2009 Park and Desert Area
Reports for Southern California

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2009 Reports

Mar 4, 2009 Lara reports: The kern river canyon is still abloom with a large variety of species. The road is narrow and winding along the river and there always seemed to be someone behind me wanting to go faster — while i wanted to go slower to find flowers. the trick is finding a place to pull over to photograph the blooms. several places it is simply too dangerous to stand next to the road.

Species in full bloom in the lower to mid canyon were: sticky monkeyflower, elegant clarkia, mexicali onion, farewell to spring/speckled clarkia, lupine, lance-leaved live-forever.

In the upper reaches of the canyon, along kern canyon road, near mill creek, there was ithuriel's spear, linanthus and some fading delphinium species.

Apr. 17, 2009 Al reports: Photos taken on 4/17 at Gorman, then poppy fields on Munz Ranch Rd, between Lake Elizabeth and 138. Snowy egret flocks on hillsides in flowers around gorman.

Apr. 14, 2009 Curtis reports: Taken Easter Sunday on Figueroa Mt. Road near Los Olivos at the upper elevations leading to the Lookout.

Apr. 14, 2009 Sam reports: I was off the interstate 5 freeway, gorman exit. I was there on April 12th, on my drive back to SF from LA. There is a nice place to stop, a small trail and you can walk up into the hills and see flowers everywhere. When driving it looks like the hills are made of marbled yellow, orange, and purple. Very beautiful, and easy to get to.

Apr. 10, 2009 Lilian reports: I drove to Lancaster on April 09, 2009, to check out Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. There is not much blooming in the reserve, however I went 4 wheel driving across the reserve and there were fields of Poppys, Owlsclovers and Yellow flowers..It was very beautiful display, It was absolutely worth the 4 hr drive since I live in Las Vegas. I want ot say that I really enjoy your website and I check the wildflower reports on a daily basis, Thank you for keeping us informed.

Apr. 9, 2009 Lilian reports: Wildflowers put on a spectacular show at Gorman Hills last Saturday. You can easily notice the wonderful display of flowers if you drive along Gorman Post Road. If you want to get close to flowers, just watch your step, we've heard there are plenty of snakes in this area. We hiked a short trail near Carls Jr, sunflower, lupine, poppy, phacelia, fiddleneck,red maid and goldfield were exploding everywhere.

Apr. 8, 2009 Cathy reports: Took Redrock-Randsburg Rd and Trona Rd. (around Ridgegcrest and Trona) and both were excellent with abundant Desert Dandelion, Bladderpod, goldfields, New-Mexico Plumeseed, and a bit of Phacelia. Before Trona on the north side of Trona Rd/178, about a 3-minute walk off the main road, there was a pocket of sandy dune"ish" soil covered with Sand Verbena and mixed yellow comopsites. Went through this area on April 2 and things looked at peak to near peak, I'd imagine it'd still be great this week.

Apr. 7, 2009 Morgan reports: We went to Figueroa Mountain Saturday afternoon (04/04/09). The lower elevation areas are about done flowering while upper elevation areas on the cat-way road and just beyond appear to be peaking. Dense patches of poppies and lupines cover the hillsides in many areas, definitely worth a trip to see before it’s over. The front side of Zaca Peak has a large patch of orange and purple visible from many miles, a good hike from the end of the cat-way road for the more adventurous.

Apr. 7, 2009 Linda reports: Leona Valley, CA - Not as many poppies as last year, but fields of purple and yellow can be seen along the hills.

Apr. 6, 2009 Jeffrey reports: With the recommendations of everyone here, I drove out to Carrizo National Monument this weekend. The wildflowers were abundant throughout the park, especially along the south east facing slopes of the Tembler Range. I drove up the steep Hurricane Road heading east, then 2.7 miles north on an unmarked road following the ridge of the Templer Range. The views each way were breathtaking. I was thankful to have the gearing of a 4x4 for additional traction in places.

On the same trip, I passed through Gorman along Interstate 5 and the wild flowers were the best I've seen there. So odd to see wildflowers and snow. On my return loop, I found abundant fields of lupine just north of Buellton along the 101. Unfortunately private land prohibited getting a closer look.

Apr. 5, 2009 Jim reports: I hiked in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Ventana Canyon, on 4/4/09. Saw blooming palo verde, brittlebush, creosote bush, desert fairy duster, desert honeysuckle, desert mallow, desert marigold, fleabane, hopbush, thistle, ocotillo (male oriole at), and much more!

Apr. 5, 2009 JT reports: Carrizo Plain April 4. 2009 The bloom is good in certain areas, but March was dry. Do not drive up Soda Lake Rd, expecting to see visual wonders. There are some nice dense displays of goldfields with others mixed in, but little else. Much better is Padrone Canyon Road. There are hillsides of goldfields visible, but many others upon a closer look. The thistle sage is coming on strong, desert dandelion, sprinklings of owl clover and creamy cups, and plenty of phacelia. Look also for a Clarkia species (?), and what seem to be a primrose in the canyon.

Apr. 5, 2009 Igor reports: Despite the information on their website about the peak bloom there are almost no poppies in the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. I was told that it is because of the grass that showed up very fast this year. The largest patch of poppies I could find was off the 170th St. As you can see from the picture, take your macro lens with you because your wide angle lens will stay in the bag...

Apr. 4, 2009 Gina reports: Chino Hills State Park, Chino, CA Tried to find poppies. None there. But lots of mustard in the hills.

Mar. 31, 2009 Nap reports: We visited Carrizo Plain yesterday (03/30/09). There are several yellow large areas about 10 miles in from the entrance and a few patches around Soda lake. The patches on the distance mountains are spectacular. Most sunflowers and other flowers are not in full bloom yet. I was hoping for purple flowers but only a few Lupine so I was wondering where exactly (in Carrizo plain) the photos posted on March 24 (taken on March 22, 2009) were taken?

Mar. 31, 2009 Steven reports: Photos from south of Gorman and California Poppy reserve.

Mar. 29, 2009 Robert reports: These were taken Mar 28 in Antelope Valley west of Lancaster. Poppies, Goldfield, and more.

Mar. 29, 2009 Morgan reports: Soda Lake Road near Painted Rock in the Carrizo Plain National Monument is a sea of yellow, not much in the way of lupine, owl’s clover or poppies. Sunday afternoon 3/29/09.

Mar. 29, 2009 Brian reports: Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve and surrounding area. The poppies are out although they are scattered. Lots of Yellow hills and smatterings of purple.

Mar. 29, 2009 Misc reports: Twol photos received from a reader on the Carrizo Plain and Gorman area.

Mar. 28, 2009 Del reports: My wife and I just got back from the Figueroa Mountain loop and it is definitely busting out! These photos were taken about 2 PM today (3/28/09).

Mar. 25, 2009 Kahlee reports: I traveled to several Southern/Central California locations this past stormy Sunday, March 22, including:

Gorman – Spring in the Gorman Hills has definitely arrived despite an unseasonably late snow storm. Along the Gorman Post Road, the rolling hills are golden yellow and many slopes at roadside are thickly covered with Bigelow’s Tickseed (Coreopsis bigelovii) and Goldfields (Lasthenia californica). Adding to the wildflower mix are Miniature Lupine (Lupinus bicolor), Bentham’s Lupine (Lupinus benthamii), Bush Lupine (Lupinus excubitus), Popcorn Flower (Cryptantha angustifolia), Checker Fiddleneck (Amsinckia tessellata), Owl’s Clover (Castilleja exserta), White Tidy Tips (Layia gladulossa), Redstem filaree (Erodium cicutarium), Bladderpod (Isomeris arborea) and California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica). I also saw patches of pale bluish purple in the distance – most likely Globe Gilia (Gilia capitata) which I’ve seen in abundance at these locations before. Unless the storm and winds that night damaged the flowers, look for conditions to get even better this week and possibly next. Picture below

Grapevine – Vast fields of Lupine (Lupine sp.) cover the areas east and west of I-5 as you approach Grapevine in the Central Valley. The largest field to the west of I-5 is gated, but while Powerline Road (east of the Jack in the Box) is marked private, it is ungated. I was able to drive right up to the lupine fields on both sides of the road, but be careful. There are ditches along side the roadway and little area in which to pull over safely. Flowers in large patches were quite lush with lovely views of the mountains to the east and south. Lupine predominated, but I found Owl’s Clover (Castilleja exserta) and Goldfields (Lasthenia californica) in the mix as well. Best find of the day, however, was a juvenile Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) circling over the area.

Arvin – Highway 223 from Arvin to the Junction with Highway 58, near the west end of the Tehachapi Mountains. Grasses are starting to overgrow the wildflowers, but it was still quite beautiful on Sunday, the 22nd, with large meadows filled with Owl’s Clover (Castilleja exserta), Lupine (Lupine sp.), Fiddleneck (Amsinckia tessellata), California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica), Milk Vetch (Astragalus sp.) and Popcorn Flower (Cryptantha angustifolia). Best location with a decent pullout was just east of Arvin at the beginning of the highway’s ascent through the hills. Picture below

Caliente and Bena Roads – East of Bakersfield, near Highway 58. The rolling hills of this area are resplendently green and bucolic. Wildflowers are sporadic and somewhat patchy, but there are a few noteworthy displays along Bena Road of Caterpillar Phacelia (Phacelia cicutaria), Fiddleneck (Amsinckia tessellata) and Owl’s Clover (Castilleja exserta). Other wildflowers spotted include Milk Vetch (Astragalus sp.), California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) and Lupine (Lupine sp.).

Mar. 25, 2009 Art reports: We were back on Figueroa Mountain again today. The bloom is developing nicely. The hillside above the ranger station where Catway Road turns off, is just about at its peak (see picture). This hillside usually has a good display of Lupine. This year it is mixed with lots of Poppies. We say many more coreopsis at mid elevations on this trip.

Mar. 24, 2009 DUSA reports: The Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve has started blooming, not at peak yet.

Mar. 24, 2009 Beverley reports: These ones were all taken up on the Carrizo Plain on March 22. We're heading out on another adventure tomorrow so I'll try to submit some more if we find some magical fields.

Mar. 24, 2009 Joanne reports: We drove Soda Road on the Carrizo Plain yesterday, March 23rd. Lots of flowers! The lupines were along Hwy 58 before we reached the monument.

Mar. 20, 2009 Linda reports: The field on the corner is in bloom. There are still a ton of unopened poppies. Looks like it will be a good year. Antelope valley, Ca Ave N and 45 west.

Mar. 20, 2009 Kahlee reports: Various Desert Locations: On March 15th and 16th, I traveled out to several hot spots in the Southern California deserts. The following flower species were found in all of the locations noted below (those exclusive to a given area are noted in the description for that area): Apricot Mallow (Sphaerica ambigua); Arizona Lupine (Lupinis arizonicus); Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus acanthodes); Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basiliaris); Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa); California Fagonia (Fagonia laevis); Cheese Bush (Hymenoclea salsola); Chia (Salvia Columbariae); Chuparosa (Justica californica); Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata); Desert Chicory (Rafinesquia neomexicana); Desert Dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata); Desert Gold Sunflower (Gerea canescens); Desert Lavender (Hyptis emoryi); Desert Pincushion (Chaenactis fremontii); Fiddleneck (Amsinckia tessellata); Gold Poppy (Eschscholzia parishii); Heron’s Bill Filaree (Erodium cicutarium); Notchleaf Phacelia (Phacelia crenulata); Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens); Popcorn Flower (Cryptantha); Spanish Needles (Palafoxia arida); Wild Heliotrope (Phacelia distans) and Yellow Cups (Oenothera brevipes).

Corn Springs Road/Chuckwalla Mountains. (Approximately 8 miles east of Desert Center on Interstate 10, take the Corn Springs Exit.) Corn Springs Road is a graded but rough dirt and gravel road. Some rocky areas to watch for, but definitely passable in 2WD sedan with care at least as far as Corn Springs. High clearance or 4WD recommended beyond the Springs. Area was near peak bloom on Sunday, March 15th. This was my personal pick of the entire weekend for best desert wildflowers in terms of variety and density as well as having the least number of people sharing the road. Some slopes and hillsides were truly carpeted with flowers. The washes were just packed with both big displays and isolated pockets of beautiful blossoms. Several panels of glorious rock art were an unexpected bonus.

Along with the primary list above, the following species were located in this particular area (plus many more I couldn’t identify): Bigelow's Monkey Flower (Mimulus bigelovii); Brandegea (Brandegea bigelovii); Broom Rape (Orobanche cooperi); Deer Weed (Lotus rigidus); Desert Five Spot (Malvastrum rotundifolia); Desert Suncups (Camissonia boothii ssp. desertorum); Woody Bottlewasher (Camissonia boothii ssp. Condensata); Golden Gilia (Gilea aurea); Goldenhead (Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus); Mountain Mist (Erigonium Parishii); Purple Bush (Tetracoccus hallil); Rock Daisy (Perityle emoryi) and Yellowhead (Trichoptillum incisum).

Mar. 19, 2009 Tsui reports: Photos were taken from a hill side on Railroad Canyon Road in Lake Elsinore on March 15 (Sunday). We parked our car in an adjacent plaza (it has Carl's Jr. and a tire store), walked along a nearby trail below the hills. The bloom was very nice, I believe it is near the peak.

Mar. 18, 2009 Mike reports: Photos Red Rock Canyon Hwy 14, near Mojave, 3/14/09

Mar. 15, 2009 Hector reports: I took this pictures just west of the Salton Sea on highway 86S on 3-14-09. I don't really know what kind of flower it is but it just looked really nice with the sun setting.

Mar. 14, 2009 Jimbo reports: The Southern portion of the Carrizo Plain is a mass of yellow gold fields and other yellow composite. Fiddleneck also predominant.

Mar. 13, 2009 Jimbo reports: I saw a post on this website saying that there wasn't much going-on at the Desert Lily Santuary northeast of Desert Center. In order to see the desert lilies you have to walk southeast from the parking lot and head into the sand dunes for about a half-mile or so. There are literally thousands of them out there. They are just starting to bloom. I've enclosed a couple of pictures to prove it! That being said, we were a bit dissapointed with our trip out this way. It does not match-up favorably with the bloom at Anza-Borrego.

2008 Wildflower Season - Videos
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Make your plans now to be in the desert during the wildflower season and take your digital camera with you. Send your pictures and reports to Jim@desertusa.com. He will post them on the wildflower reports site so that everyone can enjoy the wildflowers. Please do not change the automatically generated subject line on your E-mail to us. We use this subject to make sure we are able to spot your E-mail. (Please include dates and locations of your pictures).