Desert Blooms

  Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson The native wildflower desert lupine ( Lupinus sparsiflorus ) dotted the hillside along the El Cerro de Los Lunas Preserve trails on April 5, 2020. Photo credit Marisa Thompson.  From NMSU Extension Circular 678, " Poisonous Plants of New Mexico Rangelands":  "Lupines are abundant throughout New Mexico in a wide variety of habitats, including mountain slopes, valleys, and plains. There are over 150 species in the United States, and most are non-toxic. For more info on other lupine species and their toxicity to sheep (and sometimes horses and cattle), visit  https://navajorange.nmsu.edu/detail.php?id=155 and  https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/CR678/welcome.html .  Cota ( Thelesperma megapotamicum ) in bloom on June 2, 2020, along the trails at the Petroglyph National Monument Volcano Day Use Area. For more info on this interesting wildflower, visit the Santa Fe Botanical Garden website:  https://santafebotanicalga

  Southwest Yard & Garden (reprint from Jan 2018!) by Marisa Thompson, NMSU Urban Extension Horticulture Specialist Photo credits Marisa Thompson.     Question: Is there an easy way to tell if a flower is wind-pollinated or insect-pollinated? -          Leah M., Albuquerque Answer:  This question is a good one because the answer is beautiful. Big, fragrant, flamboyant flowers are a good indicator that an insect or other animal pollinates the plant. When the flowers are tiny, lacking color, and inconspicuous and might be even be considered ugly, they are likely wind-pollinated. Vectors for pollination can be biotic (e.g., insects, bats, birds, humans) or abiotic (e.g., wind, water, self-pollination). The flower scent, shape, and color and the timing of bloom can give clues to which insects are involved in pollination. Flowers that reek like dead flesh attract flies. Night-bloomers are often pollinated by nocturnal animals like moths and bats. Generally speaking, bee- and butterfly-

Southwest Yard & Garden by Marisa Thompson Reprinted Columns from 2001 and 2002 written by Dr. Curtis Smith Perhaps more than any other time of year, in January, Cooperative Extension Service Agents receive all sorts of questions about houseplants. This week I’ve selected a few archived columns with tips that still ring true twenty years later. Dr. Curtis Smith—who authored these reprints—is the former Extension Horticulture Specialist for New Mexico State University and continues to teach and inspire ( https://www.southwestgardensmith.com/ ). Archived columns are available at https://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/archives/ . *Does my use of the term "cactuses" in the title rub you the wrong way?? You're not the only one! I too gasped when I read it elsewhere. It turns out, both plural forms are accepted. :) Click this link for an interesting and helpful discussion:  https://grammarist.com/usage/cacti-cactuses/ .  -           Marisa Thompson, NMSU Extension Urban Horticu