Flora / Fauna, Death Valley National Park

Favorite thing: From a certain distance, it looks at any other uninteresting brownish reddish shrub. However, if you take a closer look, you will discover the Desert mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) with many small red flowers.

Favorite thing: Barrel cactus (Echinocactus acanthoides) is another kind of cactus. They are not "aggressive" as the Teddy Bear cactus and they are sometimes grown as indoor plants. Again, you will be either very lucky or a good gardener if you happen to get its flowers.

Favorite thing: Actually, the Jumping Cholla does not jump but it has so many long and soft (soft and prickling all together !) spines that though you feel you are enough away, YOU catch it. If you take care, you will be able to admire it's beautiful yellow flowers.

Favorite thing: However, at home, Beavertail cactus seldom gives flowers. Only the wise indoor gardeners get them. They are splendid bright red and in the wild, in the Death Valley, in April, all plants had flowers. Nature is more clever than man !

Favorite thing: Teddy Bear cactus ( Opuntia Bigelovii ) is also called Jumping Cholla. You will very fast understand why the name of Jumping Cholla . As soon as you look at it, there is one that catches you ! No wonder that it is not a popular indoor plant !

Favorite thing: Beavertail cactus Opuntia basilaris is a very common cactus in the Death Valley and is also well known as an indoor plant all over the world. Everybody that have once grown indoor plant has grown a Beavertail cactus, which means that it is easy to grow and requires little care

Favorite thing: Another close-up of the flowers that were making such a stink this summer. Ha. They really did have a strong, but not unpleasant aroma.

Fondest memory: If you'd like to see more flowers, I have a travelogue featuring the flowers I found while... Crawling Around in Death Valley

Favorite thing: Desert five-spot (Eremalche rotundifolia) from a distance... not a long distance. They are small plants.

Fondest memory: If you'd like to see more flowers, I have a travelogue featuring the flowers I found while... Crawling Around in Death Valley

Favorite thing: It was difficult to take a macro shot of the Desert Gold (Gerea canescens) because... the wind was always blowing. But at the visitors center, there were some quiet spots that were sheltered.

Fondest memory: If you'd like to see more flowers... my fondest memories of the March 2005 trip... I have a travelogue called:

Crawling Around in Death Valley

Favorite thing: This flower wasn't in the "guidebook" that I bought...

Fondest memory: If you'd like to see more flowers, I have a travelogue featuring the flowers I found while crawling around on my hands and knees in Death Valley.

Crawling Around in Death Valley