In my seasonal quest to capture images of blooming cactus plants, next on deck are Cholla cactus flowers. At this point the Claret Cups have come and gone and the Prickly Pears too. Although side note: some of the Prickly Pears do bloom close to the same time as the Cholla.
These plants defy sensibility with their alien looking appearance. With their long, spiny branches the plants themselves can get quite large depending on the variety. And as I learned last season, there are far more varieties of Cholla than I was previously aware of. And this year, I discovered some great patches of plants blooming within walking distance – YAY!
So here we begin this season’s Cholla cactus flowers photo moments…
Those Signature Buds
The variety of Cholla with magenta flowers produce some beautiful buds ahead of the flower blooms. In fact I often find them more interesting than the flowers themselves. These signature buds are a tell-tale sign of what’s to come. With clusters of pointy, pink buds, you know the blooms are soon to follow.
As the buds progress ahead of their actual blooming, they can have these swirls of pink and green, which from a side angle are so beautiful. This is a favorite shot to capture when the timing is right!
None of the other varieties that I’ve become aquatinted with present themselves as such. Or perhaps it’s my timing during their evolutionary cycle?
It is in this just getting ready to open state as in these photos where there is so much going on in terms of colors and textures. With its long branches covered in spines that such beauty unfolds before your eyes is quite magical!
Back to the Cactus Presentation Garden
In Colorado I had the opportunity to photography not only the more common variety of Cholla but Snow Leopard Cholla as well.
These plants with their snow white heavily spined branches and lemon yellow flowers are some real lookers. All those white spines do give the plant a rather snowy appearance.
I’ve plucked more than one of these spines out from various parts of my body from getting too close! However, that hasn’t kept me from still wanting to photograph them. I will say that in my experience, monochromatic yellow flowers can be hard to photograph.
But last year’s introduction to other Cholla Cactus varieties at the Cactus Presentation Garden was like hitting gold for someone who loves photographing cactus flowers!
The soft peach-colored flowers of the Santa Fe Cholla are so pretty. The flower petals can have an almost translucent looking appearance.
Interestingly enough, these cactus plants are found only in Santa Fe County and are considered an endangered species. With such a unique color, why wouldn’t you want to protect them?
From my observations, the flowers are a bit smaller and kind of dainty – but as a sucker for this color, I just love them!
This variety tends to bloom sooner than others. All these plants have their unique characteristics which can make timing to photograph them all the trickier.
Side Note: I’ve recently read about The Cactus Rescue Project (CRP), a dedicated volunteer organization operating out of the Eldorado Community Center which apparently maintains a cactus garden. So at some point I need to get out there for a little recon if you will…
Next on deck is the Buckhorn Cholla cactus. This variety has very thick branches likely giving it its name. The flowers it produces are in a league of their own looking more like a rose with its peachy variegated flower petals. But this bugger is positioned in a tricky spot at the garden making it challenging to capture ideal photos. Growing butt up against a fence it’s hard to navigate a good angle. I believe getting there earlier in the morning or perhaps later in the day could present better photo opportunities. But at least this time I did not wind up with cactus spines in my forehead like I did last year!!
Busy Bees and Cholla Flowers
There’s no doubt bees embrace Cholla flowers too. Forever busy in their pollinating efforts, they descend on these flowers with focus! Patience isn’t always a virtue as they often force their way into barely opened flowers. But they’re on a mission for sure. With such a short seasonal time-frame to access these flowers, there’s no time like the present!
I’m working on my video skills but here’s a short clip so you get a sense of what a busy place these flowers can be!
Sadly this brings the cactus flower blooming cycle for this year to a close. May and June are a fun, photo frenzy! And for a photographer who LOVES capturing these images, I’m grateful to have enjoyed another season 🙂