Submitted by Julia Lynam Interpretive Ranger Cottonwood Ranger Station Joshua Tree National Park
“There’s been little change in the bloom during the past week – perhaps the cold nights are holding it back. Although more than 50 species have been reported flowering, mostly at lower elevations in the Park, many of those species are represented by just a few scattered blooms.
Driving through, visitors are most likely to see yellow bladderpod (Isomeris arborea) blooming on low bushes along Park Boulevard and Pinto Basin Road. Near the southern entrance a few purple Arizona lupines (Lupinus arizonicus) line the road and the red blooms of the chuparosa (Justicia californica) bushes can be seen scattered on either side.”
Click Read more to see abundance and location of specific flowers
Abundance: Please note that sightings of any particular species may refer to many blooms, or to just a few blooms.
- On a scale of one to ten, the number that appears after the location key refers to an estimate of relative abundance of flowers at that location with “I” indicating a few scattered blooms and “10” indicating that the place is carpeted with the species! The location keys and abundance scores are now combined in one column.
- There may be several common names for a species. Please refer to the scientific name if you don’t recognize the common name.
Key to Locations. See park map to find them.
| Elevation | Elevation | |||||||
| 49 | 49 Palms Oasis | 2700’ | LHV | Lost Horse Valley | 4500’ | |||
| BD | Barker Dam | 4280’ | NE | North Entrance | 2810’ | |||
| BJ | Bajada | 2000’ | OVC | Oasis Visitor Center | 1960’ | |||
| BR | Black Rock | 4000’ | PB | Pinto Basin | 1800’ | |||
| CC | Cholla Cactus Garden | 2160’ | SB | South Boundary | 1500’ | |||
| CW | Cottonwood | 3100’ | SR | Skull Rock | 4320’ | |||
| HV | Hidden Valley | 4200’ | WE | West Entrance | 3520’ | |||
| IC | Indian Cove | 2730’ | WC | Wilson Canyon | 3000’ | |||
| JR | Jumbo Rocks | 4380’ | ||||||
|
Yellow Flowers |
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| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/Abundance | ||||||
| Bladderpod | Isomeris arborea | BJ/3, PB/3, WC/3, NE/3 | ||||||
| Brittlebush | Encelia farinosa | BJ/1, WC/1, PB/3 | ||||||
| Checker fiddleneck | Amsinckia tessellata | BJ/1 | ||||||
| Chinchweed | Pectis papposa var papposa | PB/4 | ||||||
| Creosote bush | Larrea tridentata | CW/1, PB/3 | ||||||
| Desert dandelion | Malacothrix glabrata | PB/3, BJ/1 | ||||||
| Desert lotus, Desert bird’s-foot trefoil | Lotus strigosus | PB/3 | ||||||
| Desert mistletoe | Phoradendron californica | CW/2 | ||||||
| Desert trumpet | Eriogonum inflatum | CW/1, PB/4 | ||||||
| Green brittlebush | Encelia frutescens | PB/1 | ||||||
| Mojave ragweed | Senecio mohavensis | PB/3 | ||||||
| Parish’s golden poppy | Eschscholzia parishii | BJ/1, PB/3 | ||||||
| Pygmy cedar | Peucephyllum schottii | PB/1 | ||||||
| Rush milkweed, Ajamete | Asclepius subulata | PB/1 | ||||||
| Sahara mustard* | Brassica tournefortii | CW/1, PB/3 | ||||||
| Sweetbush | Bebbia juncea var aspera | PB/4 | ||||||
| Trixis | Trixis californica | PB/2 | ||||||
| Yellow ground cherry | Physalis crassifolia | CW/1, PB/2 | ||||||
| Yellow tansy mustard | Descurainia pinnata | CW/1 | ||||||
| Yellowhead, Yellowdome | Trichoptilium incisum | PB/1 | ||||||
| Red or Orange Flowers | ||
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/Abundance |
| Arrowleaf (red & yellow) | Pleurocoronis pluriseta | PB/3 |
| Burroweed, White bursage | Ambrosia dumosa | PB/4 |
| Chuparosa | Justicia californica | BJ/2 |
| Cottonwood tree (male catkins) | Populus fremontii | CW/2 |
| Ocotillo | Fouquieria splendens | BJ/1 |
| Prostrate spurge | Chamaesyce polycarpa | PB/3 |
| White Flowers | ||
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/Abundance |
| Brown-eyed primrose | Camissonia claviformis | BJ/1PB/3 |
| Cheesebush | Hymenoclea salsola | PB/3 |
| Comb burr | Pectocarya sp | BJ/1 |
| Desert alyssum | Lepidium fremontii | BJ/1, IC/1, WC/1 |
| Desert forget-me-not | Cryptantha sp | BJ/1, CW/1 |
| Desert pincushion | Chaenactis carphoclinia var carphoclinia | PB/4 |
| Desert rock daisy | Perityle emoryi | PB/3 |
| Desert star | Monoptilon belloides | PB/2, BJ/1 |
| Desert star vine | Brandegea bigelovii | BJ/1, CC/1, WC/1, PB/4 |
| Desert tobacco | Nicotiana obtusifolia | PB/2 |
| Ditaxis | Ditaxis lanceolata | PB/2 |
| Narrowleaf suncup | Camissonia refracta | PB/2 |
| Onyx flower/Frostmat/Sandmat | Achyronycia cooperi | PB/3 |
| Panamint cat’s eye | Cryptantha angustifolia | PB/4 |
| Spectacle-pod | Dithyria californica | PB/1 |
| Woody bottle washer | Camissonia boothii | WC |
| Pink to Purple Flowers | ||
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/s |
| Arizona lupine | Lupinus arizonicus | BJ/1, PB/3 |
| Bigelow’s monkey flower | Mimulus bigelovii | BJ/1 |
| Chia | Salvia columbariae | PB/3, BJ/1 |
| Desert lavender | Hyptis emoryi | BJ/1, PB/3 |
| Desert sand verbena | Abronia villosa var villosa | PB/1 |
| Dune peabush | Psorothamnus emoryi | PB/2 |
| Fagonia | Fagonia laevis | PB/3 |
| Filaree | Erodium cicutarium | BJ/2, CW/2 |
| Freckled milk vetch | Astragalus lentiginosus var fremontii | Keys Ranch/1 |
| Hairy prairie-clover | Dalea mollis | PB/2 |
| Notch-leaf scorpion weed | Phacelia crenulata var crenulata | PB/2 |
| Rock hibiscus, paleface | Hibiscus denudatus | PB/1 |
| Spanish needles | Palafoxia arida var arida | PB/3 |
| Turpentine Bloom | Thamnosma montana | NE |
| Blue Flowers | ||
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/Abundance |
| Mojave lupine | Lupinus sp | BJ/1 |
| Green Flowers | ||
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/Abundance |
| Cottonwood tree (female flrs) | Populus fremontii | CW/2 |
| Croton | Croton californicus | PB/2 |
| Plantain | Plantago ovata | PB/4 |
| Stillingia | Stillingia linearifolia | CW/1 |
- invasive species of concern
Natural History Wanderings 
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