Wednesday (20-June-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Late Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

On the last day of spring the Yucca plants are about to bloom, and the Prickly Pear Cactus plants are blooming. The Yucca flower only open at night, and if I am lucky near a full moon when a large white moth is attracted to their scent. The deer really like the Yucca flower shoots, and will often eat them before the flowers even open unless I protect the plants. The Prickly Pear flowers only open after the sun is out, and then only for a day. There were not as many bugs in the Prickly Pear flowers this year. The deer ignore these flowers

Yucca Plant Flowers About to Open. Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 60 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (David J Mathre)
Yucca Plant Flowers About to Open. Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 60 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (David J Mathre)
Yucca Plant Flowers About to Open. Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 60 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (David J Mathre)
Yucca Plant Flowers About to Open. Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 60 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (David J Mathre)