Natural History Wanderings

Anza Borrego Desert Natural History Association has a new wildflower bloom report for  March 5, 2011 .  They report:

“A nice patch of cheery Desert Sunflowers. followed by several acres of the yellow flowers of the Desert Dandelion, greeted us as we walked the jeep trail from Goat Trail to Hawk Canyon today. It was the largest display of a single flower that we have seen all season. As we neared the canyon, large numbers of Arizona Lupine came into view. At the end of the jeep trail, we noted a few dozen Desert Five-Spot plants either in leaf or in bud.

The day before, at the east edge of the Cactus Garden, we found several Beavertail Cactus plants in flower, and a number of Barrel Cactus plants displaying their golden yellow flowers. Earlier, we noted substantial quantities of Brown-Eyed Primrose in Pinyon Wash and the first appearance of Parish’s Gold Poppy on Round Granite Hill near the entrance to the Mine Wash jeep trail off Highway 78.”