I found this lovely caterpillar relaxing on the branch of a bush a few weeks ago. The species is Citheronia splendens sinaloensis (splendid royal month). Believe it or not, this beast is almost four inches long! Growing in the desert poses its challenges. The summer monsoon rains are short, so vegetation is only ephemerally green.…

Late spring in the desert is about hope. For months, rain has been absent, and most of the land is a dusty shade of brown. Dead leaves and broken stems await better times. Yet somehow life persists through this period, with flowers appearing and some leaves flushing. In those apparently dead plants remains life. How?…

For the past few months, I’ve been working on a museum display featuring my leaf research. The display was commissioned through the University of Arizona’s Science and Society program. After two weeks of focused work in a wood / machine shop, I’ve finally finished the display. As of Friday evening, it’s up at the Flandrau…

In deep forest understorey, often no more than 1 – 5% of the sunlight available in the canopy reaches leaves. Absorption and reflection by taller plants prevent shorter plants from capturing much of this valuable resource. Without light, there is no carbon gain – and without carbon gain, no growth, or reproduction. What’s a plant…