Arizona Wildflowers - A tourist view

Hiking - Vermilion Cliffs, AZ

The desert can be so beautiful! This year I had the pleasure of spending time in Arizona and Utah during early spring. I just caught the beginning of the splendor of desert flowers - I'm sharing a few shots of those I encountered on the trail.  As we got off road on BLM lands and into Vermillion Cliffs, Grand Staircase Escalante, Grand Canyon, and Bryce Canyon - the little pops of color from mother natures blooms were unexpected and pleasurable. Hiking with the fragrance from sage and wide open spaces - Priceless!

While I'm tagging these are wild flowers or Native flowers - someone local with much more experience may say some of these are invasive. Like I say, this is a tourist view :)

Almost like an apple blossom - Arizona Wildflower

This looked like as aster to me. Arizona Wildflower

A nice touch of purple.

This very beautiful "Maiden Hair Fern" was growing into the cliff wall, on the Northside, just where the water would drain down. I thought it an appropriate time to ponder how how perfectly characteristics come together for plants to flourish - the other side would be way to hot and not enough water. Even a few inches on either side would probably not work. My companion said that the fern had been in just this spot, and never much larger for years. 

Maidenhair Fern - Arizona

I love the geology and topography of this area. While on the one hand I'd love to retire here, on the other hand I'd have to have an entirely different type of garden. That could be fun!

Singing Route 66!

Teresa Marie