Monsoon Morning Walk

We've had a splendid monsoon this year with above average rain.  Flowers we've never seen before are blooming. More than a dozen native grass varieties are heading out now.  Thought I'd share a few, mostly the flowers as grasses tend to look all the same to anyone who isn't a grass nerd.

Yellow daisies, compositae, are blooming profusely now.  There must be at least a dozen different types, shapes and sizes.  Here are a few:

 

 

This last one is a native sunflower, a major source of quail food.

 

Other favorites are the native morning glories, especially the blue and red/orange ones. Seems desert species tend to be yellow, blue or purple and white.  The reds and oranges are rare.  These little red ones are about half an inch in diameter at the widest part of the bell. 

The blue ones are a little over an inch in diameter.

 

 

 

 

Lots of the fuzzy caterpillars this year, too.

 

Another sweet little flower that only blooms when there's a lot of water.

 

 

Can't remember seeing as many devil's claws as we've got this year.  They are strange plants with leaves almost the size of your hand.  Pretty but somewhat inconspicuous flower with somewhat hidden pods about the size of green chili.

 

 

 

Two of my favorite grasses, both are grammas.

 

 

Here are a few shots of the profusion of flowers of all types:

The purple asters are about gone for the year, but these waited around for picture day!

 

Signing off for today after a monsoon walk in Arizona!