Las Vegas City Wire

The iconic Mojave Desert landscape at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) campus is currently in full bloom, thanks to summer rainstorms.

Desert flora can be found throughout the campus, according to a news release from the university. Becca Schwartz, a UNLV photographer, was provided with a unique opportunity to capture the plants' essence.

"With such a dark, overcast sky, I was able to keep the background almost black, resulting in chiaroscuro [heavily contrasted] lighting,” Schwartz said in the news release. She contributed a photo essay as well.

Agave plants are currently thriving on campus, the news release noted. These plants often grow in "the arid regions of the Americas," though some varieties are also found in South America's tropical regions. Agave leaves appear smooth in texture but possess piercing edges and a fibrous interior. 

Fuzzy-looking plants known as teddy-bear cholla typically grow to heights of one to five feet, according to the news release. Tiny barbs on the plant's spines can make being pricked by one painful. Cholla leaves are easily broken off if they are brushed against; sometimes, they become attached to people or animals before falling to the ground and growing into plants.

Various desert flora can be found throughout the UNLV campus at several locations, including behind the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art and adjacent to the Baepler Xeric Garden, the news release noted.

"The result[ing photographs] reminded me of the effect Baroque painters of the 17th century used in their works to emphasize their main subjects," Schwartz said. "In a similar way, the details of the vegetation are able to be foregrounded, which isn't always as achievable in typical Las Vegas sunshine. I hope these photos serve as a map for rediscovering the striking plant life around us. I welcome others in the UNLV community to seek the plants out themselves and take notice of the contrast in these plants under differing weather forecasts."