# The desert is blooming



## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)




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## sistone (Feb 20, 2007)

Beautiful , I've always loved cactus blooms, Are there two Yucca blooms? I think the pale yellow stalk is Yucca, is the white one also?


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

sistone said:


> Beautiful , I've always loved cactus blooms, Are there two Yucca blooms? I think the pale yellow stalk is Yucca, is the white one also?


Here's a closer look at the white one. The yellow is Yucca, I don't know the name of this one.


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## Hobie (Jun 1, 2006)

Flowers in the desert never cease to amaze me. Such beauty when you actually look closely at such an outwardly hostile environment. I love the tiny cactus!


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

If you look closely at this one, you'll see a mule deer track at about the three o'clock position in the photo. The country here is somewhat deceiving to those who've not been here. These shots were all taken yesterday on my way back from Albuquerque. The elevation ranges from 5,000ft - 8,000ft., so one passes through everything from desert to alpine. It's not the same as the Sonora or other southwestern deserts. 
I had to laugh about the yellow sweet clover growing right alongside the highway all the way down. It's a lush strip that's never more than 3 feet wide, but there's 150 miles of it. The whole stretch wouldn't make more than a 50-acre field if it were all together. I can't figure out a way to take advantage of it.


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## Madison68 (Jul 13, 2006)

Coyote, I have been through that area before and will be out in Durango via Albuquerque this August. My uncle works at Los Alomos. I was wondering if you get a surplus honey crop and if so what is the average. I know in August driving through I could'nt see anything blooming. Thanks Madison....


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

Madison68 said:


> Coyote, I have been through that area before and will be out in Durango via Albuquerque this August. My uncle works at Los Alomos. I was wondering if you get a surplus honey crop and if so what is the average. I know in August driving through I could'nt see anything blooming. Thanks Madison....


The real beekeepers around here do make good crops, but it's from hives that are in the river basins. A fellow near me was pullling 2-3 mediums per hive before he quit. The average for NM is reported to be 40lbs. Some of the other NM beeks here probably know better than me what's happening in their area. (They're a tight-lipped bunch for sure) 
Not much blooms around here in August, particularly in a dry year. Watch out for the Durangutangs while on vacation.


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## sistone (Feb 20, 2007)

coyote said:


> Here's a closer look at the white one. The yellow is Yucca, I don't know the name of this one.


And after two hours plus  the name is Palmer's Penstemon, also known as Scented Penstemon. I thought I'd never find it.


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

sistone said:


> And after two hours plus  the name is Palmer's Penstemon, also known as Scented Penstemon. I thought I'd never find it.


I appreciate that. There's a Rocky Mountain Penstemon that's bluish and I thought they might be related.


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## Ardilla (Jul 17, 2006)

We've stopped trying to identify each penstemon and aster and just say "dunno, its some kind of penstemon..." There are just too many around.

So far it has been a good year in the high desert. Some wildflower seeds lay in wait in the soil for years for just such a season. Flowers I haven't seen for several years are making appearances.

nice pics coyote


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