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Desert Wildflowers Anza Borrego Desert State Park


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Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Wildflower Reports For 2008
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More report from 2008

March 28, 2008 - DUSA reports: The park is at or near its peek. The park has a PDF wildflower map showing the best area to go. Click Here for Map. Its is a large file

March 28, 2008 - DUSA reports: Visited the southern part of the park 03/27/03 and saw many areas which still have some good wildflowers and cactus in bloom. It is heating up so they will not last too much longer. Here are two pictures from Canyon Sin Nombre.



March 27, 2008 - Carole reports: We are staying at the Butterfield Ranch campground and spent a long time on the S2 near Carrizo Badlands area. These were taken March 25. There are Desert Lillies everywhere, and the Cholla, Barrel Cactus and Beavertail cactus are blooming like crazy. Also lots of yellow Fiddleneck, Canterbury Bells, Purple Mat, little yellow daisies, and many others I don't know the names for. It was in the 90's, but it was pleasant and a great day for photography.


March 27, 2008 - Bob reports: Just off S22 near Ranchita in the San Ysidro Mountains. Taken March 26


March 25, 2008 - Park reports: As expected,the first two weeks of March were breath taking. However, on the valley floor, the fields of wildflowers have wilted from the heat and the onslaught of sphinx moth caterpillars. Many more cactus flowers are now opening and the ocotillo are starting to bloom in earnest. There are still many blooms to see up the canyons and in the higher elevations of the park.

March 25, 2008 - Barry & Mary report: Anza Borrego Past the Airport near the 24 Mile Marker 50 Yards off the road to the East. We call it the Rose Bowl. These were taken Sunday 3/23/08.



March 25, 2008 - Joe reports: We drove out to Borrego Springs Sunday March 23.. The wildflowers on Henderson Canyon rd. have faded as you can see in the photo looking up Coyote Canyon. It was very disappointing. It was not worth the drive. Some Rangers said Caterpillars came through and ate them. Others said the heat is now to much for the flowers.

There were so many cars headed into the entrance to Coyote canyon that it must have been a zoo up there. We turned around and headed south to avoid the crowds. We drove down the 78 and S-2 highways, but did not see many flowers like past years when there were many more.


March 23, 2008 - Selena reports: March 22, 2008 Henderson Canyon, Hell Hole Canyon trail, and Coyote canyon. Actually found the Ghost Flower in Hell Hole.


March 23, 2008 - Denise reports: Many Orcutt's asters in Split Mountain area. Henderson Canyon annuals starting to dry out, but still plentiful. Arroyo Salado road is wonderful for many variety of blooms.


March 22, 2008 - BT reports: The very hungry caterpiller (there were thousands more) at Coyote Canyon! Henderson Canyon - annuals are not as prolific, cacti are now beautifully displaying.



March 21, 2008 - DUSA reports: This is what you can expect to see on Henerson Canyon Road today. It will be warm.


March 20, 2008 - DUSA reports: The park is at or near its peek. The park has a PDF wildflower map showing the best area to go. Click Here for Map. Its is a large file

March 18, 2008 - ABDS Park reports: Our total rainfall since July 1st is 4.43 inches. Though still below normal, the rain has been perfectly timed and of the gentle, soaking sort that is giving us a good wildflower season. As expected,the first two weeks of March were breath taking. While some species are fading there are still many blooms to see. As always there will be flowers before and after the peak. More cactus flowers are opening and many more will blossom as spring unfolds. Also, the ocotillo are heavy with buds and many are starting to bloom.

March 18, 2008 - Simon reports: I took a trip to Anza Borrego desert SP last weekend, the pictures look great. here some I want to share.



March 17, 2008 - Larry reports: Thursday March 13th, 2008 I took a trip to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.Coyote Canyon, at the end of DiGiorgio Rd was my first stop. However, Henderson Canyon was the place that was really outstanding.


March 15, 2008 - DUSA reports: Plum Canyon off of RT 78 has many dispays of wildflowers.



March 15, 2008 - DUSA reports: Cactus Blooms along the Elephant Trees Trail, visited the trail on 3/14/08 and pictures below were taken on Friday so they will be there for this weekend. Also found some 5 spots nead the parking lot. For more information and pictures from the Trail click on the link above.




March 13, 2008 - Gene reports: Hi--anza borrego lower desert looks like it is at its peak---higher elevations not blooming yet--3/13/08 here are pictures taken today.



March 13, 2008 - Wayne reports: The photo below was taken on Sunday, March 9 about 7pm at Henderson Canyon Road. It's a digital merged of three exposures (high dynamic range processing) in order to capture the sunset sky hue, the shadow of the hills, and the flowers. I flew in from New York for this special weekend getaway and am so happy that I made this trip.



March 13, 2008 - DUSA reports: The area should be reaching its peek next week.

March 10, 2008 - Mark reports: I spent Sunday March 9th out in Anza Borrego for the flowers. I led a small group of 4x4 folks from ExpeditionPortal.com . We spent most of our time up Coyote Canyon. As you enter the canyon and get out of your vehicle, you are just overwhelmed by the wonderful smell of all the flowers!
The crowds, the horses, the Unimog Camper!........the 25 Land Rovers! Yikes!.....etc. Later in the day we headed down to the Blair Valley area. Not much blooming there yet.



March 9, 2008 - Carlos reports: This is a combination photo taken on Henderson Canyon Road. I call it Sunrise and Wildflowers. The sky was photographed at first light and the wildflowers around 10 AM 3/6/08



March 8, 2008 - Dennis reports: Photos were taken March 7th, in Anza-Borrego. Henderson Canyon Road was taken at the east end of the road, just before the Pegleg junction, looking up towards Coyote Canyon. Wildflowers is a closeup of sand verbena, dune evening primrose, and desert sunflower, off the Henderson Canyon Road. Beavertail is a photo taken on the trail to Alcoholic Pass. Lots of desert dandelion blooming in along the Coyote Canyon Road.




March 7, 2008 - Jim reports: On March 2-3 the desert floor at Anza Borrego was the most glorious I have seen it. Coyote Canyon was a drive through a dessert garden, with the plant combinations changing as one progressed. Henderson Canyon Road was a show stopper in both the broad vistas and diversity of plants.





March 8, 2008 - DUSA reports: The park has a PDF wildflower map showing the best area to go. Click Here for Map. Its is a large file

March 4, 2008 - Robert reports: We drove out to Anza Borrego on Saturday March 1. We stopped at a few places that at first glance didn't offer ample opportunities for wildflower viewing. But sometimes it's nice to be able to get down close to the ground and discover different species. We later enjoyed the more prominent displays at the end of DiGiorgio Road and along Henderson Canyon Road. I was surprised that it wasn't more crowded after the Union Tribune had a front page story about wildflowers.



March 4, 2008 - Abbyann reports: Pictures were shot hiking up Coyote canyon on March 1st. All the photos were shot above the 1st crossing except the last picture was near where the dirt road begins. The bloom is fabulous and it smells great!





March 4, 2008 - Dan reports: I took these pictures in Palm Canyon, Anza-Borrego Desert State park, 3/3/08.



March 2, 2008 - Eileen reports: Here's a photo I took this afternoon, Saturday, March 1st, at the entrance (where the paved road ends and the dirt road begins) to Coyote Canyon in Anza Borrego DSP.


March 2, 2008 - The Pamela reports: Photos below were taken in Coyote Canyon on 3/1/08.




March 1, 2008 - The John reports: The following pictures were taken Friday 29 FEB '08 at Anza-Borrego state park, two miles west of Ocotillo Wells on Hwy 78 about 400 yards south of the highway. Things are blooming nicely at the lower elevations. The desert lilies were magnificent !



Feb. 24, 2008 - The Park reports: The mouth of Coyote Canyon at the end of DiGiorgio Road is displaying a gorgeous combination of Spectacle Pod’s, Forget Me Not’s, Verbena, Phacelia, Lupine, Desert Lilies, Popcorn Flower, Filaree, Brown-Eyed Primrose, Chicory, and Desert Dandelions. All of these flowers can be seen just off the main road up to Desert Gardens.

The same flowers that are in Coyote Canyon are also blooming along Henderson Canyon Road, including California Evening Primrose, Little Gold Poppy, Lavender, Desert and Dune Sunflowers, London Rockets, and Dune Evening Primrose. As you approach Peg Leg on Henderson Canyon Road there is a large patch of Sand Verbena mixed with Dune Evening Primrose. With the weather we have had, and the weather still to come, there will be flowers for several more weeks.

The southern end of the park is very green and is just starting to bloom. Judging from previous good wildflower years, the south end usually has had a great showing of color and this year should be no different. Expect to see much more color in the next couple of weeks.

Feb. 19, 2008 - Jeff reports: I took a little day trip over to Anza Borrego on Saturday Feb 16, and there aren't widespread wildflowers in the park yet. There are flowers to be found, but along the highways, and most of them are very small (purple and white). The showstoppers for the most part aren't out yet. The best area that I found was south of Anza Borrego Desert State Park along Highway 98. This goes through the Yuha desert and about 10-15 miles after getting off of I-8 there were carpets of verbena, primrose, some desert sunflower, and a few desert lilies. It looked like there was some verbena that wasn't full grown so it should get a little bit better this week. It's a very nice display.

Up in Anza Borrego there are some very green areas so it looks promising but it's still a little bit early. At the Carrizo Badlands overlook I could see little lupine just starting to grow. There were some that were about 5" tall. There were a good amount of them - so in another few weeks or so it should be really nice around the overlook. The brittlebush and ocotillo look very healthy. The ocotillo are green with leaves but not too many red buds right now.

Up along Henderson Canyon Road northeast of Borrego Springs, we could see some verbena blooming. There aren't carpets of flowers like down at the Yuha Desert but still there was a lot of green.

So Anza Borrego looks like it should be a good season and if the weather cooperates it could be really nice. But it's definitely moving along later than in 2005. Doesn't look like it will be as good as then, but still significantly better than the last couple of years.


Feb. 19, 2008 - Jim reports: These pictures were taken on 2/18/08 up Coyote Canyon in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.




Feb. 18, 2008 - ABDSP reports: Since last month's report, we have received another 3.1 inches of rain, bringing our total rainfall since July 1st to 4.21 inches. Though still below normal, the rain has been perfectly timed and of the gentle, soaking sort that gives us hope for a good wildflower season. There are many small plants painting the desert floor a hopeful green. Some of these are already starting to bloom. While the blooms are currently somewhat sparse, the warm sunny weather is bringing new color every day. Some of the wildflowers arising include sand verbena, phacelia, popcorn flowers, and filaree. You will also find ocotillos beginning to reveal their red flowers, and brittlebush blooming around the Park.

Park botanists estimate the peak of the bloom this year will be the first two weeks of March. As always there will be flowers before and after the peak. More cactus flowers will blossom as spring unfolds.

Feb. 11, 2008 - DUSA reports: Very few wildflowers are in the park at this time - but there’s a lot of green, and the ground is wet about an inch below the surface. We found very little in Coyote Canyon. We saw just a few blooms off of Henderson Canyon Road, where there have been good blooms in the past. It’s still early; the outlook is mixed at this point. More rain is needed in the next week or two. Take a look at a few pictures that we took below.

Sand verbena




When will the wildflowers bloom in 2008? To plan your visit to coincide with the peak of the bloom, keep up to date with DesertUSA's Wildflower Reports. Be sure to bookmark this page for weekly updates.

We'd like to see your pictures too. Send your pictures and reports to Jim@desertusa.com. We will post them on the wildflower reports site so that everyone can enjoy the wildflowers. Please do not change the automatic generated subject line on your E-mail to us. We use this subject to make sure we are able to spot your E-mail.

In our wildflower guide we have added some new pictures. Some of the pictures are sized to work on the IPod and similar devices. With your IPod you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Click Here for more information.



2006 Wildflower season. - Click here to play.
2005 Wildflower season. - Click here to play

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