Desert Wildflowers Tucson - Southern AZ

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Wildflower Field Guide
Wildflower and Plant Descriptions with Photos
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May 1, 2012, Bayou Bill reports: Saguaro blooms are everywhere around central Arizona right now. It's no wonder this is the Arizona state flower. The clusters are so beautiful.

Apr 19, 2012, Picacho Peak State Park reports: The park's cacti season has started. Hedgehog, Prickly Pear, and Buckhorn Cholla provide a variety of colorful blossoms ranging from pale yellow and orange to shades of magenta, rust and maroon. The saguaros are showing a lot of buds and a few flowers. Wildflowers are scarce.

Apr 16, 2012, Margie reports: There are many beautiful flowers on the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area Trails, particularly the Sonoita Creek and Vista Trails: Blue Phacelia, Blue Dicks, Mexican Gold Poppies, Emory's Dalea, Ocotillo, Heart-leaved Bittercress, Trailing Four O'Clocks, Miniature Woolystars, Purple Scalystem, Banana Yucca, Hedgehog Cactus, and many more.

Apr 4, 2012 John reports: Ritz-Carlton, Marana, Arizona, via Tangerine and Dove Mountain Roads Free access for all hikers. Excellent signage and parking. Tortolita Trail System, operated by City of Marana.

LINK with printable trail map: http://www.marana.com/index.aspx?NID=785

Take Wild Burro Trail in and out of the wash until LOWER JAVELINA TRAIL begins. Keep to the south (right) for the wetter, shadier half of this trail. Terrain is easy to moderate, with no special gear required. Bring a camera, plenty of water and sunscreen, hat, snacks, light hiking boots, and a joy of the unspoiled Arizona outdoors.

Flowers spotted on this half of the trail include: desert chicory larkspur (blue and purple) [all of them rare in our experiences] lupine (the fuzzy one) sun drops chuparosa [rare in such large quantities] anisacanthus brittlebush filaree desert marigold (yellow and white) ocotillo poppies silver puffs thistle loads of yellow daisy-like flowers penstemon parryi and several more that we can't recall at the moment!

When you reach the far end of this outstanding trail, cross the broad wash to the south-facing and drier half of LOWER JAVELINA TRAIL. There are amazing saguaro cacti and spectacular rock formations. The trail ends in the wash leading to the parking area and toilets. Highest recommendation.

March 29, 2012, Margie reports: More species of wildflowers are opening each day on the first mile of the 50-Year Trail at Catalina State Park: Mariposa Lily, Paper Flowers, Desert Pincushion, Trixis, Desert Zinnia, Ocotillo, Larkspur, Hedgehog Cactus, and Prickly Pear Cactus plus continuing views of Blue Dicks, Poppies, Desert Marigold, Brittlebush, Wooly Daisies, and many more. I've identified over 75 species of wildflowers in bloom in March.

March 25, 2012, Margie reports: As of March 23 - 24 we have over 60 species of wildflowers in bloom in Catalina State Park. Fields of gold poppies are declining with fields of Goldfields taking over. Ocotillo are just beginning. Check out Romero Pools, Dripping Springs Trail off Sutherland Trail, Alamo Canyon, and 50-Year Trail.

Mar 17 2012 Picacho Peak State Park reports: The Poppy Season at Picacho Peak has been cut short by high winds and a lack of moisture. Very few Poppies remain. Brittlebush is still blooming in the lower elevations. The Strawberry Hedgehog cactus has started to display its striking magenta flowers, with a number of plants in bloom.

March 11, 2012, Margie reports: There are over 50 species of wildflowers in bloom at Catalina State Park on the Sutherland, 50-Year, Romero Pools, and Alamo Canyon trails. The fields of poppies are still there, but not as fresh.

Mar 10 2012 Pat reports: Picacho Peak, followup on a previous report. I visited March 9, in the afternoon.Poppies are very scarce at Picacho Peak at the present time. Brittlebushes and Chaparral are in flower, and very nice. There are Lupine patches and Desert Marigold. There are no large areas of any wildflower there. The ranger reported that lack of rain in January is the reason.

Mar 7 2012 Ed reports: On Monday, March 5th, we visited Finger Rock Canyon in the Catalina's north of Tucson. There were several flowering shrubs in bloom, including Brittle Bush, Fairy Duster, Jojoba and Wolfberry(Lycium). There were also many kinds of wildflowers, including Jewel Flower(Streptanthus), Desert Chicory, Globe Mallow, Mexican Poppies, Canyon Ragweed, White Popcorn(Cryptantha), Fiddleneck(Amsinckia), Desert Evening Primrose, Parry's(?)Penstemon, Miner's Lettuce, Lupines, Trixis, Phacelia spp., Blue Dicks, Sand Mat(Chamaesyce), Miniature Wooly Star(Eriastrum), Pursh Plantain. There were also species we couldn't identify including several white and yellow mustards.

Mar 7 2012 Bob reports: Images taken at Saguaro National Park West (Tucson Mountain District) along the Sendero Esperanza Trail on March 5, 2012.

Mar 5 2012 Picacho Peak State Park reports: Patches of Mexican Gold Poppies can be seen in the lower elevations. Brittlebush is in bloom, and quite a few Lupines and Desert Marigold can be found along the roadways. London Rocket and Globemallow have started to bloom.

Mar 4 2012 John reports: Saturday morning, March 3, 2012, was chilly and windy in the open Sonoran Desert north of Tucson, Arizona. Willow Springs Road is clearly marked on AZ 77, just over four miles north of the Pinal Pioneer Parkway turnoff, AZ 79.

Willow Springs Road is currently the best graded dirt road in the USA, suitable for all cars and bicycles. It heads northward and passes through a stately arched sign. Stop wherever you want along this wide, safe road.

Wildflowers are poking out unpredictably and unexpectedly as you stroll in any direction. This is not a state park, so you are in rugged, open range land. Watch your step. Your mobile phone won't work, and nature can be uncompromising and severe.

Bring extra water, food, sunscreen, hat, camera, map, and common sense, plus sturdy shoes. Tell a friend your intended route, just in case.

The terrain is mostly flat, with some small, rolling hills in places.

We found nine native plants in flower, in addition to most of the ones we encountered in our two previous trips, reported below from Catalina State Park on prior weekends.

The highlight was identifying ANEMONE TUBEROSA, about three inches high, in various stages of blooming, and in varying shades of dark pink to pinky white.

Then we saw a full hillside of poppies, off and up to the west, shortly after passing northbound through the cattle grate with several auto tires, and underneath the monster electrical supply lines, and just before the modest homestead on the east side of the road.

There are a thousand surprises along the journey. Go as far as you want and turn around, or head north up toward Freeman Road (and Pinal Parkway) and be rewarded with a great rock formation on the east side of Willow Springs Road. Be careful climbing the rocks. Remember the movie, "Picnic At Hanging Rock?"

Note: Willow Springs Road. Most of the land this road goes through, including Freeman Road to Pinal Pioneer Parkway, is Arizona State Trust Land. You need a PERMIT to go on State Trust land, or be in possession of an Arizona State hunting license!!

Mar 3 2012 Richard reports: On March 2nd there were a few nice patches of poppies on the Sutherland Trail in Catalina State Park. (see John's post on Feb. 27 for directions.) Also hiked the Birding Trail and the Nature Trail in the park, but only saw wildflowers scattered here and there.

Mar 2 2012 Roger reports: Pictures were taken on the Spring Trail in Sabino Canyon in Tucson on Feb. 26. The rest were taken in the Sonoran National Park today, March 27, along the Esperanza Trail on the east side of the saddle. About half way up from the Ez-Kim-In-Zin picnic area at the trail head the poppies and lupin are covering the hill side.

Both of these locations have lots of flowers along several trails and across large areas on the hill sides – mostly at the higher altitudes. On both days we've seen at least a dozen different varieties of wild flowers.

Feb 27 2012 John reports: Poppies were the main event today on Sutherland Trail in Catalina State Park in Tucson, Arizona. Lupines were in the supporting cast, in addition to cream cups and the other dozen flowers we spotted in bloom, as reported last weekend.

There is an unmarked loop trail leading to and from the left/north, as soon as you climb the second set of steps onto the main plateau of the Sutherland Trail.

Take this V-shaped loop and have the best blooming and viewing areas to yourself. Both ends of this unmarked trail are exactly where the tall "Sutherland Trail" ground markers are placed, a few minutes' walk apart on the main wide trail.

Feb 26, 2012 Tim reports: My son Chris and I took a drive through a part of the Saguaro National Park West today. We started on Picture Rocks Road where we saw patches of Poppies and Lupine along the road although they are not real tall. We also saw lots of Fiddleneck, Fairyduster, Desert Chickory, Brittlebush and Desert Globemallow. If you are going west on Picture Rocks Rd, there is a large patch of Poppies along the the first corner after you go over the pass. We passed this spot as lots of Photographers were there and parking was limited and turned south on a dirt road named Golden Gate Road. We saw 2 large patches of Poppies along this road as well as the other main ones listed earlier but the most interesting flowers we saw were so small that we'd have missed them if it hadn't been for the thousand or more present. We identified them as Desert Mat although I have never seen them before around here.

Feb 25, 2012 Lori reports: Thanks go out to Paul for the great directions to
Peridot Mesa. Spectacular site. Glad I made the trip from Tucson.

Feb 24, 2012 Greg reports: Tucson, Saguaro NP, Eastern section, Broadway trailhead.
Eying the poppies up north with some envy. The poor plants are putting on a meager display down here. A few confused Brittlebush are blooming, as well as 4 or 5 other species - all of which are quite rare. I'll try another area of the park tomorrow.

Feb 23, 2012 Ed reports: Yesterday, February 22, we hiked into Bear Canyon northeast of Tucson, up to 7 Falls, and the wildflowers are just popping out everywhere. We saw and photographed maybe thirty different kinds,and have only been able to identify less than half so far. There were Desert Anemone, Miner's Lettuce, Brittlebush, Desert Marigold, White Popcorn, Yellow Fiddlehead, Purple Phacelia, Desert Evening Primrose, Blue Dicks, Desert Chicory, Gila Manroot vine, Sandmat, Fairy Duster, Lupines, and many others. Deep in the canyon near the falls, the Mexican Poppies were in patches everywhere and in small carpets on the hillsides.

Feb 22, 2012 Pat reports: I followed Paul's trail onto Picture Rocks Road (Take Ina west from I-10, turn left on Wade Road) (February 21). The field of bladderpods is still vibrant. I also saw roadside lupines, California poppies, bluedicks in bloom, fairy duster, desert chicory, fiddlenecks, desert mallow, and penstemon. One particularly nice penstemon is located just west of the intersection of Ina and Silverbell. As I was taking photos, a beautiful Anna's hummingbird paid a very brief visit. Other than the one stand of bladderpod at the base of the road going through the pass on Picture Rocks, there are no vast fields of flowers yet. In some cases, there are only a few individuals, and in other cases, enough to lose count.

Feb 22, 2012 Lori reports: We were at Saguaro Nat'L Park West along Picture Rocks Road...Feb 22,2012.

More reports on Page 2

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When will the desert wildflowers bloom? We start our report in January, 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. E-mail your digital photos and reports to Jim@desertusa.com. Use Wildflower Report as the subject of your e-mail. Let us know where you took the photo and the date. We will post them on our wildflower reports. Thanks for your support and photos.

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.

Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...

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