Natural History Wanderings

Arizona State Parks reports:

Catalina State Park wildflowers now in bloom include Mexico Poppies, Cream Cups. and Blue Phacelia and  Owl’s Clover.  There are many fields of Cream Cups but Poppy fields are not as dense as last year.

Boyce Thompson ArboretumHighway 60 is bordered by blooming color through Gold Canyon and Florence Junction on your drive to the Arboretum this week. Arizona State Parks volunteers are reporting new wildflowers each day along Arboretum trails. This week showy pink Parry’s Penstemon is our most vivid new flower, but also watch for unobtrusive little ones such as Peppergrass and Indian Wooly Wheat, too. Other flowers throughout the park include fetid marigold (yellow); wild rhubarb (green); London rocket (gold) and henbit (purple); as well as bluedicks and Mormon tea (watch for the latter two along the main trail from Ayer Lake uphill)

See photos and older reports at: Arizona State Parks

DesertUSA reports

Pass Mt Trail from Meridian Rd TH to be the best wildflower viewing at this time. there are poppies scattered along the trail up to the pass and lots of other flowers. phacelia, desert chicory, eucrypta, gilias, red maids, mustards, lupine, fairy duster. brittlebush budding out so should be flowering soon, as well. it is beautiful.

Catalina State Park (report 1) – These are photos of the Sutherland Trail in Catalina State Park, Tucson, on March 12, 2013 The white and gold Mexican Gold Poppies greet visitors at the entrance gate. Other flowers are Blue Phacelia, fields of poppies and Cream Cups, Desert Lupine, Desert Anemone, Fiddleneck, Lacepod, fragrant Ragged Rock Flower, Twist Flower, Fairy Duster, Canaigre, Bloodweed, Desert Chicory, Red Maids, Parry Penstemon, Silverpuffs, and more. The fields of poppies are not as abundant as 2012 yet between the two sets of steps on the Sutherland Trail.

Catalina State Park (report 2) It’s still a bit early – there were a few patches of poppies as well as some lupine along the Sutherland trail but not much…I could see the buds and trees were starting to bloom as well. Next week should be a great showing.

alongside Highway 238 between Maricopa and Gila Bend (the edge of the Sonoran Desert) we spotted quite a few varieties of wildflowers in bloom including the Desert Globemallow and Desert Marigold.

Pinal Pioneer Parkway (Hwy 79). There are lupines lining the roadside and large patches of Mexican gold poppies scattered down good portions of the Parkway.

See photos and all reports at: Desert Wildflower Reports

Related articles

• Arizona Wildflower Updates 3/13/13 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)
• Catalina State Park Arizona Wildflower Update 2/25/13 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)