Piñons in the Hills

November 17, 2020 00:05:11
Piñons in the Hills
Growing Native with Petey Mesquitey
Piñons in the Hills

Nov 17 2020 | 00:05:11

/

Show Notes

The geology found at Fort Bowie National Historic Site certainly makes for the diverse flora. Hills or slopes of limestone next to or mixed with hills or slopes of granite, not to mention the elevation changes, from the mountain tops down to desert scrub. There are 470 species of plants found within the boundaries and depending on your references there are 11 or 4 plant associations. I like the 11 plant associations point of view. Lottsa different plants hanging out together!

We’ve returned to Fort Bowie since seeing the Colorado piñon (Pinus edulis) on that north facing slope and I think we’ve come across a hybrid of Pinus.edulis and the one needle piñon (Pinus monophylla)…something those pines do. I do want to find the one needle piñon, so we’ll keep poking around. It’s pretty cool that three species of piñons occur at Fort Bowie and it’s fun to have a quest, though we are always delighted to get sidetracked by other flora and fauna.

If you are interested in piñon pines I recommend the book The Piñon Pine, A Natural and Cultural History by Ronald M. Lanner.

The photos are mine. Look at all that seed!

Other Episodes

Episode

March 02, 2015
Episode Cover

A Spring Report from the Ol’ Guajolote

Petey jabbers about monkey flowers and sandhill cranes and declares that spring has sprung in the desert grassland.

Listen

Episode 0

December 18, 2023 00:03:56
Episode Cover

Ragged Rock Flower

If I had wobbled up any higher on that rocky slope I may or may have not fallen by a ragged rock flower. It...

Listen

Episode

June 06, 2018 5:18
Episode Cover

Black-tailed Jacks, Mexican Elderberry and Vegan Cowboys

  For goodness sake, I forgot to mention the black-tailed jackrabbit’s ears! The large ears are magnificent parabolic reflectors that keep them well informed of...

Listen