Spring is in the Air- five flowers you might see growing in your backyard!

A lot of people from out of state think Arizona is a dry, barren desert wasteland, but we know that isn't true. When springtime rolls around, and we get a bit of rain, we get all sorts of beautiful wildflowers! Here are 5 flowers you might see in Cochise County this spring!

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Cactus Blooms

There are tons of different species of cactus in Arizona, and the ones in Cochise County just so happen to produce beautiful flowers when the spring season shows up. Not only are these wildflowers iconic to Arizona, but they also play a very important part in Arizona's ecosystem.

Az state parks explain that the cactus bloom provides food for lots of creatures, such as birds, bats, and bees. The flower produces a sweet nectar that these animals rely on for their spring nutrition. Some cactus blooms even produce fruit that feeds lots of native wildlife. Without them, the desert ecosystem would not be the same.

READ more about cacti: 3 Things You Didn't Know About Saguaro Cactus

Desert Marigold

These beautiful orange and yellow marigolds can be found throughout Cochise County this season! These flowers not only look and smell great, but they are found across southern Arizona, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah, extending south into Sonora, Mexico, and Texas. They provide beauty for the people and food for gthe critters. These plants last for two growing seasons and thrive in sandy or gravelly soil.

READ MORE: Sure Signs of Spring in Arizona

African Daisy's

These flowers are found in Cochise County from spring to fall. While they originated in Africa, as time went on they became naturalized in Arizona. When the weather warms up and it rains a bit, these flowers can be seen in fields and on the sides of roads.

If you ever drive down Foothills Dr, there's a high chance you will see a bunch of them! They were planted by a woman a few years back, and this year they BLOSSOMED.

Lupine

These flowers are known for their close resemblance to lavender. They bloom from March to May and sprout up all across the area. While they are normally purple, they can also be blue, white and sometimes even pink.

These flowers are super important for pollinators. Their bright colors bring in bee's and other insects and animals that pollinate them.

Arizona Poppys

These are iconic flowers found all across deserts, and especially in southern Arizona. They bloom in the spring, and bring a bright, beautiful orange color to the scene. The Arizona Poppy is normally seen as small. Most of the ones you see outside aren't as big as they get. These flowers can actually grow to be 3 feet tall, and 2-5 feet across in the proper conditions!

These guys are very closely related to the California Poppy, but Arizona does it better. Unlike our neighbor's poppy, the stems of these guys are fuzzy and sticky which protects them, and they get a lot larger too.

Continue Reading: Arizona's 3 big Safety concerns this Spring

If you have pictures of any wildflowers, you see this year, don't be afraid to share the beauty!