As far as I know, New Mexico is the only state in the Union which has an official state question. That question is “Red or green?” It’s asked in restaurants throughout the state and refers to whether you want red or green chile with your meal.1 There is also a third possible answer to the question, which is “Christmas” — both.
This post is about neither chile nor Christmas though; it’s just that these particular photos reminded me of the state question (not to mention the quirkiness of even having one in the first place). All of the photos are primarily red and green, and all were taken in New Mexico.
The image above shows claret cup cactus blossoms with a background of a couple of blurred-out prickly pear paddles. Below are some berries I don’t believe I’ve ever noticed before on three-leaf sumac. Three-leaf sumac is a special favorite of mine, mostly because its tiny flowers attract some of the earliest butterflies.2 In addition, its leaves are often some of the most colorful come fall.
The berries aren’t as tiny as the flowers; I’d guess the largest to be about 6mm long. From a bit of a distance, it looks as if they’re coated in sugar. They’re said to be edible, though “slightly sticky.”3
Last but certainly not least, ocotillo flowers bloomed spectacularly this spring. Ocotillo isn’t native to central New Mexico but does fairly well here — and climate change may be encouraging it to do even better. The background to this low-hanging branch was an agave.
Because a meal isn’t complete without the addition of chile.
I didn’t try them — they seemed just a tad too fuzzy.
Fabulous color! I always choose 'green'. Thanks Lisa, for more of your gorgeous photography and enlightening text.