Growing Native with Petey Mesquitey

Series produced by KXCI

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Petey Mesquitey is KXCI’s resident storyteller.

Every week since the spring of 1992 Petey has delighted KXCI listeners with slide shows and poems, stories and songs about flora, fauna, family and the glory of living in southern Arizona.


211 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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The glossary in the back of a flora is full of wonderful words that you may never had heard or seen before, especially if you’re not a botanist. I ...

  • Added: Nov 01, 2021
  • Length: 05:13
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I originally learned the botanical name of this native plant as Eupatorium greggii, but it is now Conoclinum dissectum. It’s neat that the tribute ...

  • Added: Nov 01, 2021
  • Length: 05:13
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The photos are mine of a chiltepin at our our home. It’s one of several we have in pots. They are great in the ground too, but I love the way they ...

  • Added: Nov 01, 2021
  • Length: 04:52
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Wandering through a woodland.

  • Added: Nov 01, 2021
  • Length: 05:16
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I concentrated on a few fall bloomers in the Aster family that have yellow flowers and I bet you thought of other species that should have been inc...

  • Added: Nov 01, 2021
  • Length: 04:31
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Berberis fremontii is in the Barberry family or Berberidaceae…that’s fun to pronounce. Fremont barberry has quite a range north of the Salt River i...

  • Added: Sep 28, 2021
  • Length: 05:03
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In July of 2002 I produced an episode about the summer monsoon and spadefoots. It was so much fun to write and record. In July of 2013 I re-recorde...

  • Added: Sep 28, 2021
  • Length: 04:35
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The scientific name of the band-tailed pigeon is no longer Columba fasciata, but is Patagioenas fasciata. That’s too bad because I was hoping to st...

  • Added: Sep 28, 2021
  • Length: 04:59
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I’m so lucky to live in the land of the ornate box turtle (Terrepene ornata luteola). For me it has been a wonderful journey with turtles, from my ...

  • Added: Sep 28, 2021
  • Length: 04:52
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There is no getting around it, every summer monsoon when the borderlands come to life it is so exciting!

  • Added: Sep 28, 2021
  • Length: 05:23
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I spent so much time jabbering about my conversion to a desert rat and monsoon believer that I left out some fun stuff. Native bees that buzz poll...

  • Added: Sep 28, 2021
  • Length: 04:43
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This episode is a reminiscence sparked by some old photos. I’m pretty sure my father took the photos, because I can’t remember him ever being witho...

  • Added: Sep 28, 2021
  • Length: 04:42
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I grew up in Kentucky where the state flower is goldenrod. The particular species that has that honor is Solidago gigantea. I wonder how it was cho...

  • Added: Sep 28, 2021
  • Length: 05:21
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Here are some morning glory photos. Above is Ipomoea ternifolia var. leptotoma and the photo below is of some floral chaos featuring the red flower...

  • Added: Sep 28, 2021
  • Length: 05:04
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I like the phrase in Arizona Flora about the Loasa family Loasaceae ; it is “remarkable for the diversity and peculiar structure of the hairs.” And...

  • Added: Sep 28, 2021
  • Length: 05:05
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The scientific name of the ringtail is Bassariscus astutus. It’s in the Procyonidae, the same family as our local borderlands’ critters the raccoon...

  • Added: Jun 01, 2021
  • Length: 04:56
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The genus Artemisia is found in the sunflower family Asteraceae and there are over 200 species found around the world in the northern hemisphere. W...

  • Added: Jun 01, 2021
  • Length: 05:04
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I do love wandering around little towns and Willcox is fun. And by the way, it was my friend and Willcox resident Steve Marlatt who reminded me of ...

  • Added: Jun 01, 2021
  • Length: 04:55
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I’m telling you, late summer and fall are great times to get out into the hills, especially if you want to find interesting plants. While you’re ou...

  • Added: Sep 27, 2020
  • Length: 05:02
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Jackass clover is Wislizenia refracta and the botanical name of clammy weed is Polanisia dodecandra. They are both in the Cleome family Cleomaceae....

  • Added: Sep 21, 2020
  • Length: 04:36