Boyce Thompson 2026, Take #1..

[Silas_Sancona]

It's mid - April, Cloudy and warm  ...which means it is time for this year's spring check in up at Boyce.. 

As usual, we start the tour with a check in on the Palms..  Other leafy and mobile highlights from the walkabout yesterday  = find em' elsewhere on the forum. 


Sabal uresana..  Most look great, Some got a trim.    ** Not pictured ** Seems the smaller specimens sited in the " Sonoran Desert Garden " section suffered from ..an issue w/ the irrigation perhaps?? ..Recovering it seems, but look a bit rough atm.. Hopefully the summer ahead gets them out of their funk..  Same issue w/ some of the Brahea armata planted over there.. 
















Palmy area #2 between the AUS and Mediterranean gardens.. 







Rhapidophyllum specimen looks great.. 





Nannorrhops  .." Smaller " one near the uresana grove coming along nicely





..Same with the bigger, more hidden specimen planted near Queen Creek in a different area.. 





** Interesting side -note regarding this specimen.  When looking at some stuff on iNat, came across this observation..  Coati, Nasua narica specifically,  have been steadily expanding their range north and westward since returning to AZ from Mexico decades ago.  

More recently, they have been inching their way down out of the mountains east of PHX and have become a reasonably regular site at Boyce.  Are now a fairly frequent visitor in more developed neighborhoods near washes in Tucson, inc. west of I -10 so, not out of the question we'll see them turn up in neighborhoods much closer to Phoenix in time. 

As you can see from the included observation links below, it seems they really like the fruits of Nannos.  Observations are from the specimen pictured above..

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/317151847

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/317152091


As with the " Feral Phoenix" that can be found outside the garden,  which they also seem to enjoy,  will be interesting to see if any seed consumed and ..deposited..  result in this species randomly popping up in other parts of the garden / outside the garden along both Queen Creek and in Arnett Canyon nearby.