Tag: sonoran desert
Pining for Pineapple
Pineapples in the desert Arizona has many seasons that are perfect for fruit growing. You can often smell the blooming flowers from fruit trees that will soon become oranges and lemons. Some cactus fruits even look like a tiny pineapple. Bromeliads, tillandsia and...
A Disappearing Icon
Saguaros Under Threat No feature of the Sonoran Desert is more recognizable than the iconic saguaro cactus, soaring in height above all other species of cactus in Southwest West. Yet, these desert sentinels are under threat, due to a rapidly changing climate that is...
The Mystery of Gambel’s Quail Head Feathers
Garden visitors often ask why Gambel’s quail have those curious-looking plumes on their heads that are especially prominent on the males. Composed of six black, comma-shaped feathers that tightly overlap, you might guess that this topknot’s function is to impress....
