Snow in the desert

No, not the kind from the sky . . . the desert broom (Baccharis sarothroides) is sending out its fluffy seeds, filling the wash with snowy clouds each time a breeze gives the plants a shake. These are among my favorite native plants - they are colonizers of disturbed areas, and their blooms, in September and October, are incredibly attractive to nectivores - wasps, bees, butterflies - I've counted over 2 dozen species in just a jew minutes' observation at a desert broom in bloom.