The Sonoran Desert, Arizona May 3, 2024

The Sonoran Desert, Arizona

Welcome to the Sonoran Desert, where life thrives despite the heat thanks to two seasons of rainfall. This subtropical desert spreads across parts of Mexico, California, and Arizona and is home to animals such as roadrunners, Gila monsters, and the Morafka"s desert tortoise. Its rainy seasons are followed by the blossoming of colorful wildflowers such as the brittlebush, seen in today"s image. These hardy shrubs are adapted to the dry seasons, with their silvery-gray leaves covered in fine hairs that help reduce water loss. Brittlebushes produce bright yellow flowers that bloom in clusters, adding splashes of color to the desert landscape. Another drought-loving desert flora is the saguaro cactus, which can live for over 150 years and grow up to 40 feet tall. The saguaro also provides food and shelter for desert species and is a sacred plant in the culture of the Tohono O"odham people.

© Charles Harker/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

May 3, 2018Nazar amulets, Goreme National Park, Cappadocia, Turkey
May 3, 2019A night of art and culture
May 3, 2020World Laughter Day—it s a hoot
May 3, 2021It s Teacher Appreciation Week
May 3, 2022Teacher Appreciation Day
May 3, 2023Wildebeests in Maasai Mara, Kenya
May 3, 2025Happy International Astronomy Day!

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 8, 2018Travel Sunday: Flamenco in Granada, Andalusia, Spain
Dec 8, 2020A fortress in the sky
Jun 27, 2020Looking for peace on the precipice
Oct 15, 2021Autumn in the Prosecco Hills
Jul 12, 2020A day to take a moment
Oct 21, 2019The Guggenheim turns 60
Jan 13, 2023Giant kelp in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Jan 18, 2019An opulent backdrop for a historic event
Dec 24, 2025Christmas Eve
Sep 27, 2018High seas commerce
Jul 21, 2024Kendwa village, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Apr 5, 2023Black grouses lekking
Sep 10, 2020Hidden beauty in Thailand
Jul 25, 2023Laguna de Torrevieja, Spain
May 7, 2019Spring comes to Glacier National Park
Aug 15, 2023Piazza IX Aprile, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Nov 25, 2023Toledo, Spain
Dec 14, 2023Christmas Bird Count
Jan 20, 2025Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Mar 26, 2022Spring awakens
Aug 31, 2021Bridge over the River Tara
Dec 2, 2022Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act marks 42 years
Sep 2, 2025Camel thorn trees, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia
Aug 28, 2019Florentine garden brings generations together
Apr 28, 2018National Park Week: Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Feb 21, 2020Carnival comes to Olinda
Nov 22, 2018Tom Turkey takes Manhattan
Nov 1, 2022Día de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico
Aug 31, 2022Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
Sep 9, 2019A toast to California!