Spring Flowers .....Two Thousand, Twenty Four..

[Tracy]

[Silas_Sancona]

A few late spring things  / Seed trial updates,  via the house phone.  Some cameras just aren't built for a never ending workout.. No worries  ..sub - par picture quality is ok for a few more days..

Blackfoot Daisy,  Salvia farinacea,  and some Chocolate Flowers peeking out on the right from behind the Salvia. Excuse the Prickly Lettuce ( Lactuca serriola ) invader in the shot, lol )




Glandularia gooddingii  and the odd ball Blue Palo Verde across the street..  odd in the sense that this year, only the lowest 1/4th section of the tree is flowering heavily ( Now past peak ) while the top 3/4ths of it is lagging ( Starting to bud now, along w/ the rest of the Palo Verde over there )



Extra shot or two of the Palo Verde....






Clitoria mariana



Snapdragon Vine.




Queen's Wreath ( Antigonon )  awakening ..almost overnight.. and climbing the " trellis " i put together very quickly..



Solanum houstonii  that never stops flowering.




Chamaecrista  fasciculata




Zephyranthes drummondii  going from nothing, to on the brink of producing it's first flower of the year almost overnight..




Dyckia choristaminea



Ipomoea longifolia

The quick grower



And the specimen who decided to wake up, just a tad later..





Desert Willow ..On the way..




Guaiacum sanctum  awakening



Punn' Kins coming along nicely



Never ending parade of Sunflowers continues..







..Alongside some late season CA. Poppies.





All while the next big season gears up...   You know what time of year is approaching  ..Quickly




....Onward,  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  .....To some results from this Springs' Seed trials   >>>>>>>>>>>>
 

[Silas_Sancona]

Spring '24 Seed trial updates....  No pictures, except a bad one, for now.

Cassia afrofistula:  Tried a few of what seed i have left off the Selby specimen.  All rotted in their Seed coats before germinating. Interesting considering the seed coat is quite hard, like other Cassia sps.

Leucanea retusa 2018 or '19 seed:  Germinated

Enterolobium sp. 2015 ( ...or earlier ) collected seed:  Several sprouted but the Cotyledons rotted before pushing off the seed coat. One sprouted, Awaiting to seed if it pushes off it's seed coat, or rots like the others..

Ceiba erianthos, FL. sent in 2018 or 19:  Sprouting

Adansonia gregorii, AUS collected, sent in 2019 or 20:   Sprouting

Mimosa xanti:   Not sprouting yet / may need to scratch the tiny seeds again.

Mimosa palmeri :  Sprouting

Albizia sinaloensis, last year's seed collection:  Germinated

Senna hirsuta v. glaberrima '23 seed batch trial:  Germinated, extremely well.

Delonix " Orange - y Flowered specimen / Argentina collected:  Sprouting.

Cosmos atrosanguineus ..The famous " Chocolate Cosmos " :  sprouting.

Bauhinia lunaroides ..and / or ramosissima, 2018 or 19 collection:  Sprouting

Bolusanthus speciosus, Tucson sourced seed: Sprouting

Chloroleucon sp.  Argentina collected:  Sprouting

Ceiba insignis, FL. sent: Not sprouting yet.

Cochlospermum palmatifidum, Sonoita sourced seed: Not sprouted yet but should soon. Heat responsive.

Next trial batch of Devil's Claws / Devilish Blondes ( Proboscidea )  sown, awaiting heat stimulated growth from last year's successful trial. Also trialing mid elevation seed collected from one of our annual sps in 2021 and 22  this year.



Delonix regia " The Neighborhood specimen "   Horrible picture, but waiting for this kid to push all the way out of it's seed coat.  At least another seed or two sprouting. Rest should shortly.  Will pot up another batch.

  ..Guess this puts the " Phoenix area grown Royal Poinciana can't produce viable seed  " assumption   to rest..

Will update as more start moving.




Bursera fageroides :   Despite the casual assumption that the entire Genus is rigidly dioecious,  some sps are not, producing male and female flowers on the same specimen,  or producing individual flowers that contain male and female parts.

Mine has been setting seed for about 6 years, more so over the last 3.

Seed tried last year sprouted, but rotted in the cup i'd started them in.

Tried again this year w/ all seed produced off my specimen over the past 3 months.  Sprouting as i type.  Must be HOT to germinate these.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

A few as May begins.. Photo quality improvement on the way, haha..

Last of the Native Verbena



Mex. Hats..



Bottlebrush finishing up..



Brachychiton bidwillii




CA Buckwheat, with a colorful visitor ( Vanessa sp )  Didn't realize these were highly fragrant. Not exactly the variety of E. fasciculatum i'd been after ( Pretty sure this is the more coastal CA. form, vs the shorter form that has pink and white flowers common here )but keeping it around regardless.



Heat kicks in, so do the " Hot " Sunflowers..







Sunflowers and a neighbor's Palo Verde over the fence..



..With a visitor,  Red Admiral in this case..




Red, new Pseudobombax leaves ..White flowered specimen in this case.  Pinks are just starting to move again.



Guaiacum sanctum  flaring up.. 7 years here in the desert ..No issues w/ our climate.




G. coulteri season  ..We have ignition...



Almost impossible to see with such low picture quality but every twig on the specimen planted at the old house is FULL of buds.. Weather stays in the current " hot,  but not furnace " temp range over the next couple weeks and this spring's show should be pretty good.. ...No bleaching of the flower color due to the typical 100+ heat settling in.







A few seedlings...



1: Argentina collected Orange-y colored Royal Poinciana
2: Bauhinia lunaroides / possible ramosissima mix
3: Piscidia mollis ..Test batch #1
4: Adansonia gregorii
5: Neighborhood Royal Poinciana #1 **
6: Neighborhood Royal poinciana #2 **

** = looks like a 3 out of 6 successful germination ratio for this batch. Awaiting germination on the next.

7: Bursera fageroides
8: Ceiba erianthos / C. e. cross
9:  Senna hirsuta  '23 harvest viability test batch

Not pictured, but up and growing:
Leucanea retusa
Senna wislizenii  '23 harvest test batch
Albizia sinaloensis
Cosmos atrosanguineus


Bursera fageroides seedlings closer up..  Looks like this batch will have a 95-100% germination rate.  Each " nut " is capable of producing 2 or 3 seedlings as well.



New batches down:

Gossypium davidsonii, '23 harvest  viability test batch

Mirabilis coccinea ..Red Four - O - Clock  ..Superior Area collection
Either Mirabilis linaris ( Narrowleaf Four O clock ) or M. laevis ( Wishbone Bush )  Superior Area collection


Older Tucson seed acquisitions:

Mimosa strigulosa
Senna corymbosa
Senna pallida  ..We'll see if any of the seed is good.
Lonchocarpus hermanii
Conzattia multiflora 
Centrosema schottii

[Silas_Sancona]

Test shots with fresh eyes, haha..  A walk around the hood tomorrow perhaps?

[Silas_Sancona]

Morning shots  ...Before a long walk..

[Silas_Sancona]

Cinco De Mayo morning walk around the hood..

Palo Verde and  Desert Willow Season in full effect...

[Silas_Sancona]

As the neighborhood Jacaranda join the show..  Need to get a closer look at this big kid up the street..












A few Mariosousa willardiana /  ** Now M. heterophylla **





Cordia boissieri





...That time of year when Tecoma stans ..and friends.. shine..










And the " Fire Birds " awaken from their quick, winter siesta..









 

[Silas_Sancona]

Still cool enough to keep the Blue Emus going ..or maybe encouraging a second bloom..













...While warm enough to bring out the Thunder ..or Silver.. Cloud Leucophyllum.

[Silas_Sancona]

Brachychiton populneus, ...a very common tree here..








What could this be?? .. Albizia lebbeck  perhaps?  A definite possibility/ sure looks like what i remember it looking like in FL., imo.  

After missing getting my eyes on it on the last saunter around the 'Hood, finally got a good look at it..

Definitely Albizia, ..and not the common pink one. 

Leaves are too small for Albizia /  *** Formally Hesperalbizia occidentalis *** from Mexico and Baja..

Seed pods too large, Bark / Trunk details a bit different for Albizia sinaloensis, the other, most obvious,  regionally native Albizia sp.

Not one of the Leucanea or Lysiloma species either..

Regardless,  this is the only specimen i've seen anywhere in the valley, or regionally..

Will be checking on it again in a few weeks when it starts to leaf out, and when it should be flowering to gain more clues / solidify my assumption of ID.

As big as it is, has been around for awhile, and endured everything our unique climate has thrown it's way.

If A. lebbeck,  the complete absence of any seedlings around it / in nearby neighbor's yards demonstrates that it might not exhibit the same aggressive / invasive potential as that species has in other areas where it is / has been grown here in the desert ...or at least where it doesn't have unlimited access to lots of water. 

Contrast that w/ Leucanea leucocephala  which will pop up / can be found popping up almost anywhere around Chandler / other parts of the Valley, regardless of what access to ideal moisture conditions it does / does not have..

In such case, ( not being a invasive threat ) i could see more of these planted around town, in the right settings where the papery seed pod debris won't infuriate the " Everything has to be clean  -to sterility- / can't handle " seasonality " ..AKA:  the over - exaggerated aversion to.. / fear of... / miss guided, under appreciation of...  trees that drop their leaves for a few weeks at some point during their growth cycle  "  type of person.










.....Onward to a stop at the neighborhood Orange Box to see what they have going on..

[Silas_Sancona]

Orange Big Box stuff...


Decided to stop here after picking up some stuff earlier in the week and noticing that they had some Plumeria from an AZ wholesale vendor in bloom.  Specific vendor has started offering self - named varieties that are likely already named. Was where the " Yellow and White " ..Their name for it..  ..but likely Celadine plant currently in Plumeria Jail  came from.

Wanted to get shots of some of the other varieties they're offering. Unfortunately, all the plants on the shelf at the store were sold by the time i wandered over there yesterday..  So i'll have to go back to see what comes in next later..

Regardless, lots of other goodies to be seen.

Ixora standards..



Plenty of  standard - variety Hibiscus, as usual..












Interesting planter combo mix of Anise Sage ( Salvia guaranitica ) varieties inc.  Black and Blue, Amistad, and Unplugged, the pinkish flowered variety ..i think...



Planters w/ just S. g. Black and Blue. Pots w/ Mealy Cap Sage behind the Black and Blue.





Could 2024 be  ...The year of the Canna??   Usually see some in the BB this time of year, but never such a variety. Ironic because i've been contemplating planting a few of the dwarfs in a couple spots out front, ...or in pots placed out there since they laugh at out heat..















Pallet of Pineapple Guava. Not uncommon, but yet to see any specimens in yards.  Some Lemon / Strawberry Guava on another pallet next to these..





Onward....

[Silas_Sancona]

As much color as there is in the hood this time of year,  there is always more to come as Spring heads into the final stretch and Summer approaches..

As the Palo Verde show starts to fade, Ironwood ..and Saguaro Season enters the picture, signalling the end of " Nice Spring",  and  the start down that long hot and dry road to where the start of the Monsoon will offer relief for all from the heat. ..Hopefully..

Nicely sculpted Ironwood specimens by the hospital showing the first flowers of " Ironwood Season ".. Rest noted around the hood are still about a week or two away from lighting up.









Saguaro..













Meanwhile, Mesquite, Neltuma glandulosa  in this case,  are silently working on this year's crop of beans for Syrup, Flour, and Tortillas, while offering attractive, bright green shade to escape the heat beneath..








Random Ocotillo, Yucca pallida just about done flowering,  Yucca baccata and Montose Pachycereus schottii,  and Agave sp. about ready to flower..


















Some randoms back at the " Lab "

Clitoria mariana, still throwing new leaf color. First signs of a flowering cycle as well..






Aristolochia watsonii








Lingering patch of CA Poppies ..






Crown Jewel of the Spring?...

G. coulteri  specimen at the old house ablaze in deep blue flames..  Probably the best display on this specimen since i'd planted it.  Hopefully it will produce some fruit / seed this year.

Bigger potted specimen is flowering as well, though not as heavily this go around.  Shorter, but older potted specimen has a few flowers, but is still being shy..  ...For now.








































..We'll see what tomorrow brings ..........
 

[Silas_Sancona]

Monday Morning stuff,  on a saunter to the Blue Box, and around the Mall..

Parkinsonia aculeata







Various Tecoma  cultivars







.. With friends..



Bigger  Jacaranda up the street






Desert Willow






Mariosousa willardiana / heterophylla








Chitalpa












Well hidden Bauhinia variegata on it's last flowers for the year..

[Peter]

Way ahead of us...

[Silas_Sancona]

Thursday Morning stroll ...and some ends  ...and odds..

Hibiscus around the hood, and some new cultivar found at the Blue big box the other day..






Over trimmed a bit..


Bigger minimally trimmed specimen



Big Box find..





Neighbor's Cannas



More signs of Ironwood Season cranking up..








Various Tecoma










Teucrium sp.



Russian Sage ..Something you don't see planted much locally.





 

[Silas_Sancona]

A few uncommon Ficus..

Ficus benghalensis.   Not sure if our morning or two w/ an our spent in the 28-30F range got it, or they decided to cut it to get it to grow denser.. 







F. elastica in a not so ideal spot..




Neighbor's Benjamina.. A few others around the neighborhood looking fine atm as well.


 

[Silas_Sancona]

A true oddity in the valley..

Outside of the Botanical gardens, in CA esp ( Haven't been to DBG in awhile, so they may have a few bigger specimens now ) don't recall ever seeing one of these  -of any real size-  anywhere i've wandered through in the valley,  ..let alone in your average residential yard.

Is a yard with another Alluaudia sp in it i need to look at though..

While ID was pretty obvious on streetview, had to get my eyes on it to be sure..

Absolutely not disappointed with greeting this monster in person.


..I give you, the biggest  Alluaudia procera  specimen i've seen outside of CA ...in full bloom as well..

Add in some Uncarina,  Pachypodium,  other Alluaudia sps, and any of the Delonix sps   ..and a Bismarckia or two, ...if you have the space in the same yard...  and you've got yourself a nice slice of Madagascar spiny forest in the middle of another tropical Desert.


















 

[SailorBold]

Flying Saucer doing its thang...

[Silas_Sancona]

Late spring scenes and such on a Sunday in May....

Parkinsonia praecox








Parkinsonia X Desert Museum





























One of the Acacias.. Sweet Acacia are the most widely planted of the N. American sps, but these ..and some others planted around the neighborhood,  have a very Vachella schaffneri  look to them.

[Rivera]

Mimulus cardinalis

Diplacus aurantiacus 

Dudleya edulis center

Armeria maritima

Fragaria chiloensis 'Aulon'

Claytonia perfoliata emerging from Eriogonum

[Silas_Sancona]

A few " Hot " Sunflowers, and a couple " Harbingers of Summer "


Sunflower Scorchers..

This springs crop from last years seed.. While the basic color scheme is the same, Interesting mix of  tones in this years flowers.. Some have a touch more yellow streaking / penciling than last years plants straight out of the seed packets.












Galactia wrightii



Clitoria mariana






Surprise crop of Aristolochia watsonii  seedlings that popped up near " Mom "  ..and next to a couple of the potted Plumeria.





Everyone needs a buddy, right?..


While i'm still waiting for the 1yr old plants to awaken ( Checking on them,  Tubers are solid  ..just waiting for their cue to start growing )  other Proboscidea althaeifolia  seed i'd stuffed into the same pot last year,  decided to pop up  ..this year. 

This year's trial batch haven't started to germinate yet..   Can see the sticky ..harizzz... on the lower seed leaf in shot #2.  

Little Blonde Devils alright..

[Silas_Sancona]

Aside from the scent of Creosote bush, nothing like the added scents of Chocolate Flower, ( 1st 2 shots ) and Nacapule Jasmine ( Last 2 shots ) wafting on a breeze on a morning ( or evening ) w/ just a little extra humidity ..and / or a sprinkle or two in the air.









Mex.Hats at peak spring cycle bloom..



Distmake aureus, First flower of the season..

[Silas_Sancona]

....Say 'Ello  to my little neighborhood Ironwood Season.   Peaking, in this particular part of the 'Hood at least.






































....And some friendz along the way...

Vitex









Chitalpa







Tipu..



A little jacaranda



Literally...




Red Birdzz   ..The heck is the ugly thing lurking in the background.





Red Birdz and some Orange Tecoma for ya'



One of those Milkweeds the cool kids grow..  Asclepias subulata





Gossypium thurberi..   Flowering all early n' stuff..





 

[miamicuse]

Royal Ponciana

[Silas_Sancona]

@idontknowhatnametuse    Pseudobombax ellipticum  Pink form specimen #2 awakening..






Punn' kins and Sunflowers

Staminate / Male flower



Pistillate / Female

















Another first here at the lab..  1st  flowers on one of Baja Sur native Cyrtocarpa edulis  ( Cirulio / Cimarron Plum )  specimens.  Appears these are male / staminate but, we'll see... 

If so, hopefully the other produces female ( Pistillate ) flowers,  or a few flowers of each sex.

[metalfan]

Hawaiian Sunset Vine

[metalfan]

Mexican Goldfinger vine

[metalfan]

Poison arrow vine. Strophanthus preussii

[metalfan]

Amorphophallus bulbifer

[Peter]

Brachychiton hybrid:

[metalfan]

Hoya mindorensis

[Silas_Sancona]

With 3 days left of " Spring "  ( Meteorological ) a few things flowering around the yard..  And gearing up for the Summer to come..

Cosmos








..with Solanum houstonii




Ruellia peninsularis




Madagascar Periwinkle



Ebenopsis confinis  ..The Baja version of TX Ebony..







Distimake aureus



Kallstroemia grandiflora   popping up / flowering already where sprinkler over spray reaches into a bed where seed lies.





Jatropha macrorhiza





Pseudobombax ellipticum  Pink flowered form w/ the shiny new red leaves..





Much glossier and varnished look than how newer leaves my older, white - flowered Pseudobombax  specimen appear as they open..

[Silas_Sancona]

Galactia wrightii



Aloysia gratissima

[SM458]

The Phacelia are lovely. I bought seeds. But my mom took the packet for her boyfriend place. 😒

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, SM458 said:

The Phacelia are lovely. I bought seeds. But my mom took the packet for her boyfriend place. 😒

You should be able to purchase those year round. That said, being cool season annuals, they only grow Nov. - April. so if you sowed them now, they wouldn't do anything until at least late November.

Theodore Payne and Nature's Seeds sell some of the other CA native Phacelia sps.

Be advised that many species in the Genus produce a resinous oil on the leaves / stems that can cause a Poison Oak / Ivy- like reaction in some people.. Not near as bad but every spring, i know i'll end up itchy for a couple days once or twice while cutting down the plants after they have flowered / set seed. ..

[metalfan]

Chonemorpha fragrans, the Frangipani vine. And the Strophanthus preusii is really kicking into high gear

 

[Peter]

Caesalpinia gilliesii

[Silas_Sancona]

As Spring gives way to Summer...


Red Bougs and Red Birds....





Neighborhood Cassia fistula  w/ a few flowers on it,  a bit early this year...  Trees look a bit rough atm.. Have to see how they're looking in a few weeks.







Royal Poinciana ..Might be at peak bloom in some parts of town, but not here.  Need to check on the other neighborhood trees this week.  More seeds this year off this specimen? fingers crossed..









Texas Ebony glory.. Clouds of bees shuffling back and forth between the flowers atm certainly think so..








Distimake aureus, doing it's thing.   ..Now if only it will start producing seed.. ( ...Where's a howling dog icon when you need one, hahaha )



Another day, another round of  Golden fireworks




TX. Sage / Ranger.. Thinking this is Green Cloud..









Something about Senna covesii  flowering in June that speaks to the essence of the Desert ..in June..



Neighbor's Plumeria flowering ..Would have to get up on their roof to get better shots of the flowers. One reason compact and Semi dwarf / dwarf cultivars are nice.



Plumeria in the yard are starting up too, but waiting for the first flower on the Plumeria in " Plumeria Jail " to fully open before posting..

Time to check on other neighborhood specimens this week too..



Remember kids.. The desert is DRY and BORING ..No green, no flowers  ANYWHERE..   ....Just dust and depressed baked nothing-ness..

Don't want anyone moving here and ending up sad and howling about how BORING it is here..  🙃
 

[Peter]

Love that Texas ebony!

[Silas_Sancona]

5 minutes ago, Peter said:

Love that Texas ebony!

   It's getting there ..steadily..  From the living room, can see the top of it starting to poke above the more distant tree canopy across the street. 

Need to get an " official " tree stake on it before it breaks free of the stick it is attached to atm.