Tag Archives: Beavertail cactus

Fully in Bloom

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I was out for my walk yesterday when I saw the neighbor’s Argentine Giant Cactus was blooming. So, of course I turned around to get my camera from home and set out again. In our little park was another one in bloom. I took photos all around the neighborhood, enjoying the sights of Spring cactus blossoms.

There were lots of bees. I was lucky enough to capture this guy on a cactus bud.

Here’s a close up of the beautiful Argentine Giant blossom taken with my 105 mm lens. In fact, all the photos on this page are taken with that lens.

I love the color of this blossom.

This was at the neighbor’s house. We have one Argentine Giant Cactus and it was one lone blossom in bloom yesterday, gone today.

At the park.

This purple beavertail cactus has a beautiful yellow flower. I wondered why some beavertail are green and others yellow. This is what I found out:

Beavertail cacti (Opuntia basilaris) turn purple primarily as a stress response to cold temperatures, intense sun, or drought, acting as a natural sunscreen. This purple pigment, known as anthocyanin, protects the plant’s cells from damage, making the color change most intense during winter or arid conditions.

I also learned there are purple varieties including one called Purple Desert.

Here’s to a happy Monday and week ahead. What’s on your schedule for this week?

Another One Bites the Dust

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I was walking out the door for my morning walk when I spotted a mighty saguaro that fell down and landed against a tree. That makes four that we’ve lost. I was afraid it was due to overwatering which can cause saguaro to rot and fall.

This one was completely dry at the base. My husband said it looked like the base rotted out. I looked it up, it’s called root rot.

Some of the saguaro are native while others are transplants:

We are thinking this one must be a transplant. It obviously didn’t have a great root system.

Transplanted saguaros often have a more damaged or less naturally formed root system, and may be tagged or have a history of being moved. Native saguaros, on the other hand, will have a more natural, established root system.

  • Root system:Transplanted Saguaros typically have their roots trimmed during the transplant process. While they can regenerate roots, a lack of extensive, naturally developed root structure might be noticeable. 
  • Damage from transplanting:Look for signs of scarring or damage to the base of the cactus, especially if it was moved recently. 
  • Lack of natural habitat features:Saguaros in their natural desert habitat often grow on slopes or in valleys. A Saguaro in a perfectly flat, manicured lawn, for example, might be an indication of transplant. –Google AI

Another thing I learned about native versus transplanted saguaro is the transplanted ones can be discolored at the base. Native saguaros stay a healthy green.

The gardener came the very next day and said he’d get it out of the tree, but it couldn’t be saved. He said he’d cut it up with his chainsaw and would let it dry out before he hauled it to the dump. It weighed more than 1,000 pounds and was too expensive for him to deal with.

Here are two photos of the saguaro in it’s new shape:

It is interesting to see the insides of our saguaro.

I took a few photos of prickly pears while I was out on the driveway taking pics of the saguaro’s demise. I hope you enjoy them.

Have a nice weekend! Any exciting plans?

Up on the roof!

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I came back from my morning walk yesterday and spotted the tiles on our roof. This is turning out to be a bigger project than I had previously imagined.

When we had solar installed, they broke roof tiles and put holes in our roof. First big rain (it poured for several days) we had water damage on the inside.

I called the solar company and sent a letter with photos of the damage to Costco (we bought the solar through them.) A Costco manager called me back as soon as he got the letter. Unfortunately, the solar company no longer works through Costco and they moved out of Arizona. But still the manager gave me a number to call and file a complaint and he said he would, too.

Nothing has happened on that end, but we needed to move forward with fixing our roof and the interior of the house. We got a roofer over and our handyman said he’d do the inside repairs once the roof is fixed.

The roofer said we needed to hire a solar company to remove the panels and supports. And then replace them when he was done with the roof repair. That was the hard part. It took more than three weeks to find a solar company who would do the job. They are too busy selling and installing complete home solar systems and not interested in a small maintenance job. We called people we found online as well as referrals from friends and neighbors. The referrals never returned our calls! Isn’t that something?

I’m glad we found a roofer, a solar company and have our handyman — who is the best.

This is our roof a few hours after the first photo was taken! Yes, I’m thankful. Solar gets reinstalled Monday. Then the handyman comes to repair the damage inside.

A bright flower on a small Beavertail Cactus. All photos were taken with my new phone.

Happy Mother’s Day to all my mom friends.

What are your plans to celebrate or enjoy the weekend?

Views from my week

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Yellow blossoms on a beavertail cactus
Yellow blossoms on a beavertail cactus.

A common theme this week is the color yellow. There are yellow blossoms on trees, cacti and bushes.

A juvenile Cardinal

My week included enjoying my Bird Buddy. This is a juvenile Cardinal. His coat is getting hints of red. Males are brilliant red while females are brown.

Blooming yuccas at our neighborhood park.

staghorn cactus in bloom

This staghorn cactus is bursting in blooms.

Morning dove
Mourning doves have been dominating my Bird Buddy.
view of blooms in the desert
A view of yellow blossoms in the neighborhood.

Palos Verde trees are common in our neighborhood. They are in their full glory of yellow blossoms.

I can’t help but remember my daughter who loved the color yellow but called it “lallow” as a toddler.

Our house guests are gone, we have friends visiting from Seattle who arrive today. We swam and walked, I cooked, I was productive in my new space. We made it to breakfast last weekend at our favorite cafe and I had a delicious latte and bagel with lox and cream cheese. It was a good week!

latte at Carefree Coffee Roastery
My latte at Carefree Coffee Roastery.

Happy Friday!

What are your plans for the weekend?

A bit of beauty

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Our gate looking out toward the street. It’s so beautiful with the plant in full bloom. Most of the year it doesn’t look like this.

This weekend I was stunned by the beauty in our neighborhood. I stop and take photos every day on my walks. I’ve posted several times about the desert in bloom, but more and more flowers amaze me.

Palo verde in bloom. They are all over the place in our neighborhood.
Ocotillo with red flowers


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The color on this Hedgehog cactus is brilliant.
The cardinal has been back!
This beavertail cactus is beginning to bloom.
I love this Yucca at the entrance to our neighborhood.

What are your favorite flowering plants and birds in the Spring?