Arriving in Tucson, AZ, on September 26, 2019, we will be here for four months. Our RV park, Justin’s Diamond J, is a no-frills place with lovely, large sites right next to 30,000+ acres of protected land. Setting out on the trail right behind our RV, here are some cactus scenes.
Native to the Sonoran Desert, saguaro are the iconic image of the American Southwest. They grow very slowly and are only 1.5” at 10 years old! It takes 20 to 50 years for them to reach 3’ tall, and 75-100 years to grow arms (although some grow none). They can live to be 150 to 200 years old weighing from 3,200 to 4,800 pounds. Mesquite trees are called “nurse trees” because they provide a (somewhat) protected environment for seedlings.
Chainfruit chollas grow in abundance in the desert here.
A word of caution, though, when walking a dog in this desert. Our girl, Sadie, has encountered some thorny situations. Carrying a fine-toothed comb and tweezers is advisable if you have a dog. Those thorns are very painful in their pads.
One of my favorites this time of year is the fishhook barrel cactus with its brightly colored flowers. You can also see the small pineapple-shaped fruit on top of the plant.
The tall spiky plants (blowing in the wind) are ocotillo. They have brightly colored flowers in the spring and summer that are gorgeous. Mesquite pods are harvested in the fall and provided an important source of protein for Native Americans for thousands of years.
We stayed in Tucson for several months 5 years ago. It’s wonderful to return to the beauty of the Sonoran Desert. The views of the mountains are fantastic!
Stay tuned for updates on some of the sights in this area.
No comments:
Post a Comment