Phoenix may be better known for it’s epic sprawl, but its wonderful desert plant life is easily accessible from just about anywhere in the city through the trail and desert preserves system. Our foray to the Desert Botanic Garden yielded great colors, cactus blooms and the aromas of heated earth and plant life. The antidote I was looking for as everyone froze in subzero Minneapolis weather this weekend.
From the left — I love the purplish green cast of this Opuntia gosseliniana – from the mostly edible family of prickly pear cacti. I’m waiting for id’s on the other two since I didn’t take any field notes. The weekend was devoted to taking it easy with my mom, aunt and 1.5 year old daughter, so there was less botanizing than I would have liked, but plenty of pretty plant looking.