Beautiful desert blooms – Echinopsis Cactus Flowers

The last time we were in Arizona it was long after the blooming season and a few months before the next one.  All I was able to see was one lonely cactus bloom then, but this time?  I hit the jackpot because many of the cacti and wildflower species were still blooming!  We went to the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona (if you haven’t gone, go!) and I along with quite a few other photographers all clustered around this one section of cacti – the echinopsis or Easter Lily cactus – that produced some amazing flowers that I have never seen before.  We were told by one of the docents that it opened at night and closed as the day went on so go and check it out.   Good thing we went as soon as the gardens opened else I would’ve missed this amazing sight.

From chatting with some of the other photographers there (Hi Tom and Jethro) I learned that many local photographers come there often – sometimes even daily – when it’s blooming season because each day offers new opportunities.  How wonderful to be able to do that.