I find that when people think of the American Southwest, they often imagine barren desert landscapes, cowboys, and drab brown expanses. Yeah?
Well, that’s partially correct. However, there are special times of the year when the sun is not trying to scorch everything into oblivion. In the Late Spring and even the Late Summer, we find bursts of color from some of the most resilient plants imaginable. It just takes a keen eye to get into the weeds (or cacti) to notice how colorful the desert can be.
Being the final few days where it is tolerable to be outside in Arizona, I went hunting for some of the last holdouts of our blooming desert. Most of these plants are native and wild, but I did snap a few extra shots on a visit to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.
The Palo Verde trees burst with yellow, seemingly, all at once. When the flowers fall, it makes the entire area golden.
Ocotillio plants look like long, spiked, naked branches in the summer and winter. But after a good spring rain, small green leaves appear, and amazing little red flowers grow from the ends of the arms.
The Prickly Pear cactus not only gives us beautiful flowers to look at, it also provides delicious fruit. After the flower dies, a sweet bulbous fruit is left. The prickly pear fruit is made into jellies, candies, and even margarita mixers. The cactus itself is edible, too. Look for Nopal on the menu at many Mexican food restaurants. 
Under normal circumstances, you’d want to steer clear of this short little spiny menace, but the Strawberry Hedgehog cactus loves to show off in Spring. The purple flowers look soft, but the cactus will remind you to keep your hands to yourself.
Finally, the mighty Saguaro. The icon of the Southwest will grow a ‘crown’ of amazing white flowers every Spring. These flowers are favorites for bees, and the resulting fruit is a feast for birds and bugs.
See, the Southwest isn’t all drab and brown! If you come at the right time, you’ll be treated with a sea of colors (mostly attached to plants that will stab you). However, if you come at the wrong time, the sun will try to melt your shoes to the pavement. Choose wisely, but do take any opportunity you may have to come visit.
For a more detailed look at Arizona life, please follow and visit the posts of my friend and neighbor, @AZ_2021. I’m just here as the comic relief 
*Text and captions were generated solely by the brain of JustJake; typos, grammatical errors, and nonsense are to be expected. Some plant names and details were graciously provided with the assistance of Google Lens and Gemini AI. All photos were taken by JustJake in Arizona, USA, Earth
