Natural History Wanderings

This is the most recent summary of wildflower reports I have compiled for the 2010 desert wildflower season.   Its sources are a variety of wildflower, park and natural history websites, and calls and e-mails to visitor centers and hotlines and even some personal observations from a recent desert trip.

Amboy Crater (near Amboy, CA and Route 66):  Good rainy season. I only saw green foliage the beginning of March.  Any significant bloom is still a few weeks away.

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve The preserve is now completely open and there are some poppies and other flowers blooming but no large displays yet.  They will have updates at their website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=627 and hotline at: (661) 724-1180

Anza Borrego:  Currently predicting peak bloom will be second to third week of March.  Best  current spot is Elephant Trees Trail, Coyote Canyon Road, Borrego Palm Canyon and east end of Henderson Canyon. Other spots to check out are Culp Valley, Plum Canyon, Fish Creek Badlands, and Palo Verde Wash and Arroyo Salado. Check previous postings at this blog for my personal observations. State park link for the wildflower update for March 11 http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/638/files/Flower%20Update%20and%20Map%20March%2011%202010.pdf

Check the natural history association site: http://www.abdnha.org/pages/03flora/reports/current.htm for photo galleries of this year’s bloom and additional information. Last updated March 15.

Carrizo Plain:  Currently some good-sized patches of fiddleneck and yellow daisy.  Goldfields and Baby Blue-eyes also beginning to bloom.

Death Valley: Rain continues and now predicting more flowers and a better season than earlier predictions.  A few flowers have appeared in the south end of the park, but the best guess is now the beginning of April for significant bloom.

Gorman/Tehachapi/Tejon Ranch: I drove Post Ranch Road on March 12^th and it was just showing green with a few scattered flowers and one patch of Baby Blue-eyes (http://tejonranch.com/conservation/spring_wildflowers.asp)  From other things I have read this seems fairly late to me.

Hungry Valley: No reports for 2010 yet at website ,. (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=21945; 661-248-5700); will start posting when bloom gets going which is probably going to be the end of March to beginning of April. Tours begin in April

Joshua Tree:  Increasing bloom at south end of park. Best areas are between I-10 and Cottonwood visitor center and Mastodon Peak. Currently, Joshua trees starting to bloom at higher elevations, Bladderpod in bloom near north entrance.  I have a posting from when I was in the park on March 9 and would agree. Most flowers I saw were in the Cottonwood Springs area https://sandysteinman.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/on-to-joshua-tree/

Mojave National Preserve: No reports of seeing anything yet.  Peak will probably be late March into April.  Mid Higher elevations will blooms into May. No reports for 2010 yet at park website.  My observations are the same.  I did a post on March 10 https://sandysteinman.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/mojave-desert/

Red Rock State Park:  Rain good so far, will need more over next few weeks.  Possible bloom will be end of March into April, but too early to know.  Call park for current information before leaving: (661) 942-0662

Santa Rosa Plateau: just starting to Bloom

Short Canyon:  Had good rains.  Best blooming period could be the end of March to April

Kern County flowers are appearing in a number of places.  The best reports seem to be for the Kern River Canyon. Check Nature Alley for details: http://www.natureali.org/2010_wildflower_report.htm and Kern “Wildflower Hotline” 661-322-WILD or http://www.visitkern.com/WildflowerSightings.php

Also check the following websites for updates:

Carol Leigh’s California Wildflower Hotsheet (site closed)

DesertUSA – Desert Wildflower reports

Theodore Payne Wildflower Hotline

California State Parks (a of list of a number of state parks that are good for wildflowers and the bloom periods)