Monday, June 28, 2010

Sweetness

 

It's time for the ripe saguaro cactus fruit to split open allowing birds to feast on the juicy pulp and dark seeds inside.






The desert looks and smells as if the saguaros are blooming all over again, this time in rich shades of red rather than white.


Red ripe saguaro fruits are a sign that the rainy season will begin soon.  Moisture is always welcome in the desert.
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27 comments:

  1. TracyJune 28, 2010 at 7:48 AM

    Let's hear it for rain! I'm ready.

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  2. rainfield61June 28, 2010 at 8:06 AM

    It is very interesting to know the life of a cactus plant in a desert.

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  3. •°°• IcyBC •°°•June 28, 2010 at 8:08 AM

    That is just gorgeous, Diane. The red color really stood out against the blue sky, and the green part of the cactus!

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  4. blog with no nameJune 28, 2010 at 8:34 AM

    Hi Dianne!
    Those blooms sure look yummy!

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  5. BarbJune 28, 2010 at 8:45 AM

    I'd love to see this faze of the blooming process. It looks as though the birds and animals will have a feast!

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  6. UnknownJune 28, 2010 at 9:00 AM

    The birds are going to have a feast.
    have a great week Diane.
    Costas

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  7. angryparsnipJune 28, 2010 at 9:00 AM

    Wonderful photos,

    I was driving north Craycroft yesterday and it seemed every saguaro had a bird on top.

    Your camera gets such nice close-ups. I just use a little point and click !
    I can never get the top/close-ups you do.

    cheers, parsnp

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  8. Sylvia KJune 28, 2010 at 9:20 AM

    Terrific captures as always, Diane! What a beautiful saguaro! Love the rich, vibrant colors! Have a great day!

    Sylvia

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  9. Regina June 28, 2010 at 10:11 AM

    Wow gorgeous and succulent.
    Enjoy a lovely week Diane.

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  10. cieldequimperJune 28, 2010 at 10:13 AM

    You live surrounded by such beauty and show it so well!
    Summer is rain season? I wouldn't have bet on that!

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  11. JulieJune 28, 2010 at 11:26 AM

    How gorgeous are these cactus in bloom! Are the colors this bright year round or just in the summer? I know my hibiscus are brighter and just more beautiful in general right now.
    Happy Cactus Monday!

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  12. Costea Andrea MihaiJune 28, 2010 at 11:28 AM

    beautiful images! regards

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  13. Betsy Banks AdamsJune 28, 2010 at 1:47 PM

    Oh Yum, Don't you how how much those birds love that cactus fruit???? They have to wait on it ALL year!!!!!! ha

    I love Cactus blooms.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  14. DoanLegacyJune 28, 2010 at 3:01 PM

    That fruits look so good, and I don't blame the birds for feasting. Gorgeous photos.

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  15. eileeninmdJune 28, 2010 at 3:02 PM

    Cool looking cactus, the birds must be in heaven eating that fruit. Wonderful mosaic and photos!

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  16. Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪June 28, 2010 at 5:44 PM

    The fruits look like flowers. Besides birds, do humans eat them?

    I watched in TV, an American chef was barbecuing a flat type of cacti.

    Yesterday, I took some cacti fruit photo too.

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  17. The Retired OneJune 28, 2010 at 6:46 PM

    Fantastic photos...so exotic looking!

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  18. GaelynJune 28, 2010 at 7:56 PM

    Oh that fruit looks so sweet. I try to beat the birds to at least a few.

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  19. AllisonJune 28, 2010 at 11:56 PM

    Such vibrant red, Diane! I'm assuming that all the white bumps on the cactus are the flowers of years past. Is that correct? I never knew that!

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  20. Jeannette StGJune 29, 2010 at 12:09 AM

    Great pics of the blooms of this cactus!

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  21. StephanieJune 29, 2010 at 4:33 AM

    How wonderful! The birds get to have a feast ;-) The fruit must be really sweet he he...

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  22. TesJune 29, 2010 at 5:57 AM

    Oh wow, I did not know they can have both red and white flowers. Interesting -thanks for yet another tid bit of information, Diane! Love the photos, so vibrant! :)

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  23. Joanne OlivieriJune 29, 2010 at 9:06 AM

    I really love cactus for their uniqueness and these are very interesting. What gorgeous colors on the flowers. Thanks for the info too.

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  24. ClytieJune 29, 2010 at 11:11 AM

    It's been so long since I've seen a blooming cactus ... not many of THOSE here in Western Oregon!

    I love seeing birds feeding on the cactus blooms. Brave little things, I think!

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  25. Susan EllisJune 29, 2010 at 5:11 PM

    Such lushness in the desert...you've captured it really well!

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  26. Annie JeffriesJune 30, 2010 at 12:11 PM

    So beautiful. Very much like National Geographic's (of was it Disney?)The Living Desert from decades ago.

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  27. LindyJuly 3, 2010 at 8:18 PM

    What a colorful, juicy, abundant feast for the birds and insects!

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