Spring Fling along the 60.. Boyce Thompson Arboretum and Oak Flat Spring check in..

[Silas_Sancona]

A long day of  sleuthing for plants, and escaping hidden claws underfoot, all while exploring hiking a trail, i'd ignored on past visits to Boyce,  and exploring a new portion of Oak Flat i had tried gaining access to during the last fall's final visit for the year.  All in all, a worthwhile day.. While things are pretty dry, foothills east of town have received a touch more rainfall this past winter. Still, pretty dry in both places, though rainfall was enough to bring out quite the display of one of our Globe Mallow Species  Penstemon in shadier places, ..and lots of Goodding's Verbena.

Was surprised to see < slowly > running ..or standing water in several places up at the flat today.  While things are pretty dry up there as well, rainfall received was enough to bring out that sought after fern sp. i'd hoped to observe in habitat last fall..  Found a few specimens of the same species in shady spots along the " high " trail ( Trail runs along a cliff ledge on the south side of Queen Creek ) at Boyce as well.  Anyway, ..lets move on to the good stuff..

At Boyce, moved through various areas pretty quickly and skipped  others.. Could have spent more time there but had to move on to Oak Flat.  SD card also maxed out so was limited on taking pictures anyway..  Knew it was time for a new card, lol.. Noticed they've been doing some clearing in different areas, and heard last summers post- fire flash flood killed a number of cacti / some other things that were planted in areas near where Queen Creek had flooded. Aside from that, things look pretty good atm.. Real good year for their Yucca in the Wallace Garden. While not everything is in bloom yet, was able to get pictures of some unusual stuff i missed last year. Some Aloes still flowering, but the main show is in the rear view mirror for the year..

Select Cacti from Boyce:

Real nice Ferocactus gracilis v. coloratus  Right up front as you walk in from the parking lot...  Spine coloration is not exaggerated..





Echinopsis backebergii



Ferocactus  gracilis subsp. gatseii 

Pretty sweet Thelocactus bicolor.. Don't recall seeing such shaggy - spined Glory of Texas specimens for sale anywhere in the past



Fero.. but which.. neat regardless



Fero. glaucescens




Echinocereus fendleri var.  boyce thompsonii





One really dark purple Opuntia macrocentra specimen..





Stunning Echinocerus specimens from Oak Flat..  Intensity of the Purple color in the flowers here was nearly impossible to capture correctly.. Compare w/ the boyce thompsonii ..at Boyce Thompson..














 

[Silas_Sancona]

A few Agave... etc..

Boyce..

Agave nickelsiae  Large A. victoria reginae nearby looked like it was getting ready to bolt. Remaining A. sebestiana specimen also looks good atm..



Fat n' happy Agave ocachui




Agave colorata ..looking real  nice..



Oak Flat..  Didn't get more pictures of the A. palmeri ( ..or chrysantha.. ) there but most were looking good.. Very Tuquoise-y blue green atm.



This Agave - Lip Fern ( Myriopteris sp. < possibly M. lindheimeri > ) combo is pretty sweet..



Boojums at Boyce..







Pachycormis discolor




..A couple Aloes..

New X Hurcules ?



Martlothii  ..with ..and w/ out seed..





Beucarnea stricta.. I know, looks like a Yucca to my eyes too, at least up top.

[Silas_Sancona]

Iris..  Yea, they're not exactly " tropical " but always had a thing for Bearded Iris.. Boyce has a decent collection that is always worth admiring, especially a group of Iris that can comes pretty close to " Exotic " ..for a non - exotic plant anyway..

Classic, dwarf Bearded Iris.. Taller hybrids still have a couple weeks to go before they start flowering..



About time i catch these in flower.. 

More bearded Iris? ..Yes, ..and no..  This little bed is dedicated to the garden's collection of Aril - Bread Iris cultivars.  What is an Aril Bred Iris?  Simply put, Aril - type Iris include a group of weird looking, wildly colored Iris sp. from various parts of the Middle East.  As spectacular as several are, many can pretty challenging to grow and very require specific conditions. Even when provided all the right things, some species still refuse to stay happy for long.  

A good, more in depth  article about Aril Iris from the Pacific Bulb Society: https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/ArilIrises


Seeing the potential, breeders have worked with the various, more difficult species.. combining their genetics with the far easier / less fussy to cultivate Iris germanica, ..the standard Bearded Iris, which itself has been crossed extensively to create an infinite color palate..

The results speak for themselves..  Many have Desert or Middle Eastern -inspired cultivar names, and come in pretty wild color combinations that would rival some of the showier Orchids in attention getting worthyness..  The garden's collection is just a glimpse into this pretty amazing group of Iris. 















 

[Silas_Sancona]

Some Bushes N' Trees in bloom:

Mexican Buckeye, Ungnadia speciosa









Eve's Necklace, Stryphnolobium affine





Shaffner's Acacia, Vachellia schaffnerii  As similar as this Acacia looks to Sweet Acacia,  Flower fragrance is different.. Almost Candy Corn / Gross Orange Peanut Candy - ish, rather than heady perfume.





Golden Leadball Tree, Leucanea retusa,





Mimosa sp. Nice flower display, ..that stinks ( Kind of like wet dog / dirty socks )





Bulnesia retema



Dombeya rotundifolia



Osteomeles  anthyllidifolia





Keckiella antirrhinoides



That out of place ( in the Desert ) Lilac





Last harrah for the TX. Mtn. Laurel " Silver Peso "




Tung Oil Tree, Vernica fordii  ..Yes, they're invasive in many areas, but gotta love those flowers..







Chilean Palo Verde, Goeffroea decorticans  ..on Full tilt..















 

[Silas_Sancona]

Boyce Thompson Yucca Bloom Fest..

Yucca faxoniana



" Supposed " Yucca thompsoniana



Green Y. rostrata



Yucca brevifolia





Randoms..












Blue Yucca, Y. rigida












Welcome surprise up at the Flat:  Yucca baccata  ..Jusst  about ready to pop.. Only specimen i noticed that had flowers..

[Tom in Tucson]

22 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

A long day of  sleuthing for plants, and escaping hidden claws underfoot, all while exploring hiking a trail, i'd ignored on past visits to Boyce,  and exploring a new portion of Oak Flat i had tried gaining access to during the last fall's final visit for the year.  All in all, a worthwhile day.. While things are pretty dry, foothills east of town have received a touch more rainfall this past winter. Still, pretty dry in both places, though rainfall was enough to bring out quite the display of one of our Globe Mallow Species  Penstemon in shadier places, ..and lots of Goodding's Verbena.

Was surprised to see < slowly > running ..or standing water in several places up at the flat today.  While things are pretty dry up there as well, rainfall received was enough to bring out that sought after fern sp. i'd hoped to observe in habitat last fall..  Found a few specimens of the same species in shady spots along the " high " trail ( Trail runs along a cliff ledge on the south side of Queen Creek ) at Boyce as well.  Anyway, ..lets move on to the good stuff..

At Boyce, moved through various areas pretty quickly and skipped  others.. Could have spent more time there but had to move on to Oak Flat.  SD card also maxed out so was limited on taking pictures anyway..  Knew it was time for a new card, lol.. Noticed they've been doing some clearing in different areas, and heard last summers post- fire flash flood killed a number of cacti / some other things that were planted in areas near where Queen Creek had flooded. Aside from that, things look pretty good atm.. Real good year for their Yucca in the Wallace Garden. While not everything is in bloom yet, was able to get pictures of some unusual stuff i missed last year. Some Aloes still flowering, but the main show is in the rear view mirror for the year..

Select Cacti from Boyce:

Real nice Ferocactus gracilis v. coloratus  Right up front as you walk in from the parking lot...  Spine coloration is not exaggerated..





Echinopsis backebergii



Ferocactus  gracilis subsp. gatseii 

Pretty sweet Thelocactus bicolor.. Don't recall seeing such shaggy - spined Glory of Texas specimens for sale anywhere in the past



Fero.. but which.. neat regardless



Fero. glaucescens




Echinocereus fendleri var.  boyce thompsonii





One really dark purple Opuntia macrocentra specimen..





Stunning Echinocerus specimens from Oak Flat..  Intensity of the Purple color in the flowers here was nearly impossible to capture correctly.. Compare w/ the boyce thompsonii ..at Boyce Thompson..














 

Images 1 & 2 are Ferocactus pilosus (pringlei form). Image 4 appears to be Ferocactus pilosus (pilosus form). Image 6 might be Kroenleinia grusonii (Echinocactus grusonii) form 'inermis'.

Good pics regardless of the names used.

Hi 91˚, Lo 52˚

[Silas_Sancona]

Some Ferns,  plenty of Flowers..

As mentioned during one of the Oak Flat visits last year, was hoping to cross off observing one or two more Xeric Fern species, following some iNat observations made of a group of ferns that borders on xeric, and more delicate, Pentagramma, or Gold Back ferns.

Fairly widespread in California, only two species occur here in the foothills / mountains in various parts of AZ.  Unlike the last attempt at finding any, found several specimens during yesterday's visit to both Oak Flat and hiking the high trail at Boyce.. Notice these like to tuck themselves farther back beneath rock ledges, compared to Lip Ferns, which can grow much further out where they get plenty of light ..or out where fully exposed to sun at some point during the day. Gold Backs hide in some very dark -and hard to get to - spots. Had to use my flash to get decent pictures.

Think all of these pictures are the more common species of Goldback, Pentagramma triangularis  but, a similar looking species, Maxon's Goldback, Pentagramma maxonii, also occurs in both areas.. So it is possible i observed both yesterday.

















For the most part, Lip Ferns growing up at Oak Flat were looking quite lush, especially the Blue-ish / Silver - leaved sp. ( Probably Myriopteris lindheimeri )







Both the dark green and silvery / blue leaved species









Plenty of interesting native / near - native things flowering, despite a pretty dry winter..

Parry's larkspur / Delphinium, Delphinium parryi





Coulter's Hibiscus, Hibiscus coulteri



 Chance encounter w/ a flowering specimen of Salvia mellisodora.. Flowers smell exactly like Grape Bubblegum..






Not 100%, but pretty sure this is true Mexican Oregano, Lippia gravolens.. Flowers look right for the Genus, foliage smells right for the species..  Couldn't find a sign near it which is why i'm leaving a a little wiggle room for a proper ID.




One of our native Sagebrush ( Artemesia ) sp.



Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera  sempervirens



Western Spiderwort, Tradescantia occidentalis





Santa Catalina Mountain Phlox, Phlox tenuifolia





Scarlet Hedgenettle, Stachys coccinea.. See the " Star fire "cultivar version in nurseries every so often. Nice to see the actual species.






For now, a Noid Composite ( Sunflower Family ) spotted in the canyon i explored at Oak Flat.



Another " try to figure out who " plant ..this time, a Penstemon sp.



..Same with this Lotus sp.



Lots of Goodding's Verbena ( Glandularia gooddingii ) on fire scar areas up at Oak Flat.. Enough of a show in some areas that patches of it were easily visible from a distance.







Same, burnt out area i'd explored in detail last fall.. Didn't venture back down there due to recent rains ( didn't want to disturb the soil, let alone get stuck in any muck down there.. ) Plus, Mining Company was drilling a test bore nearby ..don't want to have any encounters with those people..



...Globe Mallow ..Galore 


Not 100% on which species.. Could be Sphaeralcea ambigua  but flowers seem larger than those of the typical - and common- local Globe Mallow ( ambigua ) No variation of color either.. Just Orange, ..or fiery red Orange.  Flowers on S. ambigua can be red, Orange Magenta, Rose, Pink, and/ or White, even on plants in a small area. 











Regardless, very big year for these in the Foothills out here.. During the morning walk around Boyce, could easily see patches of these lighting up more distant slopes of Picketpost Mountain / Magma Ridge nearby.  Observed a different sp at Oak Flat, but none were flowering yet.. Close though.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Tom in Tucson said:

Images 1 & 2 are Ferocactus pilosus (pringlei form). Image 4 appears to be Ferocactus pilosus (pilosus form). Image 6 might be Kroenleinia grusonii (Echinocactus grusonii) form 'inermis'.

Good pics regardless of the names used.

Hi 91˚, Lo 52˚

  Appreciate the corrections Tom..  Kroenleinia crossed my mind as well for #6, but went w/ Fero. based on the wider central spine.. 

[Silas_Sancona]

53 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Parry's larkspur / Delphinium, Delphinium parryi






 

*** Correction ***

Miss- labeled this as Delphinium parryi..    Is D. parishii  (  Desert Larkspur / Delphinium ).  Parry's Delphinium does looks similar and apparently has been found in a few spots further north, but flowers are typically darker.  " Hood " that sits over the Stamens looks a little different as well..

[Peter]

Fantastic thread Nathan-thanks for posting!  That Chilean Palo Verde-wow!

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Peter said:

   That Chilean Palo Verde-wow!

I was saying  the same thing when i could see them from across Queen Creek, while walking the high trail.. Esp. in shot #2

[Tom in Tucson]

22 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

  Appreciate the corrections Tom..  Kroenleinia crossed my mind as well for #6, but went w/ Fero. based on the wider central spine.. 

Kroenleinia grusonii 'inermis' has at least 2 forms in cultivation. The form in image 6 is the rarer form known as 'curvispinus'. Note how some spines are curved like a Ferocactus. The genus Kroenleinia can easily be hybridized with Ferocactus (unlike true members of Echinocactus).

Hi 90˚, Lo 54˚

 

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, Tom in Tucson said:

Kroenleinia grusonii 'inermis' has at least 2 forms in cultivation. The form in image 6 is the rarer form known as 'curvispinus'. Note how some spines are curved like a Ferocactus. The genus Kroenleinia can easily be hybridized with Ferocactus (unlike true members of Echinocactus).

Hi 90˚, Lo 54˚

 

  Very cool, Thanks again for the added insight Tom..  It was the curvature you mentiond / overall thickness of that center spine that threw me off.  Now to try and find a small one, haha..

[Axel Amsterdam]

On 4/7/2022 at 5:17 AM, Tom in Tucson said:

Kroenleinia grusonii 'inermis' has at least 2 forms in cultivation. The form in image 6 is the rarer form known as 'curvispinus'. Note how some spines are curved like a Ferocactus. The genus Kroenleinia can easily be hybridized with Ferocactus (unlike true members of Echinocactus).

Hi 90˚, Lo 54˚

 

Tom, this small barrel survived multiple sub zero days and nights in humid Amsterdam. Would you say this is grusonii inermis curvispinus?

[Axel Amsterdam]

On 11/14/2023 at 12:53 PM, Axel Amsterdam said:

Tom, this small barrel survived multiple sub zero days and nights in humid Amsterdam. Would you say this is grusonii inermis curvispinus?

By chance i found out this small barrel is actually parodia erinaceus. Seems quite hardy

Edited December 10, 2023 by Axel Amsterdam