Natural History Wanderings

updated with additional report

Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association has posted the following new wildflower reports:

There is a good variety of annual plants in bloom, and about to bloom, at the end of DiGeorgio Road, just beyond the end of the paved road. The plants are small due to the dryness of this season, but there are many verbenas starting, brown-eyed evening primrose, spectacle pod, Spanish needles, desert pin cushion, desert dandelion, and others. This area should be looking good by the weekend. The best time to see the flowers opened is mid morning, around 9:30 or so. This area sometimes sees lots of visitors because it is close to Borrego Springs and easy to reach; no hiking is required. If you go here, and if you drive on the dirt road, please be aware that the sandy soils and the flowers are easily damaged by parking or driving your vehicle outside of the main travel route. Simply pulling over onto the side of the road can destroy hundreds of flowers. So park carefully, walk around, enjoy the flowers that you find, and keep them healthy for the next person to see them.

S22, between mile markers 35 – 38.5, has lots of blooming creosote, ocotillo with blooms forming, lots of brittlebush in bloom, and two areas with Lupine in bloom, a nice drive from Borrego Springs. The geology of this area also makes for a fascinating backdrop. There is an “Erosion Road” brochure available free of charge that explains the geology. The brochure is available from the ABDNHA Nature Center, one block west of Christmas Circle.

Additional report from Tom Chesteron Anza-Borrego Natural History Association Site:

 the Pacific Crest Trail north of Scissors Crossing on Monday, 3/18/13, at elevations of 2200 to 2900 feet.  They report that they found it at the beginning of full bloom, such as it is this year. Hence full bloom in the Borrego Desert, the northern part of ABDSP, is now probably at 1000 to 2000 feet, they say, with 2000 to 2500 feet entering full bloom on south-facing slopes.
The s2 roadside itself is lined with the native lupinus bicolor in full bloom
On the drive from Borrego Springs along Yaqui Pass Road, Kate found that the encelia farinosa, creosote and desert dandelion have popped in places, with hundreds of plants in bloom. She reports that there is also a nice display of the non-native baileya multiradiata in one spot in south Borrego springs where it was either planted or escaped.
In our hike of the first 2 miles of the pct north of scissors crossing at SR78, we recorded over 1,739 plants of 68 species in bloom. many of those species are found in the area immediately east of S2, just north of SR78, an easy stroll from the roadside.
The best blooms almost surely continue to be in the north-facing canyons found on both the south side of Borrego Springs and along the south side of SR78 east of scissors crossing, with walking required to pick up a lot of plants in bloom.  Due to the dry conditions of this year most of the blooms are on very small plants, with few blooms per plant.

To see older reports go to: Anza-Borrego Wildflowers Spring – Fall 2013