Natural History Wanderings

Death Valley National Park posted a new wildflower report today.  Don’t expect bit displays.:

“March 14, 2011
The southern part of Death Valley is the only place in the park that shows much of a sign of spring bloom so far this season.  Don’t expect the eye-popping bloom like we had in 2005. This spring is more typical of what Death Valley offers: the miracle of a few delicate wildflowers in a harsh and unforgiving landscape.

Wildflowers in the area around Ashford Mill are at their peak this week. Desert gold and sand verbena are the primary stars, but a little searching will reveal desert five-spot here and there. The bloom has spread to the alluvial fans just above Ashford Junction along Hwy 178, the site of the biggest and most photographed field of flowers in 2005. This year the desert gold are only a few inches high instead of several feet and the density of plants only a fifth of what that bumper year had. Even so, it is still worth a visit.

In Rhodes Wash, to the east of Jubilee Pass there is a lot of wildflower diversity, but other than a nice area of brittlebush, most drivers on Hwy 178 will only notice patches of roadside flowers.  If you get out of your car and take a closer look, it is possible to find 20 different species of wildflowers in bloom.  Bring your field guides and close-up lens to best appreciate the flowers here.”