FINE ART NATURE AND LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY OF ARIZONA, COLORADO, AND THE WESTERN UNITED STATES
In my early years of doing arts and crafts shows my signature image was “Beautiful Agave.” I discovered that image by chance. I was on an exploratory photography outing on Mingus Mountain in Arizona with nothing in particular in mind as far as subject matter. While driving to the top of the mountain I saw a rather large agave growing right near the side of the road. I stopped, backed up, got out of my vehicle and discovered a pristine, perfectly formed agave just begging to be photographed. As luck would have it, there was a rather thick layer of high clouds that morning which created the perfect highly-filtered light.
Ever since, I’ve been fascinated by the structure and beauty of agave and aloe plants but for whatever reason I haven’t had the opportunity to capture more images of them.
Agave and aloe plants are both succulents. The word “succulent” means juicy. Succulents are plants that store water in their tissues.
Visually, the plants look very similar, but there are distinct differences.
First, agave are generally larger than aloe and they have sharper, more rigid spines on the edges of the leaves.
Second, the inner leaves of agave are fibrous and durable, compared to aloe where the inner leaves are composed of gel.
Third, agave plants bloom only once in a lifetime, producing stalks up to 40 feet in height, after which the plants die. Aloe plants produce much smaller stalks (3-4 feet in height) and bloom year after year.
Fourth, agave plants have most of their growth in the warmer summer months then go partially or fully dormant in the winter. Aloe plants grow mostly in the cooler months of winter and then bloom in late winter or early spring.
In the greater Phoenix area, agave and aloe plants are used in both commercial and residential landscaping. You can also find them in great numbers in various succulent gardens (Desert Botanical Garden being the most prolific).
Here’s a list of the new agave and aloe images, all of which viewable on the New page:
- Aloe Buds, Phoenix, Arizona (ID: 434)
- Aloe Buds, Phoenix, Arizona (ID: 435)
- Agave, Phoenix, Arizona (ID: 437)
- Agave, Phoenix, Arizona (ID: 438)
- Agave Flower Stalk, Phoenix, Arizona (ID: 440)
- Aloe Blossoms, Phoenix, Arizona (ID: 434)
- Aloe Blossoms, Phoenix, Arizona (ID: 443)
- Aloe Blossoms, Phoenix, Arizona (ID: 445)
- Agave Flower Stalk, Phoenix, Arizona (ID: 446)
- Aloe Blossoms, Phoenix, Arizona (ID: 447)
- Aloe Buds, Phoenix, Arizona (ID: 450)
Here are a few samples:
