The Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA May 3, 2024

You know you"re in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA, when the sun gives you a warm "welcome"! This arid land is home to various animals such as roadrunners, Gila monsters, and the Morafka"s tortoise. The Sonoran Desert experiences two rainy seasons, which leads to the blossoming of colourful wildflowers such as the brittlebush, seen in today"s image. These hardy shrubs seen here are adapted to the dry climate, with their silvery-grey leaves covered in fine hairs that help reduce water loss through transpiration. Brittlebushes produce bright yellow flowers that bloom in clusters at the ends of their branches, adding a splash of colour to the desert landscape. Another drought-loving desert flora is the saguaro cactus, which can live for over 150 years and grow up to 12 metres tall. These cacti offer food and shelter to desert species. The saguaro is also a sacred plant in the culture of the Tohono O"odham people, used for sustenance and rituals.

© Charles Harker/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

May 3, 2025Arches National Park, Utah, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 3, 2023Pacific sea nettle jellyfish
Dec 11, 2024Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy
Feb 1, 2025Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland, Germany
Apr 14, 2024Bowling Ball Beach, California, USA
Jan 5, 2025Plum-headed parakeet
Nov 17, 2023Copper Falls State Park, Wisconsin, USA
Oct 25, 2024Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France
Mar 31, 2024A great egret in the Pantanal
Nov 4, 2023American bison
Aug 15, 2024Hang Sơn Đoòng, Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, Vietnam
Jan 21, 2025Eurasian red squirrel
Jun 17, 2025Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States
Jul 26, 2024Pont Neuf over the Seine, Paris, France
Dec 22, 2024Crystal Pier, San Diego, California, United States
May 10, 2025Castildetierra in the Bardenas Reales, Navarre, Spain
Jan 30, 2024Ayna, Albacete, Spain
Jun 8, 2025Steller sea lions
Sep 23, 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica
Sep 20, 2024Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, USA
Sep 17, 2023Cuban tody, Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, Cuba
May 16, 2025Great green macaw, Mexico
Sep 30, 2025Koala, Australia
Oct 30, 2025Camels, Rajasthan, India
Apr 8, 2024European hedgehog
Jul 23, 2025Vatican City, Rome, Italy
Jun 7, 2024Family of humpback whales, Dutch Harbour, Alaska
Dec 2, 2025Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, United States
Dec 20, 2023Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
May 6, 2024Heidelberg on the river Neckar, Germany
Mar 14, 2024Wat Phra Ngam, Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand