Jump to content
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT LOGGING IN ×
  • WELCOME GUEST

    It looks as if you are viewing PalmTalk as an unregistered Guest.

    Please consider registering so as to take better advantage of our vast knowledge base and friendly community.  By registering you will gain access to many features - among them are our powerful Search feature, the ability to Private Message other Users, and be able to post and/or answer questions from all over the world. It is completely free, no “catches,” and you will have complete control over how you wish to use this site.

    PalmTalk is sponsored by the International Palm Society. - an organization dedicated to learning everything about and enjoying palm trees (and their companion plants) while conserving endangered palm species and habitat worldwide. Please take the time to know us all better and register.

    guest Renda04.jpg

A Saturday stroll in a Cactus Garden in the San Tans


Silas_Sancona

Recommended Posts

After last week's cold rain and snow, the return of spring-like warmth and much welcomed sun this week had me itching to get back out and sniff around for more of this seasons flowers.  Today's foray would take me out to one of the lesser- discussed parks here in the Valley. One place i'd been wanting to check out since moving here..

Located roughly 20 miles south east of the west side of Chandler, San Tan Mtn Regional Park overlooks most of the east Valley, Queen Creek, and the San Tan Valley. While not talked about as much as other popular hiking / biking spots around town, this sleepy corner of the valley offers up some great vistas and scenery. It also sits up against the eastern boundary of the Gila Indian Reservation, which extends south toward Casa Grande, and west toward the Estrella Mountains. Aside from Agricultural areas, most of the land within the reservation is vast open desert. The park itself boasts lots of natural and human -related history as well.

While many of the same plants that grow within the park can also be found in places such as South Mountain, the San Tan Mountains sit in an area where plants that extend up from Tucson, or west of the mountains to the east can turn up. Still, no  Native Agave, Yucca, or Dasylirion  sp. to be found here.. elevation is still too low. At the same time, because the area is more un-bounded by suburban sprawl, and less traveled/ tampered with, more opportunity to see different plants you might not see closer to town. A lot more Saguaro here than South Mountain for sure. Most of the trails in the park are of easy or moderate skill hiking. Very popular with Mountain Bikers / Horseback riders also.

Mission today was reaching an area of the park known as the Mapias ( Pronounced Mahl- pah ees ) Hills, a spectacular escarpment located deep in the park's interior. This area's geology is starkly different than many of the hills around town. From a section of route 87 that passes to the southwest of this area, and the San Tans themselves, the Malpias "hills" look starkly darker than the surrounding desert. I'd wanted to access this spot but, since it is not within the park boundary, access isn't allowed, ..or might require permission from tribal officials. I'd not have thought these gentle hills and table top-like Mesa, would also exhibit Superstition mountain -like cliff faces..

While chock full of cactus,  wildflowers are on mind also.. Was hoping this area would offer up a good tease of this season's show. While somewhat disappointed once i got out to the park, there was still enough of a show to be found if you looked. Regardless, everything is very green, much more so than when i was at South Mountain.. Still, some of the better wildflowers were sighted in spots outside the park, along roadways where it would be dangerous to pull off, especially on a busy Saturday. East Valley drivers are a bit impatient..

Regardless, enjoy. Was just enough sun to keep it warm,  just enough high clouds rolling through to keep the 4 or so mile hike cool. Really can't ask for better weather conditions here in the desert. Hoping to get back out to South Mountain again this week. Hills there look like they're lighting up w / flowers now.  As for Agave, and some other harder to find locally stuff?..  Tucson area in a couple weeks..

Flowers:
As mentioned, not as great as i'd hoped.. but decent in various spots. Most common species in flower atm is Gordon's Bladderpod ( Lesquerella gordonii ) a bright, sunny annual that can carpet large areas of the desert under the right conditions. Here, best displays were on slopes that weren't accessible. Still, some decent pops of color where i could reach them. Fragrant up close too. 
DSCN5151.thumb.JPG.94090f2e5996f3cfc259fcdda2042acd.JPGDSCN5152.JPG.f4c621a38379ed3d9647947f7d52d9c6.JPGDSCN5061.JPG.e4d398583b2b259b9054c6ee2a782039.JPGDSCN5117.JPG.87789f543f02d178d4ae656a464bed39.JPGDSCN5118.JPG.721fd71cf493fdf2bfe5c7ee8c6df67d.JPGDSCN5121.JPG.6932e148c217021546ebca5342295fdf.JPG


Notch leaved Phacelia ( Phacelia crenulata) Not as much seen here as back at South Mountain, but some decent color. Seems like the better display will be later on. 
DSCN5085.thumb.JPG.9dc23945b8a3001c007050446d59d009.JPGDSCN5130.thumb.JPG.22a90241f86a20a6a69a29c26e6252b9.JPGDSCN5084.JPG.65ed42e3d4c66966c67109c0f0ca3abd.JPG


Blue Dicks ( Dichelostemma capitatum). Only one i spied in the park. 
DSCN5148.thumb.JPG.6c746b3b3c7356330b2fb42bfdc2f8b8.JPG

Texas Stork's Bill (Erodium texanum) Native species of an often weedy genus. Supposedly a rare sight in dry years. Very common across the park this year. 
DSCN5060.JPG.cd78a893de5fe211c03184e67fd30b13.JPG

Lesser yellow Throat Gila ( Gila flavocincta) First time seeing this AZ. species. 
DSCN5142.thumb.JPG.7b68690feffff90ba18346f304496c0f.JPGDSCN5140.thumb.JPG.debc81bccc51730ddda1b9cbd40c69ed.JPG

Ft. Hill Lotus /Mares' fat ( Lotus humistratus) Neat, tiny-flowered ground cover-type annual. A good reminder that In Horticulture, the best teacher teaches their students
that conservation and appreciation of even the smallest of plants is good stewardship. 
DSCN5113.JPG.5eed429836f3428557b789b3efc34624.JPGDSCN5114.JPG.3d88524c2968bd7b8b7f9bf7ac548e3d.JPG


Jojoba.. Male Flowers. Might be the first time i have encountered wild plants here in AZ.. or,  maybe i wasn't paying enough attention, lol. 
DSCN5127.JPG.fd703ae3e34f3eadd22a86621e0a4699.JPG

Some Desert Lupine around but encountered few to no Poppies.. a little surprised. Better Lupine displays were outside the park, along the roadsides. 1 or 2 sp. of Globe Mallow were ablaze in many of the same spots as well.. Maybe i should have stopped.. 
DSCN5146.thumb.JPG.5c3fa2750a524f15dd031a536d519b1f.JPG

Prickly stuff up next....

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Le' Cactus Garden, in the San Tans..

Saguaro -a -plenty.. every age, every size.. even way up high.

DSCN5065.JPG.ab0b706bd67ca838da9363ec248c3c02.JPGDSCN5072.JPG.d79d4e4bbc43a18017577c44c4fee7ce.JPGDSCN5108.thumb.JPG.38b68fa3d8a683593229eb93d15d8bc0.JPG

Buckhorn Cholla ( Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa v. thornberii) Very common across the park, Nice specimens to be found too. Possesses the same paper-like "sheath" around some wicked spines, like Teddy Bears. An early Flower too. 
DSCN5075.JPG.66a8b6fb4e1c6cb5d8490ca9f14b3299.JPGDSCN5077.thumb.JPG.93dde64c5bff4806fee9e6cbb3c1c123.JPGDSCN5093.JPG.9c8c7d515e57c707fd33cef140b5d687.JPG

Chain Fruit Cholla ( Cylindropuntia fulgida) specimen.
DSCN5098.thumb.JPG.ecb7b44d6e4b5aaad8a11d82a6e50db2.JPG

Mammillaria grahamii stuck in a rock.. Another spectacular, multi -stemmed specimen.. Hanging out w / a Saguaro. 
DSCN5082.thumb.JPG.6fbb427a7642889c10f83e9ecdf55d12.JPGDSCN5091.JPG.193c7f0ff7f26dad55dfc920b9109bd0.JPGDSCN5092.thumb.JPG.e99de71892c221e92fc2e87e3a918ac6.JPG

Teddy bears ( Cylindropuntia bigelovii) and Teddy Bear Gardens. Lots of little "cubs" below many Mamma Bears ( ..no, don't try and pick 'em up )
DSCN5070.thumb.JPG.de7cc6ef05c5adaab8a80f9c00d04bf8.JPGDSCN5083.JPG.0357085f34451254b5037baed4a2781f.JPG

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

..One more Teddy Pic.

DSCN5090.JPG.bcf1eff0e449208b458f8c7db941dd25.JPG

Hedgehog ( Echinocereus sp.) specimens. Lots of Buds, but a few more weeks before flowers..
DSCN5068.thumb.JPG.78f2e4124fb6b9cfd7c8fe5ad31645fc.JPGDSCN5112.JPG.094df1c8ade9580980519c3b4c2ca941.JPGDSCN5115.JPG.9d8a11fbd0c676e6e214e17b24d57c55.JPG


Ocotillo greening up. Didn't encounter many specimens along the trails i'd taken. 
DSCN5143.thumb.JPG.612d1ad2b237dcfd5367d71c09abfc2f.JPGDSCN5144.thumb.JPG.a4444fbeda4c9f53df8a68c23b2cbc2a.JPG

Barrels -a -plenty. Saw several that appear to have been blown over sometime during the winter. Small, nice-spined specimen is growing up through what i'd assume are the long deceased remains of either a Saguaro or large Barrel. (  Black, grassy-looking stuff surrounding the Barrel is actually spines)
DSCN5128.JPG.6fdad8cceab4e9c968126cbb71a87718.JPGDSCN5149.JPG.fcd55cf11e37584f2df68ef8d2022e80.JPG

...And last but not least,  >>>Onto some views,  this time with descriptions..:)

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nathan: All these beautiful images warmed me up on a cool, rainy day here! Thanks for posting them. BTW, I've ordered an Ocotillo for my yard and should get it this month. I'm sure it'll be small and unimpressive for years compared to the one in your pictures! :bummed:

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While the hunt for Wildflowers was somewhat lackluster here, the views were not..  My only gripe is that access to the base of the cliffs is limited. Trail that runs along the base meanders through a sandy wash. Could see some nice areas further up on the hillsides i wish i could have checked out up close.  A few spots looked to still have water seeping out of and down the rock faces. Might be some interesting things up there. 

Looking east from the trail closer to the parking lot. From here you see all of Queen Creek, Part of San Tan Valley, the Superstition Mountains, and mountains where Boyce Thompson Arboretum is located. Looking closely, you can also see 4 Peaks in the far distance to the far left, just right of where the slopes of the hills in the park rise up. 
DSCN5078.JPG.d19a9cd91d68819887b9429a8466614c.JPG

Some views as i approach the Malpias Hills area, and from the closest i could approach vantage point in the Wash. 
DSCN5062.JPG.0d849c72b56416151f873ab5957c64bb.JPGDSCN5103.JPG.7d06bfe5bc507107454e55bd42d2a1a0.JPGDSCN5104.JPG.5468236618b7d73c7eddb336fa79f338.JPGDSCN5109.JPG.5fc35e8055cec8bb3455feb96db2f186.JPGDSCN5110.JPG.46fa60318995a659105201a01abe3d99.JPG

A couple views to the south east. While grainy, in picture #1 you can vaguely see Snow atop Mt Lemon and the Catalinas down in Tucson. While i'm not 100% certain, the Mountain in view just to the right may be the Santa Ritas, where Mt. Wrightson Observatory is located. Very close to the US/ Mexico Border. Hopefully there's still some snow atop the Catalinas when i head down there in a couple weeks..
DSCN5124.JPG.e13f8a7d0dee0f1791180fc87708485d.JPG

Picture #2 includes Newman Peak ( Mountains to the left) and Picacho Peak ( lower mountain to the right )
DSCN5125.JPG.52113e272c67ff5c985deb764943ceb6.JPG

Additional views, inc. a panorama of the Malpias..
DSCN5134.JPG.e2a77f9a404adbceb33bff1752c6f9b9.JPGDSCN5138.JPG.880f0863c36f98894315df96b8e4d5ea.JPG


Whatever it is this weekend, hoping you're enjoying the view..

-Nathan

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Hillizard said:

Silas: All these beautiful images warmed me up on a cool, rainy day here! Thanks for posting them. BTW, I've ordered an Ocotillo for my yard and should get it this month. I'm sure it'll be small and unimpressive for years compared to the one in your pictures! :bummed:

Actually, Ocotillo can be pretty quick growers with some water in cultivation. There are HUGE.. and i mean big.. specimens in yards near the house that are easily 20' tall and look more like trees.. They make the ones out in the park look like fountain grass in size / height. I never realized they could attain such dimensions until i saw them. They could be older, but a lot of the houses / neighborhoods nearby aren't that old.  Mine grow the most when it's hot, and they get some water /rain from any Monsoon storms.  I'd suspect they'd be slower in Sacramento, but i don't think anyone has really tested them there, so the jury is out on ultimate size there, or in cooler parts of CA.  

Also, if the one you bought is seed grown, it will perform a lot better than cutting grown specimens. 

Here's a big boy located across from the Hospital, near a Senior Living facility down the block / around the corner from the house. I think the wall behind it is 3-4ft in height. 
DSCN3651.thumb.JPG.dd93da7d4f1664449f32fb23393fe874.JPG

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

**  Quick correction, the Buckhorn Cholla i listed as Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa v. thornberi is actually just C. acanthocarpa.. 

Var. thornberi generally has and far less spines than the standard species. Also appears that Thornberi grows only up in the Foothills / Mountains east and north , and not here in the Valley / lower elevations close to the Valley ( Via SEINet / Inaturalist data / observations).  Disregard the extra " i " ( thornberi, not thornberii) also.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Actually, Ocotillo can be pretty quick growers with some water in cultivation. There are HUGE.. and i mean big.. specimens in yards near the house that are easily 20' tall and look more like trees.. They make the ones out in the park look like fountain grass in size / height. I never realized they could attain such dimensions until i saw them. They could be older, but a lot of the houses / neighborhoods nearby aren't that old.  Mine grow the most when it's hot, and they get some water /rain from any Monsoon storms.  I'd suspect they'd be slower in Sacramento, but i don't think anyone has really tested them there, so the jury is out on ultimate size there, or in cooler parts of CA.  

Also, if the one you bought is seed grown, it will perform a lot better than cutting grown specimens. 

Here's a big boy located across from the Hospital, near a Senior Living facility down the block / around the corner from the house. I think the wall behind it is 3-4ft in height. 
DSCN3651.thumb.JPG.dd93da7d4f1664449f32fb23393fe874.JPG

Nathan: I am impressed with the size of that awesome Oco! There are a few older ones in the cactus garden in Capital Park in downtown Sacramento. Not as big as in your picture, but almost as tall. They bloom dependably every year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Hillizard said:

Nathan: I am impressed with the size of that awesome Oco! There are a few older ones in the cactus garden in Capital Park in downtown Sacramento. Not as big as in your picture, but almost as tall. They bloom dependably every year.

Good to know..  Yea, like i said, i'd have never expected to find such massive examples of these since most people (  myself includ'd ) are more acquainted with specimens of a more typical size you'd see out in the desert. 

Wonder how F. macdougalii  would do up there, if not already in the garden you referenced, or others in Sacramento, or where Josue is in Fresno. Just about as cold tolerant, but can attain more of a tree-like look than F. splendens.  Haven't come across any nearly as big as the regular Ocotillo is i'd found though. Seems to grows a bit faster ( at least what i have noticed, in comparison to all the other species i have currently ) and  blooms pretty much all year, at least here. Easy from seed also if you can keep the seedlings from damping off once germinated. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Good to know..  Yea, like i said, i'd have never expected to find such massive examples of these since most people (  myself includ'd ) are more acquainted with specimens of a more typical size you'd see out in the desert. 

Wonder how F. macdougalii  would do up there, if not already in the garden you referenced, or others in Sacramento, or where Josue is in Fresno. Just about as cold tolerant, but can attain more of a tree-like look than F. splendens.  Haven't come across any nearly as big as the regular Ocotillo is i'd found though. Seems to grows a bit faster ( at least what i have noticed, in comparison to all the other species i have currently ) and  blooms pretty much all year, at least here. Easy from seed also if you can keep the seedlings from damping off once germinated. 

I think the species of Ocotillo in the cactus garden section of Capital Park here is most likely our native Fouquieria splendens. It's on the right, in bloom, in the image below that I grabbed online.

Ocotillo.jpg

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Hillizard said:

I think the species of Ocotillo in the cactus garden section of Capital Park here is most likely our native Fouquieria splendens. It's on the right, in bloom, in the image below that I grabbed online.

Ocotillo.jpg

Yea, that is F. splendens, nice specimen too.   

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 3/3/2019 at 5:53 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Yea, that is F. splendens, nice specimen too.   

Here's my rooted Ocotillo cutting I got last month. Leaves are just starting to sprout.  I may keep it in a pot in cactus mix media for a couple of years before I plant it out.

Ocotillo-2019.png

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Hillizard said:

Here's my rooted Ocotillo cutting I got last month. Leaves are just starting to sprout.  I may keep it in a pot in cactus mix media for a couple of years before I plant it out.

Ocotillo-2019.png

Definitely keep it potted for now.. Have had cutting specimens like yours act like they're growing for awhile ( 2 yrs after i collected them ) before they gave up/ exhausted remaining energy.

F. macdougalii cuttings i'd taken when the orig. specimen fell and broke a few years ago are still in a 5" pot atm. That sp. seems to strike better than Ocotillo can, or has been my experience thus far...  All my seed started Foruq. sp. are in 1 gal. Won't be planted until they have filled out 15 gal pots. They all seem to grow faster / have less issues w/ winter cool wet conditions in my sand { Decomp. Granite fines / pumice/ turface soil mix  as a pose to anything high in organics.. ( nice, seedling started plants i'd bought several years ago died of root rot the first winter after i bought them.. Were planted in regular ol planting mix heavy in organics that nursery uses for all their stuff )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Definitely keep it potted for now.. Have had cutting specimens like yours act like they're growing for awhile ( 2 yrs after i collected them ) before they gave up/ exhausted remaining energy.

F. macdougalii cuttings i'd taken when the orig. specimen fell and broke a few years ago are still in a 5" pot atm. That sp. seems to strike better than Ocotillo can, or has been my experience thus far...  All my seed started Foruq. sp. are in 1 gal. Won't be planted until they have filled out 15 gal pots. They all seem to grow faster / have less issues w/ winter cool wet conditions in my sand { Decomp. Granite fines / pumice/ turface soil mix  as a pose to anything high in organics.. ( nice, seedling started plants i'd bought several years ago died of root rot the first winter after i bought them.. Were planted in regular ol planting mix heavy in organics that nursery uses for all their stuff )

Thanks for the growing advice and for the ingredients for a potting mix. I have all those items on-site! :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Hillizard said:

Thanks for the growing advice and for the ingredients for a potting mix. I have all those items on-site! :)

Here's what mine look lie atm.. Forgot that i had put the bigger F. mac d cuts in 1 gals.:indifferent: Anyway..

F. diguetii (L) / F. burragei (R)
DSCN5686.JPG.ea6ead1d8e0bab3191278900e078b21e.JPG

F. macdougalii (L x2) from Cuttings / Seed-grown Ocotillo ( F. splendens) (R x2) While one of the Ocotillo has been growing faster, the Macs have been fastest overall between the two sp.
DSCN5687.JPG.c9cad74d4a247123b77878c2a170d3b5.JPG

F. formosa twins. One (left) always leafs out sooner than the other on the right, not sure why. They sit together on the same bench in the shade house. Smaller square ( not 5" size as i'd thought, my mistake, lol ) pot is the smaller of the Mac 'd cuts i'd taken at the same time as those in 1gals. Might be about time to step them up into 1gal. There were 4 other cuttings tucked into that pot also that slowly faded out over time.
DSCN5688.JPG.1b3f04d2f26219a8afa78ec6fbfc5d0b.JPG

Edited by Silas_Sancona
wording
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Here's what mine look lie atm.. Forgot that i had put the bigger F. mac d cuts in 1 gals.:indifferent: Anyway..

F. diguetii (L) / F. burragei (R)
DSCN5686.JPG.ea6ead1d8e0bab3191278900e078b21e.JPG

F. macdougalii (L x2) from Cuttings / Seed-grown Ocotillo ( F. splendens) (R x2) While one of the Ocotillo has been growing faster, the Macs have been fastest overall between the two sp.
DSCN5687.JPG.c9cad74d4a247123b77878c2a170d3b5.JPG

F. formosa twins. One (left) always leafs out sooner than the other on the right, not sure why. They sit together on the same bench in the shade house. Smaller square ( not 5" size as i'd thought, my mistake, lol ) pot is the smaller of the Mac 'd cuts i'd taken at the same time as those in 1gals. Might be about time to step them up into 1gal. There were 4 other cuttings tucked into that pot also that slowly faded out over time.
DSCN5688.JPG.1b3f04d2f26219a8afa78ec6fbfc5d0b.JPG

What a great collection of species!  I'll definitely keep mine in a pot for the foreseeable future! Thanks for posting these.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...