Natural History Wanderings

DesertUSA had two reports on Wildflower Bloom in the Mojave Desert. Highlights were:

• cacti,  are doing well. Claret cup mound cactus is starting a vigorous bloom in most places, with hedgehog close behind. Beavertail and pancake cactus have set lots of buds that should open in the next few weeks.
• scant blooms of many things.  yellow, blue, and pink flowering shrub was scattered around in small clusters. Tiny flowers, clocks and something else, were not abundant, but omnipresent. Found some daisies, desert asters, canterbury bell, goldeneye
• lot of apricot mallow everywhere, though it is rather stunted.
• only carpet display in Watson Wash a couple miles south of Rock Spring. On the bajada west of the wash, the chia were so thick that the air filled with their astringent scent when you walked through them.

Read full reports and see photos at:  Desert Wildflower report Mojave National Preserve by DesertUSA.