When I lived in AZ and flew anywhere in the east, or to San Diego, the first thing that struck me was how green everything was. The brownness of the desert got to me. Of course, we are talking about the desert that was destroyed by humans, not what Beth described. I'd wager to bet that most of the people who live in Phx have not seen the cacti blooming. Just reading that list of saguaro, cholla, and prickly pear made me nostalgic.
I'd bet that most of the people I hang out with around here don't know how to pronounce those names!