Desert Bloom, Sunset, Arizona

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The bloom shown in this photograph is exceptional, with yellow brittlebrush and blue desert lupine blooming among cholla and saguaro cacti, all under a blazing southwestern sunset.

Each spring the deserts of southern Arizona burst into bloom, but some years are far better than others. It all depends on the right temperatures and the right amount of moisture both occurring at the right time. Too much moisture can inhibit the bloom as can insufficient moisture, and like desert weather, spring blooms can be highly localized.