Saturday, April 08, 2006

Ocotillo in Sabino Canyon

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is a deciduous shrub with spiny branches that grow from the root crown. The stems are leafless for the greater part of the year, but sprout small leaves after rains.

In spring the plants produce flower spikes at the ends of the stems. The individual flowers are bright red and tubular. Hummingbirds and orioles feed on the nectar. This hummingbird was feeding on ocotillo flowers in Sabino Canyon yesterday morning.

10 comments:

Cyn Bagley said...

Loved these springs photos. And I am a sucker for hummingbirds. :-)

Carla said...

that's a wonderful hummingbird photo. i love the ocotillo.

Chancy said...

Pam I just found your blog via Time Goes By and Ronni Bennett and I am so glad I did

The hummingbird photo is amazing. You need to enlarge that one and frame it.

I love my digital camera that I got last Christmas but I do not exactly have the complete hang of posting the photos on my blog.

Come visit me at http://driftwoodinspiration.
blogspot.com

Chancy

tai haku said...

very nice hummer Pam.

robin andrea said...

I love the bright color of that ocotillo flower. No wonder the hummingbird spots it and comes in for a delicious sip. Beautiful.

Endment said...

So glad my internet is back up... Love this set of photos!

Pam in Tucson said...

cynthia - I look for hummingbirds wherever I go. Around the house, they sit on treetops or the tops of creosote bushes - too far for the camera lens and usually in silhouette.

patina - thanks for coming to my blog. I've looked at yours - seems like you've done quite a bit of desert travel. I enjoyed your photos.

chancy - I came to visit your blog and enjoyed it.

tai - Thanks. Always a pleasure when you visit.

rd - Ocotillo spikes are so spectacular. You can quite far away.

endment - Thank you! I'm glad you're back on the Internet, too.

Taradharma said...

simply elegant. thank you for sharing such beauty.

Anonymous said...

I love the hummingbird pic. Also, I enjoy seeing the sights of Tucson through your eyes. I lived in Tucson for nine years...

Pam in Tucson said...

Tara - Glad you liked it. I'm always happy when you come by.

Joan - Welcome! Are you still in Arizona? We've lived here for over 40 years and I still discover something new every time I go out.