Found in the desert, too….
This post is a carry-over from the earlier one, Found in the desert…a little bit of a photo album from a relatively recent trip to Tucson, Arizona, USA. Again, the backdrop for the first image is the Santa Catalina Mountains…it used to be considered a geographic boundary of the greater Tucson area, but housing developments and commercial interests have moved or spread to this side over the years.
The photo contains representations of the well-known Saguaro cactus, Prickly Pear cactus, some Cholla, and even a bit of what I believe is a small Yucca in the bottom right corner…as well as what might be Greasewood bushes/shrubs.
Twin (?) Saguaro cacti that have seen better times…I believe they are approaching their end….
A nice patch of Prickly Pear cactus….
While the below photo isn’t nearly as impressive as the array of hummingbird images you’ll find when visiting Emilio at Disperser Tracks, I thought it was still pretty cool…. You can click on the highlighted words in the previous sentence to see his two posts on the Hummers of Summer 2012. Wonderful photos…..
A little bit of Cholla cactus skeleton in the below shot….
Fruit and not-so-friendly spines from a Golden Barrel cactus….
And lastly, a clutch of Saguaro cacti with some Prickly Pear in the foreground….
Thank you for visiting…I hope you’ve enjoyed the glimpse into the desert life of Tucson, Arizona.
Scott's Place...Images and Words 
Fascinating plants, smashing pictures Scott. Your hummingbird picture is very cool. I’d love to see them in the wild like that.
November 1, 2012 at 6:34 am
Thank you, Chillbrook…and those hummingbirds are fun to watch, especially if there’s a feeder nearby….
November 5, 2012 at 7:19 am
I do like the Saguaro cacti . . . Only had occasion to photograph them once, and that was in the 90s. But I found the Golden Barrel cacti just as interesting. . . . I really should get back to Arizona sometime.
And thanks for the mention.
November 1, 2012 at 7:06 am
I’m glad you enjoyed the cacti, Emilio…and you’re welcome for the mention.
November 5, 2012 at 7:23 am
Nice. Like the first photo and the one of the golden barrel cactus. Looks like pineapple 😉
November 1, 2012 at 8:59 am
Thank you, Yvonne…and I agree…those fruit do rather look like miniature pineapples.
November 5, 2012 at 7:23 am
Some iconic images of the desert, Scott. That second image is a ‘monster’ image
November 1, 2012 at 10:31 am
I thought the second one was kind of monstrous, as well, Andy.
November 5, 2012 at 7:24 am
These are gorgeous, and you are right that hummingbird shot is very cool! (So are Emilio’s!)
November 1, 2012 at 12:18 pm
I’m glad you liked them, Karen…and yes, Emilio does have some fantastic photos of the hummingbirds, too.
November 5, 2012 at 7:25 am
I have a piece of Cholla cactus stem that i keep with bits of burl and other wooden objects. A friend gave it to me years ago but didn’t know what it was, so I’m glad to finally find out!
November 1, 2012 at 12:21 pm
I’m glad you know what it is now, Allen. 🙂
November 5, 2012 at 7:25 am
Wonderful images of such iconic and statuesque plants.
November 1, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Thank you, Meanderer.
November 5, 2012 at 7:25 am
I love being reminded of how beautiful the desert can be. The blossoms on the prickly pear… were they left-overs? I was astonished at all the various colors of blooming cacti when I first encountered the desert in bloom. These are such beautiful images, but I sure feel sorry for that poor saguaro (singular or twin). It’s surely seen better days.
November 1, 2012 at 3:56 pm
That desert north of Tucson is some of the prettiest I’ve seen. I don’t know about the prickly pear blossoms/fruit, if they were left-overs or not…don’t remember the blooming times, etc. And yes, it’s unfortunate the way those cacti are falling apart…all part of the cycle of life out in the desert, though. Thank you for the comment, Gunta.
November 5, 2012 at 7:29 am
These are excellent photos Scott!
November 1, 2012 at 11:39 pm
Thank you, Terry. 🙂
November 5, 2012 at 7:30 am
Wonderful as always Scott. I discover something new about the world on every visit. Beautiful light in the first image. Thanks.
November 2, 2012 at 8:10 am
Thank you, John…very nice words.
November 5, 2012 at 7:32 am
I am very like your photos, very beautiful and Let me think more how to take good photography 🙂
November 4, 2012 at 8:16 am
I’m glad you enjoy the photos, Ordered Chaos…and you already have beautiful photographs!
November 5, 2012 at 7:33 am
Amazing shots Scott! The saguaros in the first and last pictures look enormous. How big are they?
November 24, 2012 at 3:54 am