The Monsoon Rains

In the late summer the monsoons arrive, bringing heavy, though spotty, rain showers.

The desert greens up and wildflowers bloom, like the spreading fleabane (Erigeron divergens), a medicinal herb with many uses.

Gardens and fields also welcome the nutrient-rich rains.

Depending on the amount of rainfall, one species might be abundant one year, and another, the next--like these Blackfoot daisies.

Cacti store water and ocotillos make leaves.  These Texas rainbow cacti, prickly pear, and ocotillos live in the foothills of the Franklin Mountains, on a slope that carries heavy runoff during the monsoon rains.

Colorful mesquite pods.  Edible honey mesquite pods should be harvested before the monsoons.  They can contain high amounts of toxic aflatoxin B1 produced by a common fungus (Aspergillus flavus) if left wet on the ground for too long.