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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Hidden Forest
Above: 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 MoreGrown Here All Its Life | Go. See. Do. | May 2018
Above: 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 MoreGrown Here All Its Life | Go. See. Do. | April 2018
PLANT 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…
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Grown Here All It's Life | Go. See. Do. | March 2018
PLANT 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 MoreGrown Here All Its Life | Go. See. Do. | February 2018
PLANT 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 MoreGrown Here All It's Life | Go. See. Do. | January 2018
PLANT 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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