It’s always very enjoyable to walk among the Joshua trees, Yuccas, and desert wildflowers. Stop, listen. What do you hear? The gentle breeze blowing through the trees? A distant bird screeching? Maybe you’ll see a few Golden Mantled Ground Squirrels scurrying about in search of a meal. And of course, watch out for any snakes or scorpions. Mojave Desert love! ❤️
The Desert Spoon is a great choice for accenting your home landscape or around businesses. The home I owned here with the ex had several of these plants around the property. I recommend wearing very thick gloves and shirts when pruning the plant as its thorns are many and very close together, ouch!
This is an all-natural Joshua Tree slingshot, just add the huge rubber band!
And tall it is! This beautiful and healthy Agave’ plant was photographed in a Wash turned into a linear park. Hey Toto, we aren’t in Michigan anymore!
The California Barrel Cactus grows these cool looking buds each year, such bright color!
These are such beautiful cactus when they become thick and full, I highly recommend that you avoid contact with the cacti though! There are several different kinds of this cactus.
These photos are about two years old and were taken near the pass over the Spring Mountains via SR-160. I was also flying the DJI drone that day in this area which is southwest of Las Vegas several miles. I sold the drone in 2019.
The Prickly Pear cacti grows in all North American deserts and can adapt to specific locations. This one has a nice pink flower popping out of it. Learn more right here.
From this perspective it’s not possible. In the photos, roughly left and down a bit of centre is about where the canyon actually is. To get to it, you must pay Uncle Sam the entry fee since this area is under the jurisdiction of the BLM. I forget how much it is, I used to have a yearly pass too…
The entire twelve mile, one way only road was repaved a couple years or so ago so it’s a nice ride with wonderful views. Along your way you’ll know when you get to the canyon, trust me. It’s a huge gash in Earth’s skin! If you have the time when visiting Las Vegas, head out there, it’s worth the time.
Just take Charleston Boulevard west and you’ll drive right to the park entrance. 🌵🌴
The beauty of our Mojave Desert surrounds Las Vegas!
Go right ahead, put your hand inside this cacti! Yowzaaaaa!!! 😂
This big and tall fella was parked in a roundabout at Sunset Park the other day. The Saguaro cactus seems to do very well here in Las Vegas regardless of this desert not being it’s native habitat. For that matter, every palm tree here in Las Vegas is also not a native specie either. This has pissed off a group of people but guess what? Good luck getting them removed, folks. This must be yet another crazy group of tree huggers pissing and moaning…
Dark, dank and dangerous is this dark Joshua Tree, lurking somewhere in the Mojave Desert waiting to penetrate your body with it’s hundreds of deathly sharp tines! Be careful where you roam!
It’s a fourteen mile drive to the valley floor from the top of Lee Canyon, or close to that anyway. It’s interesting to watch the types of vegetation change as you descend the mountain slope, the Joshua Trees seem to populate at and below 4000 feet as do the Yucca. Then come the Creosote bushes and so on, the variety becomes much more Mojave Desert and less Alpine altitudes vegetation. And that temperature change, whooa!!! From 69 degrees to 101 degrees in a few short miles. 🔥🌴🌵
Here is the last set from yesterday, time to move on!
My beautiful desert friends the Joshua Tree and the Yucca are rejoicing in the beautiful Mojave Desert sunshine yesterday. There’s something about this desert that just captures and holds me… ❤️😎
Yes, Vividity is actually a word. Once again I reworked this photo by adding much more colour to it, what do you think? Overkill? Overdone! I added a whole lot of vividity!!
Agave’ is a beautiful desert plant, beware those gnarly spikes, they will bite you!
One from sometime last year at the Red Rock Overlook, such a gorgeous view!
Here’s a rework of an older desert photo from just outside Las Vegas last year, adding the red makes things look like you are on Mars or some planet in another galaxy. Desert hell!
I thought I’d reload these two photos, I really like them. Hope you do! 😎
Mexican Fan Palms grow really well in Las Vegas, interesting since palm trees are not native to this area!
The top of Joshua Trees have these big buds in spring. 😎🌵
Here are three more photos from today in the desert, this time only the treetops against the beautiful sky.
Here are a couple photos from earlier today of the pods atop two different Joshua trees. These trees can live up to seven hundred years which is so amazing considering the harsh environment they must endure.
In the centre of many roads around the city you will see these faux Joshua Trees, Coyotes, Road Runners and other birds that dress up the city a little bit. I’ll bet those tines are just as sharp as the real thing… There is also a faux California Barrel Cacti in the image too.
In many places around Las Vegas, you will see various desert plants and wildlife depicted in both the centre and sides of the roads. Some are rusted Prickly Pear cacti like this one, others are different cacti or animals such as Coyote and Road Runners. I have also seen Saguaro cacti and actual dead tree trunks dressed up so to say to represent the wild desert. Love it! Saguaro cacti and palm trees are not native to Las Vegas.
WHEREVER YOU GO, GO WITH ALL YOUR HEART.
Enter at own risk
Mainly through the lens of a Nikon
by Lize Bard
Landschaftsfotografie in Norwegen
Life in Copenhagen, Denmark, after moving during Covid-19.
