submitted by
Julia Lynam, Interpretive Ranger
Cottonwood Ranger Station, Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park Wildflower Update 2011 # 12, as of April 26, 2011
Welcome to the Joshua Tree National Park 2011 wildflower update. This report is updated every Tuesday during the spring blooming season. It is available from Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Centers and online at www.nps.gov/jotr.
The bloom has now spread throughout the park, so visitors may enjoy flowers on every trail and along the roadsides. Please park safely in the designated pull-outs.
Areas to visit this week: Pine City and Covington Flats are both displaying an outstanding variety of wild flowers in bloom.
- Rove Pine City from the trailhead on Queen Valley Road, a dirt road accessible by regular cars. Pine City flower observations appear as “QV” in the listings.
- Drive into Covington Flats on a rough, but still car-accessible, dirt road from the town of Joshua Tree, or hike or ride in from Black Rock Canyon campground.
Click Read more to see abundance and location information for specific species
Abundance: 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 “1” indicating a few scattered blooms and “10” indicating that the place is carpeted with the species!
There may be several common names for a species – or none! 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’ | QV | Queen Valley | 4300’ | ||||||||
| CF | Covington Flats | 3500’ | SB | South Boundary | 1500’ | ||||||||
| CW | Cottonwood | 3100’ | SR | Skull Rock | 4320’ | ||||||||
| HV | Hidden Valley | 4200’ | STR | Stirrup Tank Road | 3500’ | ||||||||
| IC | Indian Cove | 2730’ | W | West entrance area | 3520’ | ||||||||
| JR | Jumbo Rocks | 4380’ | WC | Wilson Canyon | 3000’ | ||||||||
| LSB | Little San Bernardino Mtns | various | |||||||||||
|
Yellow Flowers |
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| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/Abundance | |||||||||||
| Acton’s brittlebush | Encelia actonii | STR/4 | |||||||||||
| Adonis blazing star | Mentzelia multiflora var longiloba | QV | |||||||||||
| Barrel cactus | Ferocactus cylindraceus | CW/4, QV, 49/2, QV, STR/1, CF | |||||||||||
| Bird’s nest buckwheat | Eriogonum nidularium | QV | |||||||||||
| Blackbrush | Coleogyne ramosissmia | QV, CW/1 | |||||||||||
| Bladderpod | Isomeris arborea | CW/2, PB/2, 49/2, QV | |||||||||||
| Blazing star | Mentzelia nitens | CW/1, 49/1, STR/3 | |||||||||||
| Blue palo verde | Cercidium floridum | BJ/5 | |||||||||||
| Brittlebush | Encelia farinosa | BJ/3, WC/3, PB/3, CW/5, 49/3, QV | |||||||||||
| Buckwheat species | Eriogonum spp | LSB/2, SB/4, BJ/6, | |||||||||||
| California coreopsis | Coreopsis californica | WC/5, W/4, QV, STR/9 | |||||||||||
| California evening primrose | Camissonia californica | QV, STR/1, CF | |||||||||||
| California juniper | Juniperus californica | QV, CW/1 | |||||||||||
| Checker fiddleneck | Amsinckia tessellata | BJ/1, W/4, WC/3, CW/1, NE/4 QV/4, HV/2, BD/4,SB/2, STR/7 | |||||||||||
| Cooper’s jewelflower | Caulanthus cooperi | QV, STR/1 | |||||||||||
| Coyote melon | Cucurbita palmata | PB/1 | |||||||||||
| Creosote bush | Larrea tridentata | CC/5, CW/4, PB/10, WC/2, QV, BJ/5, STR/3 | |||||||||||
| Desert bedstraw | Galium stellatum var eremicum | SB/1,QV, CW/1 | |||||||||||
| Desert dandelion | Malacothrix glabrata | PB/5, BJ/1, W/2, WC/5, QV, STR/1, N/6, CF, CW/1 | |||||||||||
| Desert lotus, Desert bird’s-foot trefoil | Lotus strigosus | PB/3, BJ/3, CW/2, W/1, STR/3, QV | |||||||||||
| Desert miseltoe | Phoradendron californicum | STR/2 | |||||||||||
| Desert rockpea | Lotus rigidus | 49/3, CW/1, IC, SR/2, HV/4, BD/4, W/5, QV, STR/3 | |||||||||||
| Desert senna | Senna armata | CC/3, SB/2, PB/4, QV, CW/2 | |||||||||||
| Desert trumpet | Eriogonum inflatum var inflatum | CW/3, PB/4, WC/1, QV | |||||||||||
| Dwarf cottonrose | Filago depressa | PB/1 | |||||||||||
| Dyssodia, San Felipe dogwood | Adenophyllum porophylloides | QV, CW/2 | |||||||||||
| False woolly daisy | Syntricopappus fremontii | QV | |||||||||||
| Golden gilia, golden desert-trumpets | Linanthus aureus | CW/2, STR/1, CF | |||||||||||
| Golden suncup | Camissonia brevipes | CW/2, SB/2,QV, STR/2 | |||||||||||
| Golden bush (linear leaved) | Ericameria linearifolia | QV, CF | |||||||||||
| Golden yarrow, long-stemmed woolly daisy | Eriophyllum confertiflorum | CF | |||||||||||
| Granny’s hairnet | Pterostegia drymariodes | LSB/1, STR/1 | |||||||||||
| Green brittlebush | Encelia frutescens | PB/1 | |||||||||||
| Jones’s blazing star | Mentzelia jonesii | LSB/1, W/2 | |||||||||||
| Live-forever | Dudleya saxosa | QV/2, N/1, CW/2,STR/1, | STR/2 | ||||||||||
| London rocket | Sisymbrium irio | LSB/4, SB/1, CW/1 | |||||||||||
| Mojave ragweed | Senecio mohavensis | PB/3, | |||||||||||
| Mormon tea | Ephedra spp | QV, CW/2, STR/3 | |||||||||||
| Pale evening primrose | Camissonia pallida | SB/2, CW1,QV, STR/3, CF | |||||||||||
| Palmer bead-pod, bladderpod | Lesquerella tenella | CW/1 | |||||||||||
| Pancake-pear cactus, Dollar-joint cactus | Opuntia chlorotica | QV | |||||||||||
| Parish’s golden poppy | Eschscholzia parishii | PB/3, W/5, WC/2, 49/1,QV, STR/3, CF | |||||||||||
| Parish’s viguiera/goldeneye | Viguiera parishii | CW/7, LSB/4, W/1, 49/1, QV, STR/3 | |||||||||||
| Prince’s plume | Stanleya pinnata | CW/5 | |||||||||||
| Pringle’s woolly daisy | Eriophyllum pringlei | CF | |||||||||||
| Pygmy poppy | Eschscholzia minutiflora | W/1, STR/1, CF, PB/1 | |||||||||||
| Ranch weed | Amsinckia menziesii | QV | |||||||||||
| Rush milkweed, Ajamete | Asclepius subulata | PB/1 | |||||||||||
| Sahara mustard* | Brassica tournefortii | CW/1, PB/3, STR/1 | |||||||||||
| Sand blazing star | Mentzelia involucrata | CW/2, QV,STR/1, PB/1 | |||||||||||
| Scalebud | Anisocoma acaulis | LHV/1, SR/2, QV/3, STR/2, CF | |||||||||||
| Silver puffs | Uropappus lindeyi | QV, STR/2 | |||||||||||
| Skunkbush sumac | Rhus trilobata | QV | |||||||||||
| Stebben’s desert dandelion | Malacothrix stebbensii | STR/1 | |||||||||||
| Sweetbush | Bebbia juncea var aspera | PB/4, LSB/1, SB/1, QV, CW/3 | |||||||||||
| Trixis | Trixis californica var californica | PB/2, CW/3, LSB/4, SB/2, STR/1, PB/1 | |||||||||||
| Tumble mustard | Sisymbrium altissimum | QV | |||||||||||
| Twining snapdragon | Antirrhinum filipes | CW/1, LSB/1, W/1,QV, STR/2, PB/1 | |||||||||||
| Vine milkweed | Cynanchium utahense | PB/2 | |||||||||||
| Wallace’s woolly daisy | Eriophyllum wallacei | CW/1, BJ/1, W/4, N/3, PB/3, SR/2, WC/4, BR/2, QV, STR/5, SB/1, CF | |||||||||||
| Whispering bells | Emmenanthe penduliflora | BJ/2, CW/2, W/3, STR/2 | |||||||||||
| Yellow or thick-leaved ground cherry | Physalis crassifolia | CW/2, PB/2, BJ/1, LSB/1,SB/1,QV, STR/1 | |||||||||||
| White-stem blazing star | Mentzelia albicaulis | QV, STR/2 | |||||||||||
| White-stem milkweed | Asclepius albicans | BJ/1 | |||||||||||
| Yellowhead, Yellowdome | Trichoptilium incisum | PB/1, CW/1, WC/2, | |||||||||||
| Yellow tansy mustard | Descurainia pinnata | CW/3, W/2, QV, STR/2 | STR/2 | ||||||||||
| Yellow turbans | Eriogonum pusillum | QV, STR/2, PB | |||||||||||
| Red or Orange Flowers | ||
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/Abundance |
| Arrowleaf (red & yellow) | Pleurocoronis pluriseta | PB/3, CW/1, QV |
| Burroweed, White bursage | Ambrosia dumosa | PB/6, SB/5, LSB/5, CW/5, 49/1, STR/8 |
| Chuparosa | Justicia californica | BJ/2, CW/2, QV |
| Desert mallow/ Globe mallow | Sphaeralcea ambigua | CW/4, WC/4, W/2, 49/3, QV/2, STR/4 |
| Desert paintbrush | Castilleja angustifolia | W/2,QV/2, STR/1 |
| Hall’s purple bush | Tertracoccus hallii | SB/4, CW/4 |
| Mojave mound cactus | Echinocereus triglochidiatus | HV/4, QV/2, Cap Rock/2, BD/2, CF |
| Ocotillo | Fouquieria splendens | BJ/2, PB/7, CW/3, LSB/2, SB/2 |
| Pygmy weed | Crassula connata | STR/2 |
| White Flowers | |||
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/Abundance | |
| Anderson’s desert thorn | Lycium andersonii | W/1,QV | |
| Antelope brush | Purshia tridentata | CF | |
| Astragalus acutirostris | Astragalus acutirostris | PB/1 | |
| Brown-eyed primrose | Camissonia claviformis | BJ/1, PB/4, WC/4, W/2, 49/1,QV, CW/1 | |
| California chicory | Rafinesquia californica | QV/3 | |
| California mustard | Guillenia lasiophylla | STR/2 | |
| Cheesebush | Hymenoclea salsola | PB/3, BJ/4, CW/5, SB/6, LSB/6, WC/4, QV, STR/8 | |
| Climbing milkweed, trailing townula | Sarcostemma hitellum | LSB/3, SB/3, CC/4, QV, STR/1 | |
| Comb burr | Pectocarya spp | WC/2, BR/6, W/5, QV, STR/4, CF | |
| Creamcups | Platystemon californicus | CF | |
| Desert almond | Prunus fasiculatum | QV, CF | |
| Desert alyssum | Lepidium fremontii | BJ/1, IC/1, WC/1, CC/1, CW/4, PB/2, W/2, QV, STR/2 | |
| Desert chicory | Rafinesquia neomexicana | PB/1, BJ/1, WC/1, CW/1, SB/3, 49/1, QV, STR/1 | |
| Desert/pebble pincushion | Chaenactis carphoclinia var carphoclinia | PB/7, BJ/2, WC/1, CW/1, W/3, 49/1, QV/2 | |
| Desert rock daisy | Perityle emoryi | BJ/1, WC/4, QV | |
| Desert snow | Linanthus jonesii | SB/1 | |
| Desert star | Monoptilon belloides | PB/2, BJ/1, CW/1, QV, STR/4 | |
| Desert star vine, desert jewel star | Brandegea bigelovii | BJ/3, CC/2, WC/4, PB/4, CW/1, LSB/3, SB/3, QV, STR/4 | |
| Desert sunflower | Gerea canescans | PB/2 | |
| Desert tobacco | Nicotiana obtusifolia | PB/2, CW/2, IC/3, BJ/1, WC/1, QV, STR/2 | |
| Ditaxis | Ditaxis lanceolata | PB/2, CW/1, SB/3 | |
| Dune evening primrose | Oenothera deltoides | Geology Tour Rd/2, PB/1 | |
| Evening snow | Linanthus dichotomus | SB/1, STR/1 | |
| Fiesta flower | Pholistoma membranaceum | CW/2, PB/1, SB/2, LSB/2, W/1, QV | |
| Freckled milk vetch | Astragalus lentiginosus var variabilis | PB/1 | |
| Fremont’s pincushion | Chaenactis fremontii | LSB/3, SB/2, QV, STR/4, CF | |
| Fringe pod | Thysanocarpus curvipes | QV, STR/2 | |
| Ghost flower | Mohavea confertifolia | LSB/3 | |
| Joshua tree | Yucca brevifolia | BR/1, Park Boulevard/1, BD/1, CF | |
| Lace pod | Thysanocarpus laciniatus | PB/1, W/1 | |
| Long beaked twist flower | Streptanthella longirostris | W/1, CF | |
| Milk vetch | Astragalus nutallianus | STR/1 | |
| Mojave yucca | Yucca schidigera | QV, PB/1 | |
| Narrowleaf suncup | Camissonia refracta | PB/2, BJ/1, WC/1 | |
| Onyx flower/Frostmat/Sandmat | Achyronycia cooperi | PB/3, WC/1 | |
| Panamint cat’s eye | Cryptantha angustifolia | PB/4, BJ/2, W/2, CF, CW/1 | |
| Parry nolina, beargrass | Nolina parryii | HV/2, LHV/2, QV/5, W/3, BD/2, Key’s View, CF | |
| Parry’s/yellow tackstem | Calycoseris parryi | QV, CF | |
| Pearl-o-rock | Phacelia perityloides | QV | |
| Popcorn flower | Plagiobothrys spp | IC/5, BD/5, QV/5, W/4 | |
| Pungent brickell bush | Brickellia arguta | QV | |
| Rattlesnake weed, sandmat | Chamaesyce albomarginata | QV/2, STR/2, SB/2, CW/6 | |
| Sacred datura, jimson weed | Datura wrightii | QV, PB/3, BJ/2, WC/3 | |
| Sand cress, Pussy-paws, | Calyptridium monardum | BJ/1, BR/1, PB/1 | |
| Silky dalea | Dalea molis | CW/2, | |
| Smallseed sandmat | Chamaesyce polycarpa | PB/3, STR/2 | |
| Sonoran sandmat | Chamaesyce micromera | LSB/1 | |
| Spectacle-pod | Dithyria californica | PB/1, WC/1 | |
| Steve’s/desert pincushion | Chaenactis stevioides | QV, STR/7, CF | |
| Thurber’s spineflower | Centostegia thurberi | STR/2 | |
| Tidy Tips | Layia glandulosa | W/3, WC/1, QV/2, STR/1, CF | |
| Wire lettuce | Stephanomeria exigua | PB/3, BJ/1 | |
| Wishbone bush | Mirabilis laevis var californica | QV, W/1, 49/1, STR/3, CW/2 | |
| Woody bottle washer | Camissonia boothii | WC, BJ/1, SB/1 | |
| Yuma sandmat | Chamaesyce setiloba | SB/3, LSB/3 | |
| Pink to Purple Flowers | |||
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/s | |
| Arizona lupine | Lupinus arizonicus | N/3, W/2, WC/1, 49/3, QV/1 | |
| Bajada lupine | Lupinus sparsiflorus | QV, STR/1, WC/2, W/3 | |
| Beavertail Cactus | Opuntia basilaris var basilaris | CC/1, WC/2, QV, CW/1, CF | |
| Bigelow’s monkey flower | Mimulus bigelovii | BJ/1, CW/2, LSB/1, SB/1, 49/1,QV/2, PB/2, CF | |
| Blue dicks, wild hyacinth | Dichelostemma capitatum | CF, BR | |
| Brome grass | Bromus madritensis ssp rubens | SB/5, STR/9, CW/3 | |
| Calico or hedgehog cactus | Echinocereus englemanii | CC/1, BJ/1, SB/1, CW/1, W/1, STR/1, CF, QV/2 | |
| California three-awn (grass) | Aristida californica | PB | |
| Chia | Salvia columbariae | PB/3, N/3, SR/2, LSB/2, W/1, WC/4, 49/1,QV/1, STR/6 | |
| Desert buckwheat | Eriogonum fasciculatum | QV, CW/5, CF | |
| Desert calico | Loeseliastrum matthewsii | BJ/1, SB/2, PB/4 | |
| Desert five spot | Eremalche rotundifolia | PB/1 | |
| Desert heron’s bill | Erodium texanum | BD/1, CF, PB | |
| Desert lavender | Hyptis emoryi | BJ/3, PB/3, LSB/8,SB/6, WC/1, CC/2, 49/1,QV, STR/3 | |
| Desert/hairy sand verbena | Abronia villosa var villosa | PB/2, W/1 | |
| Desert parsley | Lomatium mohavense | QV/1, HV/2, W/3, STR/2 | |
| Desert thistle | Cirsium neomexicanicum | QV | |
| Dune peabush | Psorothamnus emoryi | PB/2 | |
| Filaree, red-stemmed storksbill | Erodium cicutarium | BJ/2, CW/4, PB/2, W/5, BD/5, QV | |
| Freckled milk vetch | s | W/2 | |
| Heliotrope Phacelia/Wild heliotrope/ Laceleaf phacelia | Phacelia distans | WC/5, CW/4, BJ/3, W/4, QV, STR/5, CF, PB/4 | |
| Hairy prairie-clover | Dalea mollis | PB/2 | |
| Hidden-flower scorpion weed | Phacelia cryptantha | QV | |
| , BJ/2 bush | Psorothamnus schottii | QV, WC/1 | |
| Littleseed muhly (grass) | Muhlenbergia microsperma | LSB/1, STR/2 | |
| Mojave aster | Xylorhiza tortifolia | BJ/1, CW/4, SB/2, 49/2, QV, STR/2 | |
| Mojave sage | Salvia dorrii | CF | |
| Mojave thistle | Cirsium mohavense | QV | |
| Notch-leaf scorpion weed or phacelia | Phacelia crenulata | PB/2, WC/3, W/1, CW/1 | |
| Odora | Porophyllum gracile | CW/2, STR/1 | |
| Paper bag bush | Salazaria mexicana | N/1, CW/4,QV | |
| Parry dalea | Marina parryi | WC/1, PB2 | |
| Peppergrass | Lepidium lasiocarpum var lasiocarpum | STR/1 | |
| Perennial rock cress | Arabis perennans | BD/1, W/2 | |
| Purple mat | Nama demissum | SR/2, SB/2, W/1, QV, STR/2, PB/3, CF | |
| Purple pop-ups | Pholisma arenarium | STR/1 | |
| Purple three-awn (grass) | Aristida purpurea | STR/2 | |
| Rattlepod | Astragalus lentigulosus | QV/2 | |
| Rock cress | Arabis pulchra | QV, STR/2 | |
| Rock gilia | Gilia scopulorum | CW/1, BJ/2, WC/2 | |
| Rock hibiscus, paleface | Hibiscus denudatus | PB/1, WC/1, | |
| Rosy gilia | Gilia sinuata | STR/1 | |
| Schott’s desert calico | Loeseliastrum schottii | PB/1 | |
| Smallseed fagonia | Fagonia laevis | PB/3, BJ/1, CW/2, SB/3,LSB/4 | |
| Spanish needles | Palafoxia arida var arida | PB/1, CC/2 | |
| Spotted hideseed, common eucrypta | Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var bipinnatifida | LSB/1, QV, STR/1 | |
| Star gilia | Gilia stellata | CW/2, W/4, STR/2 | |
| Sticky fagonia | Fagonia pachyacantha | SB/5 | |
| Turpentine Broom | Thamnosoma montana | NE,QV | |
| White rhatany | Krameria erecta | CW/3, PB/2 | |
| Windmills | Allionia incarnata | LSB/1,QV, CW/1 | |
| Wooly crinklemat | Tiquilia canescans | STR/1, CW/2 | |
| Yellow throats | Phacelia fremonti | W/1, CF | |
|
Blue Flowers |
|||
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/Abundance | |
| Amsonia | Amsonia tomentosa | STR/7, CW/2, SB/2 | |
| Canterbury bell, desert bell | Phacelia campanularia | CW/2, N/1, WC/1, W/2, 49/1, QV, CF | |
| Coulter’s lupine | Lupinus sparsiflorus | CW/1, W/3, WC/2, QV, STR/1 | |
| Desert larkspur | Delphinim parishii, | 49 | |
| Green and Brown Flowers | |||
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Location/Abundance | |
| Beetle spurge | Euphorbia eriantha | SB/1, CW/1 | |
| Big Galleta grass | Pleuraphis rigida | SB/1,QV, STR/4, PB/3 | |
| Brittle spineflower | Chorizanthe brevicornu var brevicornu | LSB/3, SB/5, CW/2, PB/6 | |
| Brome fescue (grass) | Vulpia bromoides | SB/2, STR/2 | |
| California croton | Croton californicus | PB/2 | |
| Cheat grass | Bromus tectorum | QV | |
| Common cudweed | Filago californica | STR/2 | |
| Devil’s spineflower, spiny herb | Chorizanthe rigida | SB/1, PB/1 | |
| Hopsage | Grayia spinosa | QV, W/2 | |
| Indian rice grass | Achnatherum hymenoides | QV | |
| Jojoba | Simmondsia chinensis | LSB/1, SB/4, CW/2, QV | |
| Mediterranean grass | Schismus barbatus | STR/7 | |
| Oniongrass | Melica frutescens | STR/1 | |
| Pinon pine | Pinus monophylla | QV | |
| Plantain | Plantago ovata | PB/4, SB/5, WC/4, STR/3 | |
| Queen’s root | Stillingia linearifolia | CW/2, LSB/1, QV, STR/1 | |
| Silver cholla | Opuntia echinocarpa | QV | |
| Six-weeks three awn (grass) | Aristida adcensionis | SB/3 | |
| Squirrel tail grass | Elymus elumoides | STR/1 | |
| Tucker’s oak | Quercus john-tuckeri | QV | |
- invasive species of concern
Joshua Tree National Park Phone 760 367 5500 www.nps.gov/jotr
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