Ripening Fruit is a photograph by Douglas Taylor which was uploaded on February 23rd, 2021.
Ripening Fruit
An Engelmann's Prickly-Pear (Opuntia engelmannii) is loaded with ripening fruit on a hot August day in Tucson Mountain Park near Saguaro National... more
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45.000 x 30.000 inches
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Title
Ripening Fruit
Artist
Douglas Taylor
Medium
Photograph - Fine Art Digital Photography
Description
An Engelmann's Prickly-Pear (Opuntia engelmannii) is loaded with ripening fruit on a hot August day in Tucson Mountain Park near Saguaro National Park west of Tucson, Arizona.
Prickly-pear cactus are only native to the Americas, and the list of Opuntia species is staggeringly long. Many are endemic to the desert southwest where they hybridize easily and frequently. One of the most common in the Sonoran Desert is the Engelmann’s Prickly Pear, show here loaded with ripening fruits in summer.
The fruit of the prickly pear is the size of a chicken's egg and commonly referred to as a “tuna”. Though the Spanish roots of the name have been obscured over time, the shape of the ripe fruit does bear a vague resemblance to a fat oceanic fish of the same name. These fruits are relished by both people and most of the animals that live in the desert. Once carefully peeled, the fruit is juicy and very sweet to the human tongue. The animals don’t bother with peeling. Everything from coyotes to desert tortoise with ground squirrels in between relish nature's delicious treat during the high heat of the summer.
This photograph was made some years ago, before the ongoing drought in the American Southwest and the collapse of the bee populations. Bees are the predominant pollinator for the prickly pear flowers which bloom in April and May. Over the past few years there has been a notable absence of bees pollinating the flowers which has resulted in fewer fruits being set in summer. The lack of rainfall during the recent summers has also meant that the fruit have been smaller, and many have withered before ripening. Hopefully we will all live long enough to see another bountiful harvest such as this. All we need are bees and summer rains.
Uploaded
February 23rd, 2021
More from Douglas Taylor
Comments (32)
VIVA Anderson 22 Days Ago
SO beautiful, this idyllic desert vision!! voted: MULTIPLES IN NATURE, fav'd, :)V.
VIVA Anderson
sTunning entry: WILD FRUITS OR BERRIES contest, 16/02/23, and these are amazing compared to ours in Oz !!!, Kudos, voted........FAV........VIVA
Larry Kniskern
Congratulations, Douglas – your wild fruits or berries have been featured by the Go Take a Hike Photography Group! Feel free to add it to the 2023 Featured Images thread in the group discussion board for archive.
Gary F Richards
Outstanding composition, lighting, shading, color and artwork! F/L …voted for this piece in the Fruit Contest.
Douglas Taylor
Chosen by Jessica Kristoff to be a feature in the delightful Life Is Not So Black And White, Or Is It? art group, 3/14/21. Thank you for your wonderful support, Jessica!
Douglas Taylor
Chosen by Jessica Kristoff to be a feature in the delightful The Unexpected Wordsmith art group, 3/14/21. Thank you for your wonderful support, Jessica!
Douglas Taylor
My thanks to Yolanda Lee for featuring "Ripening Fruit" in the superb Positive Energy art group, 3/9/21. I am honored by your selection and support, Yolanda!
Douglas Taylor
I am honored by Bob Hislop who has chosen to feature "Ripening Fruit" in the awesome All Arizona art group, 2/28/21. Thank you, Bob!
Douglas Taylor
My thanks to Jenny Revitz Soper for choosing to feature "Ripening Fruit" in the award winning No Place Like Home art group, 2/28/21. I am honored by your selection, Jenny!
Douglas Taylor
Chosen by George Pennington to be a feature in the wonderful Painting With Pixels art group, 2/27/21. Thank you, George!
Douglas Taylor
Jeff Iverson has honored me by choosing to feature "Ripening Fruit" in the extraordinary Trick And Treat Of Nature art group, 2/26/21. Thank you, Jeff!
Janet Marie
Congratulations, for the Homepage Feature, in the Art Group, “BEAUTY OF ARIZONA,” for the week of Friday, February 26, 2021! You are welcome to submit your featured artwork in the groups discussion thread, “2021 NEW Thanks & Features Archive January thru March!” Thank you for sharing your artwork and being a member of the group. like/fave Janet🌵
Douglas Taylor replied:
Thank you for this wonderful honor, Janet! I appreciate your awesome support.
Douglas Taylor
I am honored by Nader Rangidan who has chosen to feature "Ripening Fruit" in the wonderful Fine Art America Professionals art group, 2/24/21. Thank you, Nader!
Douglas Taylor
My thanks to Frank J. Casella who has chosen to feature "Ripening Fruit" in the wonderful PENTAX and RICOH Photographers artists group, 2/24/21. I am honored by your selection, Frank!
Douglas Taylor
Chosen by David Dehner to be a feature in the Gentlemen Club Art Group, 2/24/21. Thank you, David!
Douglas Taylor
My thanks to Dora Sofia Caputo for choosing to feature "Ripening Fruit" in the superb Visions of Spring - Glances of Summer art group, 2/23/21. I am honored by the selection, Dora!
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