Blossom by Blossom the Spring Begins in the Desert

The harbinger of spring is probably the Joshua Tree, one of the earliest Bloomers (late February).  If conditions are right, and there was enough rain in November their tall heads are like crowns on this beautiful (and delicate) desert plant.  They are VERY fragrant and delicate.

Among the first to bloom are the various varieties of columnar cacti, and this gorgeous little White Torch cactus is outdoing itself with its enormous blossoms.  Blossoms never last much  more than 48 hours, especially if the sun is bright on them.  But these stood open and gorgeous  long enough for me to grab my camera and see what they did overnight!

The Giant Argentine will often bloom with three colors of blossoms on one plant, yellow, pink or/and white.
Here is one in yellow dress

 The Yucca is an evergreen shrub that belongs to the asparagus family. There are 49 species of Yucca that can be found in the southwestern parts of the North America, Mexico and in the Central and South America.  Yucca grows in hot, arid conditions on dry, sandy, well-drained soil in areas that provide enough sun.  We have three of these in our back yard, and watching the bells emerge from the bottom to the top of each stalk takes three or four days.