Natural History Wanderings

DesertUSA has a number of new wildflower reports for Arizona:

Wildflowers are blooming abundantly in NE Mesa from Bush Highway to Saguaro Lake to Fountain Hills. Also Usury Pass to Bush Highway has flowers. Lots of poppies – but they won’t last long and plenty of others such as Blue Phacias, Gilias, Eucryptas, Lupines (not real lush), Tackstem, Goldfields, Globemallows (near Fountain Hills), etc. They opened overnight – it was amazing.

Some spots of really nice color if you are willing to do what it takes to get there. Hiked into the eastern Superstitions (north of the Peachville Mountain area) yesterday and found some nice patches about a mile up off the desert floor. There was another really nice bloom further up on the next mountain, but it was getting late in the day and the Mexican poppies would be closing up shop shortly. This area is off the Silver King Mine Road several miles up past the corral.

McDowell Sonoran Preserve on the Lost Dog Trail: There were several patches of Mexican Poppies, lupine, fiddleneck and phacelia. Also found desert chickory, blue dicks and a few that were new to me–suncups and blue fiestaflower.

See all the DesertUSA reports and photos at: Desert Wildflower Reports