Plants, Flowers & Trees

Blue Dasher on a Water Lily

I caught this blue dasher dragonfly resting on a Nymphaea Foxfire water lily along Frederick, MD’s “Color on the Creek.” This water garden is larger than Monet's famous garden — and it’s in full bloom during the summer.

The Exotic Bud of a Water Lotus

Photo © copyright by Tom Dorsz.

Sunflower Bud Stage

I'm starting the day facing the east as the sun rises and will follow it to the west. In the morning, I'm again facing east, waiting for the next sunrise. Photo © copyright by Tom Dorsz.

Adult Sunflower

I have begun to bloom, and I have reached my adult stage. My bright yellow top is not a flower, but a head. I'm made up of many flowers tightly packed together. The flowers that make up my head are divided into two groups. The outer flowers are called ray florets, while the inner flowers of the circular center are known as disc (disk) florets. My disc florets will mature into sunflower seeds. Though they really aren't seeds at all but my fruit. At this stage in my life, my stem has hardened and I face east all the time. Photo © copyright by Tom Dorsz.

Adult Sunflower, White Background

I have begun to bloom, and I have reached my adult stage. My bright yellow top is not a flower, but a head. I'm made up of many flowers tightly packed together. The flowers that make up my head are divided into two groups. The outer flowers are called ray florets, while the inner flowers of the circular center are known as disc (disk) florets. My disc florets will mature into sunflower seeds. Though they really aren't seeds at all but my fruit. Photo © copyright by Tom Dorsz.

Looking Up

Looking up from the center of the Palm Canyon Oasis to see the tops of the California Palms that make up this little bit of paradise. The California fan palm is the only palm tree native to western North America. Photo © copyright by Tom Dorsz.

Palms & Snow

The San Jacinto mountains above Palm Springs with a dusting of snow provide a vivid contrast between warm and cold.

Blue Tropical Water Lily

Genus: Nymphaea - a stunning water lily with blue-purple petals and multi-colored stamens in the center. I took this photo at high noon on a very sunny day. I was able to find this beauty in a pond that was shaded with tall cedar trees and dappled light. Nature is beautiful and wondrous! Photo © copyright by Tom Dorsz.

Reflections

Beautiful pink water lilies in a cool and peaceful pond setting.

Prickly

Cacti in a planter in black & white.

Rugged Beauty

North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area and Imperial Sand Dunes are in a corner of the Colorado Desert filled with a vast area of sand. The entire dune system, which runs for about 45 miles between Calipatria, CA, and the U.S., Mexican International Border, is the largest in the United States. Here in March is a beautiful silent, hypnotic landscape of undulating sand dunes, with desert wildflowers and the jagged Chocolate Mountains rising in the distance.

Ancient Live Oak Driveway

Imagine driving down a driveway lined with ancient twisted live oaks. What a tunnel!

Bald Cypress

A very old Bald Cypress tree in the Circle B Bar Preserve, Florida. A perfect nesting spot for birds since its remote and encircled with water which keeps predators away.

Pink Water Lilies

Pink water lilies provide a beautiful setting on a warm late summer day.

Purple Water Lilles

Long-stemmed purple water lilies.

Pink Water Lily in the Rain

A beautiful pink water lily floating on a pond in the rain.

Lady Darlene Dahlia

A beautiful showy flower with recurved petals that are ablaze in shades of yellow and magenta-red.

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms as seen from a Cherry tree along the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.

Moth Orchid

Flowers in the Woods

A beautiful contrast between the colorful rhododendron flowers and the dark moss coated trees in the Willamette National Forest, Oregon.