Look at how beautiful this cactus in bloom is! Photo taken Thursday.
I am discovering flowers where we have never had flowers before. Take the cactus above for example. It hasn’t bloomed in the three years we have lived here. But this year, plants I didn’t know could flower are bursting with blossoms.
This is what the cactus looked like Wednesday:
It’s beautiful with buds. But I wasn’t ready for the next day and how spectacular it would be (photo above.)
What about invasive plants?
The front page article for my community newsletter was a request to get rid of invasive plants. The two species to eradicate were Globe Chamomile (also known as Stinknet) and Desert Broom. Although Desert Broom is native to the Sonoran Desert, it’s aggressive and takes over, hence the need to get rid of it. I researched Stinknet and Desert Broom and found photos online for the newsletter.
One of our neighbors received a letter from the Scottsdale Fire Department to clean up their yard and to get rid of Globe Chamomile. Apparently, it can be a fire hazard as well as taking over land from native plants.
I haven’t seen Stinknet in real life but I’ve read about it from Erin on Existential Ergonomics. Also my graphic designer friends who make up my “lunch bunch” talked about Stinknet at our last lunch. I’m keeping my eyeballs peeled for it. I mistakenly thought brittle brush was Stinknet.
I keep hearing, “It’s the little yellow balls.” Well, brittle brush looks like yellow balls, because the petals are falling off with hotter days.
Imagine my surprise when I was taking photos of the beautiful cactus blooms and looked at a pot next to it and saw this:
Stinknet took over a planter in my backyard!
I sent the photo to my lunch bunch and got this reply:
“It’s insidious and will grow anywhere….
“Masquerading as a plant worthy of a pot 😂 is taking it up a notch!”
Since yesterday, I’ve found it growing next to our trash bins. The plant originated in South Africa, made it’s way to Australia and Riverside County, California before heading to Arizona. I never heard of it when I lived in Riverside County — it must not have made it’s way into the Coachella Valley.
I’ve been instructed to wear gloves, dig it up, throw it in a plastic bag, tie it up tightly and throw it away. I want to thoroughly inspect our yard for Stinknet. But then I just got an email from my next door neighbor that he found a large rattler in his backyard! Yikes!
Have you heard of Stinknet before? What invasive plants do you have?
Love the cactus! So pretty. I don’t think I ever heard of Stinknet. But wow, yes I would say its taking over. Oh gosh about the rattler. That would freak me out! We have dandelions that take over. LOL!
We had dandelions in Washington where I grew up. Yes, the rattler makes me very cautious!
I find that Stinknet a really pretty plant! Too bad it’s invasive but at least you know what to look for now! I think WA has a number of invasive plants although honestly since I don’t own my own yard/garden I don’t pay much attention anymore except to be aware of what I grow in my allowed two spaces. The local news was talking a lot about hemlock a few days ago. Apparently it looks a lot like wild carrots growing. Our neighborhoods have many wild gardens so I just assume there are things in them that probably shouldn’t be there 🙂
The PNW has so many plants, forests, gardens, etc. I remember everyone had a huge garden while I growing up. Everything can grow there. The Stinknet is pretty, but I heard every little ball has 1,000 seeds.
Love the cactus. I’m not a green thumb, but I had a different challenge this year. We have three azalea plants that pretty much take care of themselves. I hate them because they don’t look all that great throughout the year. The one blessing is that each May they blossom red, purple, and white flowers. This year it was a no go. They were just starting to bloom in late April snd we had a cold night that pretty much shut everything down. Ha ha … just my luck. Reason 104 why I leave the gardening to others. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I was fine gardening in Washington where everything grows. I never could get my garden growing in Palm Springs and don’t try in AZ. Sorry about your azaleas not blooming this year.
I’m trying to find a picture, they bloomed on one side of a bush, but not on the other. Kind of schizo-like, like it didn’t know what it wanted to do. Ha, ha.
Ha! We had azalea’s in WA and they were so beautiful.
Gosh…new to me…but your cactus? Wow! 🥰
They were gorgeous for a couple days. Now they’re wilted. All that energy and beauty for a short bloom.
….thanks for sharing with us! ☀️
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Biohazard waste plants – love it. Your cacti are BEAutiful.
Thanks! The blooms only lasted one day. I’m glad I got the photo.
I’ve never heard of Stinknet before? What little con artist!
What invasive plants do you have? Oriental bittersweet, a pretty orange vine that kills everything around it.
I’ve never heard of Oriental bittersweet. At least it’s pretty if it’s the only thing left growing.
Invasive plants? None. Flies? Yeah …
I don’t see many flies, but when I sit outside, my legs get bit. They call them “noseeums.”
Invasive species-the Burmese pythons but they have not made it here yet, only pets let loose. My bulbs are coming up nicely. I water early after appointments, running around, etc. watching the puppy as it gets hotter.
Pythons would terrify me. Have fun with your puppy!
Oh my – stinknet and rattlers. Actually, put that way it kinda sounds like a good band name. So funny that you were wondering about it and then starting noticing it everywhere. Isn’t that the way it goes?
Great band name! That gave me a laugh 😀
Beautiful cactus! Invasive plants are awful .
Thank you! I had no idea the Stinknet made it into a pot of our yard. I guess the seeds are so light and tiny they float in the air.
That cactus is AMAZING: gorgeous, vibrant red, not exactly what you’d think when you conjure the image of a cactus in your head, is it?
We once saw this documentary about how animals eat something, and as the animals migrate, the more adapted plants, that have hardy seeds, have their seeds remain intact in the intestine tract and when the animal defecate, the seeds get “transplanted.” Looks like there’s a long and glorious (?!) history of invasive plants hitching rides 🙂
The flowers were some of the most beautiful I’ve seen. But they only lasted one day. Yes, there is a long history of invasive plants hitching rides. I was told the Stinknet has 1,000 seeds on each little ball and they get blown all over the place.
Beautiful flowers!
Thanks! I enjoyed them for their one day!
The cactus is lovely! If you want to see an abundance of stinknet, drive down Doubletree Ranch Rd between Scottsdale and Tatum. All the vacant lots are covered. The residents are ready to take up pitchforks LOL! It’s a cute little plant, but chokes out all the other plant and takes over quickly.
Next time I’m in that area, I’ll take a look. I took out the Stinknet from the pot, and discovered the fire stick that was there, was totally dead.
That’s too bad about your fire stick plant. The stinknet show up out of the blue, grow insanely quickly, and (I not sure the agricultural terms but) they grow, die off, and spread seeds twice per season so take over quickly if not nipped in the bud. I now understand why TSA asks about plants.
I didn’t notice that stinknet before. You’re right. It came out of the blue.
These flowers are so beautiful. All the best with the war against the intruders
Thanks! Hopefully that’s it. But when I pulled out the Stinknet from the pot, I saw seeds fly all over the place. Ugh.
It really is invasive.
I’ve not heard of stinknet. One of my invasives is called cutleaf vipergrass. I wrote about it on my blog years ago when I dug up a truckload of it. It still pops up, but is finally under control. It has a dandelion-like flower and seeds. Cheatgrass is another problem. And I’ll never eradicate bindweed!
Interesting. I haven’t heard of your invasive plants, but dandelions were an issue growing up in WA.
The red flowers are gorgeous! And along come Stinknet…I’ve never heard of it. We have dandelions in the grass but I think they’re sort of cute. Watch out for those rattlers. Hugs, C
The flowers were gorgeous. I’m glad I spotted them because they lasted for only one day. I remember my parents fighting the dandelions in Washington. The dandelions won!
The dandelions won. That’s hysterical. xxoo
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