as Mexican firecracker, hummingbird bush, scarlet bush, and redhead) attracts large numbers of butterflies and hummingbirds who feed on the sweet nectar provided by the bright orange and red tubular flowers. This one was found growing in a nature preserve in Palm Beach County in South Florida.
    Firebush
  • The firebush is a real beauty of the tropics and is a commonly encountered native shrub in South Florida and many parts of Mexico and Central America. A relative of coffee, the firebush (also known by many other names such as Mexican firecracker, hummingbird bush, scarlet bush, and redhead) attracts large numbers of butterflies and hummingbirds who feed on the sweet nectar provided by the bright orange and red tubular flowers. This one was found growing deep in the Fakahatchee Strand in the northern part of the Florida Everglades in Collier County.
    Firebush
  • The copperbush is a somewhat uncommon shrub found in the subalpine wet/damp forests in the mountains of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. Often associated with bogs, this rather unremarkable shrub has beautiful coppery bark and pale flowers. This one was blooming next to Lake Elizabeth at the top of Washington's Stevens Pass.
    Copperbush
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing next to Lake Gulch in rural Baker County, Oregon on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-7
  • Closeup of salal flowers next to Deep Lake near Enumclaw, WA. Found in many places across the Pacific Northwest, this common native woody shrub is found in forests and woodlands and is of great historical importance to the native tribes who have inhabited the region for thousands of years. The delicious, intensely sweet edible berries that will come later in the summer were used to make dried cakes that would provide nourishment throughout the winter. It is said that cakes of pure salal were reserved solely for the chiefs to eat, and anyone else had to have theirs mixed with other local berries, such as huckleberries or elderberries as was the custom.
    Salal
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing next to Lake Gulch in rural Baker County, Oregon on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-6
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing next to Lake Gulch in rural Baker County, Oregon on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-4
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing next to Lake Gulch in rural Baker County, Oregon on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-3
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Western Olympic Mountains of Washington in the Hoh Rainforest.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Western Olympic Mountains of Washington in the Hoh Rainforest.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Northern Olympic Mountains of Washington along the Sol Duc River.
    Black Huckleberry
  • Fairly widespread across most of North America, excluding the Southeast and the extreme Northeast, the golden currant is a member of the currant and gooseberry family. In early spring, this plant is covered in hundreds of beautiful small bright yellow flowers. By late spring and early summer, the limbs of this small water-loving shrub become heavily laden with golden yellow/orange edible fruits, such as these growing next to Cowiche Creek, just west of Yakima, Washington.
    Golden Currant
  • A close relative of poison ivy, smooth sumac is a very widespread shrub across nearly all of North America (excluding the Arctic and Maritime provinces of Canada) that grows in a wide variety of habitats. The bright red berries (as seen here) follow nondescript green flowers and are not only edible, but provide a bountiful harvest for all kinds of wildlife. One thing particularly beautiful about this native plant are the alternate compound leaves that turn a bright waxy red in the fall.
    Smooth Sumac Berries
  • This tough, woody shrub is common in the most arid regions of the American and Canadian West, and is a member of the rose family. Attractive in the spring when it is overloaded with small yellow flowers, it is often found with balsamroot species in sagebrush desert habitats, and is an important food source for deer. This one was photographed in Central Washington in Kittitas County near the Columbia River.
    Antelope Bitterbrush
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing next to Lake Gulch in rural Baker County, Oregon on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-5
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing on the side of a rocky mountain slope just above Petty Creek in Alberton, Montana on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-1
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing on the side of a rocky mountain slope just above Petty Creek in Alberton, Montana on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-2
  • The red-flowering currant is not only a Pacific Northwest native found from Northern California all the way up to British Columbia, it is also a prized garden and landscaping shrub grown for its brightly colored and scented flowers in early spring. This one was found alongside Deep Lake in Enumclaw, Washington.
    Red-Flowering Currant
  • The skunkbush sumac is a very attractive shrub found in all of the states west of the Mississippi River excluding Minnesota, Missouri and Louisiana and can be found in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan and much of Northern Mexico. When crushed, the leaves emit a strong, unpleasant odor (hence the common name) but the sticky, edible fruit have a sharp, lime-like taste. These berries were found growing in rural Socorro County, about an hour south of Albuquerque, New Mexico on a chilly spring morning.
    Skunkbush Sumac
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Western Olympic Mountains of Washington in the Hoh Rainforest.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Western Olympic Mountains of Washington in the Hoh Rainforest.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Western Olympic Mountains of Washington in the Hoh Rainforest.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Northern Olympic Mountains of Washington along the Sol Duc River.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Western Olympic Mountains of Washington in the Hoh Rainforest.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A Pacific Northwest delicacy! The black huckleberry is an important and nutritious food source for black and grizzly bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, elk, moose, and ruffed grouse. Commonly reaching 6 feet in height, it is common to understory shrub, dry to moist coniferous forests, and open areas. These were found growing in the Northern Olympic Mountains of Washington along the Sol Duc River.
    Black Huckleberry
  • One of the most interesting facts about the mock-orange is the fact that it develops different properties based on where it is found in the wild. Because of the varying habitats where it is found, Native Americans of different tribes and geological locations had very different uses for this same shrub. Some used the wood for making strong and straight arrow shafts. Others made reliable and sturdy digging sticks with them. One of the most amazing characteristics is that if you crush the leaves and flowers together between your hands and keep rubbing, you will create a soapy lather, great for bathing! This one was found blooming next to the Yakima River in Kittitas County, Washington.
    Mock-Orange
  • Hardhack, also known as steeplebush, is a common wetland-loving shrub found throughout much of the Pacific Northwest from mid to low elevations. This member of the rose family's preferred habitats include primarily bogs, swamps, streambanks and  riparian areas, it often grows in huge thickets. These were photographed about thirty miles south of Seattle, Washington in a wetland area of Federal Way.
    Hardhack
  • The red-flowering currant is a beautiful red to pink (based on location) deciduous shrub native to the Pacific Northwest. This one was photographed in the late spring in a forest in Steven's Pass, Washington.
    Red-flowering Currant
  • Close-up look at the spines of a young fishhook barrel cactus, this one found and photographed in the Alamo Canyon, deep in the Ajo Mountains of Southern Pima County, Arizona near the Mexican border. As this plant grows larger, these spines will turn back inwards, giving them a "fishhook" like appearance. This rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Bright yellow fruit emerge and develop throughout the year after its bright orange blossoms are pollinated in summer, and by the following spring they will look like this. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas.
    Fishhook Barrel Cactus Spines
  • The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas. This one was found and photographed between the Ajo and Puerto Blanco Mountains ranges in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona.
    Fishhook Barrel
  • The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Bright yellow fruit emerge and develop throughout the year after its bright orange blossoms are pollinated in summer, and by the following spring they will look like this. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas. This one was found and photographed between the Ajo and Puerto Blanco Mountains ranges in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona.
    Fishhook Barrel
  • The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Bright yellow fruit emerge and develop throughout the year after its bright orange blossoms are pollinated in summer, and by the following spring they will look like this. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas. This one was found and photographed between the Ajo and Puerto Blanco Mountains ranges in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona.
    Fishhook Barrel
  • The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas. This one was found and photographed in the Puerto Blanco mountain range in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona.
    Fishhook Barrel
  • A rare find! Usually found singly, this trio of young fishhook barrel cacti was found and photographed in the Alamo Canyon, deep in the Ajo Mountains of Southern Pima County, Arizona near the Mexican border.  The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas.
    A Trio of Fishhook Barrels
  • A rare find! Usually found singly, this trio of young fishhook barrel cacti was found and photographed in the Alamo Canyon, deep in the Ajo Mountains of Southern Pima County, Arizona near the Mexican border.  The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas.
    A Trio of Fishhook Barrels
  • Close-up look at the fishhook-like spines of the aptly-named fishhook barrel cactus, this one found and photographed between the Ajo and Puerto Blanco Mountains ranges in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona. This rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Bright yellow fruit emerge and develop throughout the year after its bright orange blossoms are pollinated in summer, and by the following spring they will look like this. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas.
    Fishhook Barrel Cactus Spines
  • Close-up look at the fishhook-like spines of the aptly-named fishhook barrel cactus, this one found and photographed between the Ajo and Puerto Blanco Mountains ranges in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona. This rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Bright yellow fruit emerge and develop throughout the year after its bright orange blossoms are pollinated in summer, and by the following spring they will look like this. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas.
    Fishhook Barrel Cactus Spines
  • The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas. This one was found and photographed between the Ajo and Puerto Blanco Mountains ranges in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona.
    Fishhook Barrel
  • The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Bright yellow fruit emerge and develop throughout the year after its bright orange blossoms are pollinated in summer, and by the following spring they will look like this. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas. This one was found and photographed between the Ajo and Puerto Blanco Mountains ranges in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona.
    Fishhook Barrel
  • The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas. This one was found and photographed in the Puerto Blanco mountain range in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona.
    Fishhook Barrel
  • The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Bright yellow fruit emerge and develop throughout the year after its bright orange blossoms are pollinated in summer, and by the following spring they will look like this. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas. This one was found and photographed between the Ajo and Puerto Blanco Mountains ranges in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona.
    Fishhook Barrel
  • Also known as the holly-leaved Oregon grape, this member of the Mahonia genus can tolerate drier conditions than other native Oregon grape shrubs and is easily recognized by the distinctive waxy, holly-like leaves as well as the height it can grow - almost 9 feet tall! This one was was found growing in a forest near Olympia, Washington, heavy with fruit. While the fruit can be delicious, tart, pleasing and can be made into delicious jellies, jams and wines, caution must be taken as high doses of Oregon-grapes can cause nose-bleeds, kidney inflammation,  shortness of breath, or worse.
    Shining Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifo..ium)
  • Also known as the holly-leaved Oregon grape, this member of the Mahonia genus can tolerate drier conditions than other native Oregon grape shrubs and is easily recognized by the distinctive waxy, holly-like leaves as well as the height it can grow - almost 9 feet tall! While the fruit can be delicious, tart, pleasing and can be made into delicious jellies, jams and wines, caution must be taken as high doses of Oregon-grapes can cause nose-bleeds, kidney inflammation,  shortness of breath, or worse. This one was was found growing in a forest near Olympia, Washington, heavy with fruit.
    Shining Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifo..ium)
  • This cluster of flower buds will soon open into a small spray of tiny yellow flowers, that will by next winter become a head of bright red berries. Just by the sheer number of sumac shrubs that can be found like this one just west of Yakima in Cowiche Canyon, crowded together on both sides of the creek that flows through it - it is a veritable feast for all the animals living in the area and will keep them all fed throughout the long winter.
    Smooth Sumac
  • Ranging from toxic to poisonous to humans and several species of animals - particularly fish, the common snowberry is an important food source for wildlife. Moose, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and pronghorns will readily eat the foliage, while bears birds, rabbits and other small mammals can safely eat the waxy white berries. This snowberry bush was found growing next to the Green River about 20 miles south of Seattle, Washington on a warm summer day.
    Snowberry2020-3.jpg
  • Ranging from toxic to poisonous to humans and several species of animals - particularly fish, the common snowberry is an important food source for wildlife. Moose, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and pronghorns will readily eat the foliage, while bears birds, rabbits and other small mammals can safely eat the waxy white berries. This snowberry bush was found growing next to the Green River about 20 miles south of Seattle, Washington on a warm summer day.
    Snowberry2020-2.jpg
  • Ranging from toxic to poisonous to humans and several species of animals - particularly fish, the common snowberry is an important food source for wildlife. Moose, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and pronghorns will readily eat the foliage, while bears birds, rabbits and other small mammals can safely eat the waxy white berries. This snowberry bush was found growing next to the Green River about 20 miles south of Seattle, Washington on a warm summer day.
    Snowberry2020-1.jpg
  • One of the first flowers to be seen in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the Indian plum fills the forest with clusters of beautiful showy white flowers that soon develop small berries that turn from peach to red and finally dark blue or purple when ripe. Although not really a plum, it is a unique fruit that is pleasantly similar in taste to cherries or watermelon. Historically, local Native American tribes would mix these berries with generous amounts of oolichan (an oil from a local oily fish - similar to a smelt) and was popular at feasts. The bark was also used as a medicinal tea. This one was one fo the first of the season, showing itself along side Soos Creek in Kent, Washington, about 25 miles south of Seattle on a chilly, wet March afternoon.
    Indian Plum Blossoms
  • Hardhack (also known by many other common names such as rose spirea, western spiraea, steeplebush and more) is common wetland flowering bush in the rose family that easily reaches a hight of around 7 feet and can be found in wet soils across the Pacific Northeast and Western Canadian provinces. It attracts a large number of pollinating bees, bumblebees and hummingbirds, and the thick vegetation it provides makes it ideal cover for all sorts of small mammals and birds to take shelter, such as rabbits, towhees and other passerine songbirds. This one was found in full flower on the edge of Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a cloudy summer day.
    Hardhack
  • Getting their name from the sweet nectar produced by their beautiful bright red-orange flowers and tube-like flowers, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. These were found growing on a bright summer day overlooking the Puget Sound on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • Getting their name from the sweet nectar produced by their beautiful bright red-orange flowers and tube-like flowers, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. These were found growing on a bright summer day overlooking the Puget Sound on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • A close-up view of the interesting fused leaves that form a disk around the honeysuckles flowers (or buds in this case). This native vine is found all over much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle Buds
  • Pretty much ignored until Christmastime, American mistletoe (also called oak mistletoe) is a very interesting member of the sandalwood family. It is hemiparasitic, meaning it not only makes food like typical green-leaved plant with chlorophyll, but since it grows high in (mostly) oak trees, it actually steals some of its nutrients directly from the branches it attaches itself to! This species is widely found across Mexico, the southern United States, California and parts of Oregon. This one was photographed in Harlingen, Texas on a hot spring afternoon in the Rio Grande Valley.
    American Mistletoe
  • Holly-like and beautiful, this member of the barberry family is just about to blossom on a cold, wet rainy March morning along a nature trail about 25 miles south of Seattle, Washington. The delicious fruits that will follow (not real grapes) not only grow in great profusion, but are a very important food source for native wildlife!
    Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
  • Holly-like and beautiful, this member of the barberry family is just about to blossom on a cold, wet rainy March morning along a nature trail about 25 miles south of Seattle, Washington. The delicious fruits that will follow (not real grapes) not only grow in great profusion, but are a very important food source for native wildlife!
    Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
  • Considered to be the very best pie and jam blackberry, the native trailing blackberry (also called the Pacific blackberry, Douglas berry or and combinations of <fill-in-the-blank> dewberry, the small but very sweet hiker's treat is usually found low to the ground on vines that seem to grow over everything like logs, rocks and through thick mats of vegetation that can grow up to 15 feet long or more! This not-quite-ripe-yet blackberry was found in an old-growth forest in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus)
  • Considered to be the very best pie and jam blackberry, the native trailing blackberry (also called the Pacific blackberry, Douglas berry or and combinations of <fill-in-the-blank> dewberry, the small but very sweet hiker's treat is usually found low to the ground on vines that seem to grow over everything like logs, rocks and through thick mats of vegetation that can grow up to 15 feet long or more! These were found in an old-growth forest in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus)
  • A favorite food source for hummingbirds, butterflies and moths, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • A favorite food source for hummingbirds, butterflies and moths, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • A close-up view of the interesting fused leaves that form a disk around the honeysuckles flowers (or buds in this case). This native vine is found all over much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle Buds
  • Somewhat rare and found primarily in the wet conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest and limited parts of Idaho and Montana, this intricate coral lichen is found at medium to low elevations. This one was found in a forest just outside of Yelm, Washington on a cold, wet late winter morning.
    Tuckerman's Coral Lichen
  • This is truly the bush with many names, including Texas Ranger, Texas rain sage, cenizo, Texas silverleaf, Texas barometerbush, ash-bush, wild lilac, purple sage, senisa, cenicilla, palo cenizo, and hierba del cenizo. I'm choosing to just call it "Texas sage" as it is commonly called around where I found it in Mission, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. This plant has a cool feature: when it rains or the soil becomes wet, it will suddenly go into blossom. You can tell if an area has had recent rain just by the presence of these beautiful pink flowers, which look beautiful next to its silver leaves.
    Texas Sage 2
  • The unexpectedly unusual fruit of the red-flowering currant looks like a dusty, slightly spiky blueberry or huckleberry but can be found in great profusion in particular parts of the Pacific Northwest from the river bottoms to the lower elevations of the Cascade Mountains. Although somewhat sweet but rather mushy, it typically isn't eaten by people but is a great food source for wildlife, especially birds. These pretty clusters of berries were found growing next to the Green River about 20 miles south of Seattle, Washington on a warm summer day.
    Red-flowering Currant Fruit-1.jpg
  • Poison oak in full flower outside of Medford, Oregon. While it is an important food source to several species of deer and squirrels, the slightest casual contact with leaves and flowers and the urushiol oil found within the plant can cause mild to severe reactions in humans in the form of blistered skin, swelling of limbs, seeping wounds and severe itching. Symptoms can become worse with proximity to the smoke of burning poison oak.
    Poison Oak in Bloom
  • Among the first flowers to bloom each year, these beautiful white hanging flowers are a sign that spring is right around the corner. These were photographed at the edge of a wetland forest near Salem, Oregon on a rainy, chilly mid-March morning. In a few months, these flowers will be replaces with small purplish plums: a staple for the local, native wildlife.
    Indian Plum
  • Close-up of the flowers of the ocotillo, a somewhat common Southwestern plant found in most of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. In the spring, the long, thorny spines sprout small green leaves and brilliantly orange flowers from the mature stems that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds and carpenter bees. This one was found way out in SE California near the Arizona Border in Imperial County.
    Ocotillo Flowers
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flowers
  • This delicious little wild raspberry is found in most of the western states and in Canada's British Columbia, and if anyone has ever had candy, sno-cones, syrup or any other flavor called "blue raspberry" - this is the berry where that taste was modeled from. Any easy identification tool for this wonderful little fruit is the underside of the leaves, which are white. These were found growing in the Hoh Rainforest on Washington's Olympic Peninsula within sight of the Hoh River. I've personally found both the red and fully ripe black raspberries to be absolutely delicious!
    Western Black Raspberry
  • This delicious little wild raspberry is found in most of the western states and in Canada's British Columbia, and if anyone has ever had candy, sno-cones, syrup or any other flavor called "blue raspberry" - this is the berry where that taste was modeled from. Any easy identification tool for this wonderful little fruit is the underside of the leaves, which are white. These were found growing in the Hoh Rainforest on Washington's Olympic Peninsula within sight of the Hoh River. I've personally found both the red and fully ripe black raspberries to be absolutely delicious!
    Western Black Raspberry
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one with deep red and yellow flowers was found and photographed in the Alamo Canyon, deep in the Ajo Mountains of Southern Pima County, Arizona near the Mexican border.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one with deep red and yellow flowers was found and photographed in the Alamo Canyon, deep in the Ajo Mountains of Southern Pima County, Arizona near the Mexican border.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Close-up view of the teddybear cholla in flower. This common and impressive native cactus of the American Southwest is found Southern California, Nevada and Arizona, as well as most of Northern Mexico. Casual passing contact will not only cause immense sharp pain, but the piece of the cactus touched will detach from the main part of the plant and tag along for the ride. This evolutionary and reproductive tactic is why this cholla is often called the "jumping cholla" - it will hop a ride with anything that touches it, eventually fall to the ground and once it roots, grow a whole new cactus. This one was found growing (without touching) along the side of a dried-out arroyo in a nameless canyon in Southern California's Anza-Borrego Desert in San Diego County.
    Teddybear Cholla
  • The brown-spined prickly pear (also regionally known as the tulip or desert prickly pear) is another widespread member of the Opuntia genus that is found throughout all of the American Southwestern States including Nebraska and even South Dakota and is found across most of Northern Mexico. One of the things that make this particular species so amazing is the adaptability to drastically different environments: it can be found thriving in the driest of lowland deserts to the moist, cold forests of the Rocky Mountains. As a result, there are several variable physical attributes that make identifying this species confusing at best. Springtime flowers are variable from lemon yellow, orange or pink, usually with but sometimes without a reddish center. This one was found growing in the Ajo Mountains in Southern Arizona near the Mexican Border.
    Brown-Spined Prickly Pear
  • Yet another cactus with many regional common names, Grusonia clavata is found throughout most of Arizona and in most of New Mexico, excluding eastern and southwestern parts of the state. These vicious-looking cholla cacti have already bloomed this year, and were photographed in Central New Mexico just south of Albuquerque in the Chihuahuan Desert.
    Devil Cholla
  • The nylon hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus viridiflorus var. cylindricus) is native subspecies of the green-flowering hedgehog cactus, and is found in a narrow band stretching from the Big Bend of Texas and Mexico to southern New Mexico, and is mainly found in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas. It has distinct creamy orange flowers and shows extreme variability in spine color: white, yellow, brown, reddish, black. Some plants have only short radials while other have a variable number of centrals. This one was photographed in the Big Bend National Park near the Rio Grande.
    Nylon Hedgehog Cactus
  • This beautiful, long and curve-spined cactus is a small member of the barrel cactus family and is primarily found in the central Chihuahuan Desert near the Rio Grande. Barely reaching a height of twelve inches, this attractive and colorful cactus will produce large three-inch yellow flowers in the springtime. This three-inch beauty was found and photographed below the Chisos Mountains in Brewster County, Texas.
    Turk's Head
  • This beautiful, long and curve-spined cactus is a small member of the barrel cactus family and is primarily found in the central Chihuahuan Desert near the Rio Grande. Barely reaching a height of twelve inches, this attractive and colorful cactus will produce large three-inch yellow flowers in the springtime. This three-inch beauty was found and photographed below the Chisos Mountains in Brewster County, Texas.
    Turk's Head
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in Central New Mexico.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Northwestern Texas.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • The Arizona fishhook cactus (also known as Graham's nipple cactus) is not only limited to Arizona, but is  also found in California, New Mexico and Texas, as well as much of Northern Mexico. One of the most interesting things about this particular native species of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts are the recurved "fishhook" spines. This one was found in Southern Arizona's Diablo Mountains near the Mexican border.
    Arizona Fishhook
  • The Arizona fishhook cactus (also known as Graham's nipple cactus) is not only limited to Arizona, but is  also found in California, New Mexico and Texas, as well as much of Northern Mexico. One of the most interesting things about this particular native species of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts are the recurved "fishhook" spines. This one was found in Southern Arizona's Diablo Mountains near the Mexican border.
    Arizona Fishhook
  • This unusual flattened, short cactus is more common in its range than one might think, but because it barely grows above the ground level and can be as wide as four inches. Easier to find in the spring and summer, it can be difficult to spot in the winter when it is nearly below ground level and may be partially covered in gravel. The little nipple cactus (as well as all other members of its genus) are much more common in Mexico, but this species can be found in the United States in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma. This one was found and  photographed in the Chisos Mountains in Texas' Big Bend.
    Little Nipple Cactus
  • This fantastically beautiful and very long-spined cactus found in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and Arizona in the United States, and in the Mexican states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Nuevo León. It gets its species name (stramineus - which means made of straw) from the way these thick, brittle spines resemble dried straw. Clumps of 100 or more stems are not uncommon, and when they are in flower, it is one of the most spectacular of all of the Chihuahuan cacti! This one was photographed in Western Texas in Big Bend National Park.
    Strawberry Pitaya
  • This fantastically beautiful and very long-spined cactus found in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and Arizona in the United States, and in the Mexican states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Nuevo León. It gets its species name (stramineus - which means made of straw) from the way these thick, brittle spines resemble dried straw. Clumps of 100 or more stems are not uncommon, and when they are in flower, it is one of the most spectacular of all of the Chihuahuan cacti! This one was photographed in Western Texas in Big Bend National Park.
    Strawberry Pitaya
  • This fantastically beautiful and very long-spined cactus found in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and Arizona in the United States, and in the Mexican states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Nuevo León. It gets its species name (stramineus - which means made of straw) from the way these thick, brittle spines resemble dried straw. Clumps of 100 or more stems are not uncommon, and when they are in flower, it is one of the most spectacular of all of the Chihuahuan cacti! This one was photographed in Western Texas in Big Bend National Park.
    Strawberry Pitaya
  • This fantastically beautiful and very long-spined cactus found in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and Arizona in the United States, and in the Mexican states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Nuevo León. It gets its species name (stramineus - which means made of straw) from the way these thick, brittle spines resemble dried straw. Clumps of 100 or more stems are not uncommon, and when they are in flower, it is one of the most spectacular of all of the Chihuahuan cacti! This one was photographed in Western Texas in Big Bend National Park.
    Strawberry Pitaya
  • One of the largest yuccas in Western Texas, the giant dagger yucca (Yucca faxoniana) can grow over 20 feet tall. Blooming in April, it can have flower stalks weighing over 70 pounds with a thousand or more flowers! This one was photographed in Big Bend National Park near the Texas/Mexico border.
    Giant Dagger Yucca
  • This gorgeous desert bloomer with orchid-like flowers is actually a member of the bignonia family, and is interesting taxonomically because it is the sole species of its genus: Chilopsis . Found across much of the American Southwest (and also in the state of Georgia) it has become an important drought-tolerant landscape plant in many places where water is often scarce. This one was found by following the sound of buzzing bees in a canyon in the Colorado Desert near California's Salton Sea.
    Desert Willow
  • Given its somewhat similar appearance and fragrance to an orange blossom (besides the four petals vs. the orange's five) the mock-orange is the State Flower of Idaho and is native to Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, British Columbia and Alberta. First collected by Meriwether Lewis himself on the famous Lewis and CLark expedition to find an overland route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, it was later named after him in his honor. This one was found growing halfway up a steep arroyo above the Cowiche Creek in Yakima County, WA.
    Mock-Orange
  • The wax currant, also known as the squaw currant, is found accross most of western North America in drier, more arid habitats such as sagebrush steppe or talus slopes. This one was photographed in Cowiche Canyon just outside of Yakima, WA.
    Wax Currant
  • A view of the Mojave Desert in Southern California, looking westward towards the Hexie Mountains with a tall cactus-like ocotillo in full bloom in the foreground.
    Mojave Desert with Ocotillo
  • The pencil cholla is a thinly branched member of the cholla cactus family found mainly in the Mojave ans Sonoran Deserts of California and Arizona, and to some extent in Southern Nevada. This photograph was made in early spring when most of the deserrt cacti are in bloom, but I missed this one as it blooms in early summer.
    Pencil Cholla
  • The pencil cholla is easily distinguished from other cholla cacti in the American Southwest by the scale-like arrangement on the stems that is often referred to as a diamond pattern. I thought the yellow coloration on the spines were beautiful, especially backlit lit this here in the Mojave Desert in Southern California.
    Pencil Cholla
  • The Joshua tree, symbol of the Mojave desert, reaches out into the blue early April sky. One reason it is believed that this iconic yucca is losing habitat, and declining in numbers is in the fossil record of the recent extinction (in geological years) of the Shasta ground sloth, one of the giant sloths that went the way of the mammoths and other American megafauna. Fossilized scat shows the remains of the seeds, leaves and pulp of joshua trees... and was possibly in a loose symbiotic relationship with it as to provide food in return for seed propagation.
    Joshua Tree
  • Closeup of the flowers of the Mojave yucca in the late afternoon golden light in Southern California. These flowers are pollinated at night by the Yucca moth (Tegeticula yuccasella), a species that depends on this plant for its survival. Not only will the moth  gather pollen, but she will lay her eggs in the ovaries of the flowers, and the larvae will feed directly on the developing fruit of the flowers, leaving some of the seeds to mature for the next generation of yucca plants.
    Mojave Yucca Flowers
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