I drove to Benson, AZ yesterday to visit with a client. Benson is more rural than Tucson, and the early-morning drive east on Interstate 10 was enjoyable. Turning south at my destination, I crossed a cattle guard near Cochise College. The monsoon rains had provided moisture enough for this plant (Sacred Datura) to blossom, and the sun was just right.
(It's amazing what you'll find when you're looking for blog fodder!) Looking down into the flower, I was surprised by a little polka-dotted beetle having breakfast. Cute little guy, isn't he?
Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by to visit.
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I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.
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photo copyright Mike in Tucson
NEAT! Mother Nature has such a palette! We have some bugs that blend into our citrus trees. I've never seen them ANYWHERE else.
I have some land down in Cochise Co ~ I need to go see it. I LOVE the Sacred Datura. Bee-yoo-tee-ful!
Hey Mike, beautiful photo. Datura? What was it that those books by Don Juan in the 70's said about the roots?
Hi Mike
Great photo, nice bug.
Good luck and success.
Lou Ludwig
Lou,
Thanks for commenting. The success thing has been working pretty well lately, thanks in large part to Active Rain.
Russell,
Right you are. The plant is poisonous if ingested. See the link above; it's pretty interesting.
Candice,
Thanks for being the first to comment! Amen to Mother Nature's pallette.
Mike in Tucson
Some bugs are so colorful and do provide a good benefit to the environment.
Mike, He is a very cute guy. I hope you didn't interrupt his breakfast.
Our son has 21 hours from Cochise college but the only thing that he can use is the physical education. He went from Intelligence to Marine Engineering.
Hey Mike, i clicked on the link and it was fascinating! I always enjoy your posts about the outdoors and your part of the world!
I've never seen a bug that color nor a sacred datura. You are a great teacher!
I love close-up photos like this ... beautiful!
Interesting link.
My takeaways: Cool photos and "Scopalomine is no pal o' mine..."
Everyone has to eat. Cool photo inside the flower. Sometimes looking a little closer yields a nice surprise.
Nifty photos (as always) -- take care and have a nice Labor day.
Mike, I have these growing in my garden. We call them moon flower bushes. And yes, it is not too uncommon to see bugs in the blossoms...
Helping you live your American dream...
Great flower photo... Thanks for sharing it's inner beauty.... Have a great week
Caron,
Thanks. You, too!
Michael,
Pollination at work.
Carolin,
Thanks for stopping by. I particularly appreciated your emails this weekend, and expect they will bear fruit.
Terry (or is Bonnie the blogger?)
That's right, isn't it? Looking a little closer almost always discloses something new.
Mike,
I'm glad you checked out the link. Did you see the pottery at the bottom of the page?
Sallie,
Thanks! I'll see you on your blog.
Leolinda,
Re the bug, neither have I! We have the plant in our neighborhood, but I had not stopped to take a photo. The sunlight shining through the blossom is what caught my attention.
Russell,
Thanks for clicking the link and exploring! See you again soon.
Marchel,
Now that you mention your son's experience, I remember that's the I-10 exit for Fort Huacucha. My kid brother John was an intelligence officer, so I'm familiar with the military base down there.
Russ,
...and in this case, pollinating the plant for reproduction. Thanks for commenting.
Mike in Tucson
Mike,
Shame on me! I stopped reading when I read about the dangers of the Datura plant.
Glad I checked back in to see your response, and, now I can say, "Yes, I have seen the pottery."
Fascinating!
Hi Mike - When we lived in So. Cal, we'd see these around. Used to call them "road lilies", not knowing their official name. Thanks for the education!
Mike- Amazing photos as always! You are a very good photographer and should sell your photos! Katerina
Mike that is a beautiful flower! The bug is well disguised, and hard to see. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Tony & Darcy,
I couldn't see that little bug until I looked directly down into the flower.
Katerina,
Which ones would you like to buy? :)
Karen,
I like that name!
Mike,
Thanks for coming back!
Mike in Tucson
None of the Datura species need a lot of moisture in order to grow and bloom.
There's a closely related species called Brugmansia which once were in the Datura family but which we now know are different. However, Brugmansia is just as dangerous as Datura. Most people know the Brugmansia as an angel's trumpet. Here are my biggest and best:
I also read the comments. Michael Thornton (comment #14) is mistaking his moonflower for Datura, which it is not. Most people don't grow the Datura in their gardens because one of its common names is stinkweed. The leaves and stems smell absolutely horrible if crushed or touched, but the flowers are heavenly smelling, especially at night.
The moonflower is in the morning glory genus Ipomoea -- Calonyction species.
Amazing pictures Mike.