Desert Wildflowers Anza-Borrego Desert

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Wildflower Field Guide
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Apr 13, 2012 DUSA reports: Rain may fall today, then next week in the 90s.

Apr 12, 2012 AB Desert State Park reports: Rain late in March has prompted most ocotillos to leaf out, making them the stars of this season's wildflower show. The rain does not seem to have had a significant effect on annual flowers (which can be found here and there, primarily in western canyons), but many cactus have responded with new growth and an abundance of blossoms.

• Visitor Center area: the brittlebush and chuparosa are fading, but the cholla and prickly pear are joining the barrel and beavertail in putting on a dsplay of beautiful cactus flowers. A few desert dandelions and Fiddleneck have popped up here and there, and tiny cryptantha persists as the most abundant (albeit inconspicuous) annual. The desert willow has put on some of its lavender orchid- like flowers, and the palo verde trees should be bursting with yellow soon.
• Borrego Palm Canyon: Shrubs are still blooming, along with scattered annuals in sandy areas. Carrying water is a must as the weather heats up. Bighorn sheep need water too, of course, and have been seen at the stream by at least a few people on most recent days.
• Blair Valley: goldfields are blooming on the lake bed. Other annuals (in small quantities) can be found on the Morteros and Pictographs Trails, including phacelia, penstemon, and fishhook cactus.
• Plum Canyon: Two-wheel drive vehicles should stay right at the fork. Shrubs are blooming, including chuparosa, brittlebush, desert lavender, and agave, along with some annuals—desert star, monkeyflower, little gold poppy, chia and fiddleneck. Here, as elsewhere, flower seekers need to get out of their cars and
Wildflower Update for April 11th
look around in order to find them. Blooming ocotillo can be found along Highway 78 as you head east toward Ocotillo Wells.
• Mine Wash: another road accessible to two-wheel drive vehicles (do not go past the Indian Village site). Look for ocotillo and agave in bloom; annuals will require more hunting. Follow the short trail and explore the milling features here.
• Higher Elevations: many flowers can be seen along the stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) between Barrel Springs and Warner Springs. Pick up the trail near the PCT marker near milepost 1.0 on highway S-22, east of Ranchita. Drivers of four-wheel-drive vehicles can see plenty of goldfields along the Jasper Trail and Grapevine Canyon roads.

Apr 9, 2012 ABDNHA reports: Flowers have been few enough in Anza-Borrego this year. It's frustrating to be hurrying down a narrow road when suddenly a clump of Apricot Mallows appears and there is no place to pull off the road so a person can stop to admire it. This was not the case in Sentenac Canyon where crews have cleared the roadside of Arrowweed (Pluchea sericea). We found no fewer than a dozen of these plants in fine condition.

Elsewhere in Anza-Borrego, the Ocotillo color show continues. For any fan of this plant, this is not to be missed. The picture below was taken in Ocotillo Flat near the First Crossing of Coyote Creek. Reports on Rainbow Canyon and the far end of Blair Valley (away from S-2) are good, if not excellent.

Apr 4, 2012 Cindy and Rich report: Anza Borrego. 3/31 and 4/1. S2, Cyn Sin Nombre; Borrego Palm Cyn Alternate Trail, respectively. The ocotillo more peaked out down south, brittlebush not coming on fully yet.

Mar 28, 2012 Michael reports: Pictures were taken 3/25 & 3/26 in Anza-Borrego along S2 and out in the surrounding badlands. There is more color than a couple of weeks ago and the Ocotillo are blooming nicely, with some spots better than others.

Mar 28, 2012 Carole reports: Took these pix going down S22 looking for Beavertail flowers. We saw a few, but there are lots of buds developing. Barrel Cactus are plentiful and very full of flowers. Certain areas have many very pretty Ocotillo bushes with bright red flowers – I love how the buds look like tubes of lipstick!

Mar 24, 2012 Paul reports: There are some of those yellow flowers blooming in Little Blair valley. I took these on march 20 2012.

What kind of invasive weed is this ? Little Blair Valley March 20 2012. Notice the small green bug in the lower left of the flower. Answer - by Jon Well, it's not an invasive weed at all and happens to be one of my favorites. It's thistle sage, Salvia carduacea

Mar 23, 2012 AB Desert State Park reports: The desert received wonderful rain last weekend, almost an inch! While it is too soon to know what the ultimate effect will be, it is quite possible that it is “too little, too late” to prompt a big bloom of annual wildflowers. Most of our annuals seem to prefer soaking fall and winter rains. We do expect to see more ocotillo leaf out in the next week, and shrubs and cacti should be able to continue blooming longer. The increased soil moisture may also encourage those few annuals that had already sprouted to become larger and produce more blossoms. Time will tell.

Mar 23, 2012 Jeff reports: On Wednesday March 21, I was on my way to see the sky art sculptures and drove by Warner Springs Airport ( 31930 California 79, Warner Springs, CA). I was surprised by the carpet of little yellow flowers on the roadside.

Mar 20, 2012 DUSA reports: Got rain in most of the park, the southern part of the park got the most rain and it may help the few wildflowers that are there now.

Mar 15, 2012 DUSA reports: Rain is now forecasted for this weekend.

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We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone. iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.

Photos tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography and wildflowers photos.

 

For other state reports click on link below

Wildflower Field Guide

Mojave Desert Wildflowers book 200 color photos

Other DesertUSA Resources
Desert Plants
Wildflower Information & Hotlines
When Will The Wildflowers Bloom?
Wildflower Intro. Packages
Books on Cacti, Wildflowers, & Other Flora