Some sites in Arizona I visited

[7george]

In late September this year I visited Grand Canyon for a first time and want to share some views and plants seen there and other parts of Arizona we drove by and hiked. The topic will be emerging gradually as I need some time to pick and post images I have from there.

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That Canyon is vast but we did just a couple of trails shooting everything that seemed interesting. The most common agave I new should grow there was Agave utahensis ssp. kaibabensis.







From a distance another plant, Yucca baccata often looked the same way.


Numerous Opuntia and Echinocereus cacti were growing along the trails.

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They look like E. coccineus or E. triglochiadatus most likely.




The real find in first day in the Canyon was when we descended to about 1500 m altitude and saw some cottontop cacti (Echinocactus polycephalus ssp. xeranthemoides) around.

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Those views are amazing down there...

[mmcavall]

Nice pictures and interesting plants. Please keep posting!

[7george]

Besides O. engelmanii, O. phaecantha and all varietes of O. polyacantha, beavertail cactus (O. basilaris) is abundant almost everywhere I looked.

[7george]

On the way back from Vegas we stopped at some spots along hwy 93 to look at some desert plants.





Some different Opuntia again, very spiny hedgehogs, Cholla acanthocarpa and C. whipplei, some Ferocactus.













Fruits of this Ferocactus cylindraceus looked not fully ripe but ants already started to carry away seeds. Some of those may succeed to become plants.


Hit by a dead cholla? Did not resist to free it out.






Some cliff dwellers up there.

[keith]

Is that Nevada on the way to Utah ?

[tumamoc]

Nice!

[7george]

Is that Nevada on the way to Utah ?

No, that is western Arizona on the way to/from Nevada. Part of Mojave desert.

Mojave is interesting but if talking about views the Grand Canyon is incomparable. Some more of those.








Most views and pictures above are from along and little past down of Grandview trail in Grand Canyon N. P., Arizona.

[Aiko]

Nice pictures.

[7george]

The other place I visited next from others was the west part of Saguaro N. Park near Tucson. It was a short hike on Camino del Cerro & Sweetwater trails.





It was my first visit there and I have never seen before such a thick standing of cacti and other (semi-) desert vegetation. Walking was possible by those specially build trails mainly.





One of 24 existing in the park saguaro crests.



The last houses of the city neighborhoods have as a yard some natural habitat lot. No need to sow or plant anything, just pray for rain but not a flood...



From the barrels (F. wislizeni) some of the plants were still in bloom with red, yellow or orange flowers.












Nothing rare or unseen but great views and sites.


Circular defense.


Another veteran.


A seedling already noticeable.


Crestate Opuntia pad.


A Mammillaria with a fruit.

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[dinfelu]

Thanks for sharing

regards

[Licespray]

I love this post! Cacti in habitat are brilliant to see!

[SpineInMyFinger]

Great pictures. Love to go back and revisit.

[briancarpenter]

very nice

[Carpkel]

Nice pics . its nice to see cacti out in its natural setting.