Wildflower Heaven
I SLOW TO MAKE THE CURVE on the winding road to Aguirre Spring Campground, in the Organ Mountains, then brake to a rapid stop and laugh out loud. The thrill from suddenly discovering a slope blanketed…
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Stay up-to-date with what's happening in New Mexico through our weekly newsletter.
George Miller is a botanist and photojournalist and past president of the Albuquerque chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico. He wrote a 2017 Quick Guide booklet, Wildflowers of Arizona and New Mexico, and a 2007 book, Landscaping with Native Plants of the Southwest.
I SLOW TO MAKE THE CURVE on the winding road to Aguirre Spring Campground, in the Organ Mountains, then brake to a rapid stop and laugh out loud. The thrill from suddenly discovering a slope blanketed…
Read MoreAbove: A tiger iron microbe fossil. Photograph by George Miller. As a kid, I thought “petrified forest” meant an actual forest of rock trees—just another childhood disappointment. Now, I step into…
Read MoreAbove: An Ocotillo. Photograph Courtesy Biodiversity Heritage Library. PLANT OF THE MONTH Ocotillo (Fouquieria Splendens) In the spring, hummingbirds migrating north across the New Mexico deserts…
Read MorePLANT OF THE MONTH Claret Cup Cactus (Echinocereus Coccineus) Like tiny scarlet goblets scattered across the sand, the waxy flowers of claret cup cacti dot landscapes from desert hills to 10,000-foot…
Read MorePLANT OF THE MONTH Spectacle Pod ( Dimorphocarpa Wislizeni ) With 1- to 2-foot stems topped by round clusters of showy white flowers, this early-blooming mustard decorates road medians, trailsides, and…
Read MorePLANT OF THE MONTH Joint Fir ( Ephedra ) The nondescript look of this broom-like trailside bush belies its turbulent history. Also called Mormon tea, it contains ephedra, a powerful stimulant used…
Read MorePLANT OF THE MONTH Banana Yucca (Yucca Baccata) Appreciate your high-tech waterproof-breathable boots when you hike past one of New Mexico’s native banana yuccas. The ancients wove its sword-like…
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