Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 22, 2013

Joshua Tree Wildflower Update 3/22/13

Joshua Tree National Park has a new wildflower report fo March 22, 2013

We’re experiencing one of the best Joshua Tree blooms for many years, especially in the Black Rock Canyon Campground and also throughout the northern, Mojave Desert, section of the park. The wildflower bloom is still limited to Cottonwood Canyon area, where the Chuparosa is especially abundant, with the flowers on the Bajada Nature Trail now dying back. Cactuses are beginning to bloom here and there throughout the park Watch out for desert tortoises on the roads. These reptiles are emerging from their winter quarters to eat the flowers. Please do not touch or disturb these or any other animals in the park.

Click Read more to see a detailed report of what flowers are in bloom including location and abundance of bloom.

  Location Elevation (in feet)   Location Elevation (in feet)
49 49 Palms Oasis 2700 NE North Entrance 2810
BD Barker Dam 4280 PB Pinto Basin 1800
BJ Bajada 2000 QV Queen Valley 4000 – 4500
BR Black Rock 4000 SB South Boundary 1500
CW Cottonwood 3100 WE West Entrance 3520
HV Hidden Valley 4200 WC Wilson Canyon 3000

 

On a scale of one to ten, the number that appears under the location key refers to an estimate of the relative abundance of flowers at that location, with “1” indicating a few scattered blooms and “10” indicating that the place is carpeted with that species!

 

Yellow Flowers
Common Name Scientific Name

BR

WE

HV

BD

49

QV

NE

WC

PB

CW

BJ

SB
Barrel cactus Ferocactus cylindraceus

1

Bladderpod Peritoma arborea

2

3

3

3

1

Brittle bush Encelia farinosa

1

1

3
Brittle spineflower Chorizanthe brevicornu

1

Buckwheat Eriogonum sp

1

Creosote bush Larrea tridentata

2

2

1

3
Desert dandelion Malacothrix glabrata

1

1

1

Desert golden poppy Eschscholzia parrishi/androuxii**

1

2

Desert lotus Acmispon strigosus

1

1

Desert miseltoe Phoradendron californicum

2

2

Desert rock pea Acmispon rigidus

2

1

Desert trumpet Eriogonum inflatum

1

Golden suncup Chylismia brevipes

1

1

London rocket (invasive alien) Sisymbrium irio

1

1

Parrish’s goldeneye Bahiopsis parishiii

1

Parrish’s golden poppy Eschscholzia parishiii

1

1

1

Sahara mustard Brassica tournefortii

1

1

Sweetbush Bebbia juncea var aspera

1

1

Thick-leaved ground cherry Physalis crassifolia

1

1

1

Trixis Trixis californica

1

1

Western tansy mustard Descurainia pinnata

1

Whitestem blazing star Mentzelia albicaulis

3

1

Yellow fiddleneck Amsinckia tessallata

1

1

Yellowdome Trichoptilium incisum

1

 

** Species name of our desert gold poppy is under discussion. In the past we’ve called it E. parrishi but this is changing.

Continued overleaf

 

 

  Red or Orange Flowers
  Common Name Scientific Name

BR

WE

HV

BD

49

QV

NE

WC

PB

CW

BJ

SB
Burrobrush Ambrosia dumosa

1

2

 
  Chuparosa Justicia californica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

2

 
  Globe mallow Sphaeralcea ambigua

1

  Mojave Mound Cactus Echinocereus triglochidiatus

1

  Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens

1

  Smallseed sandmat Chamaesyce polycarpa

2

3

1

 

White Flowers
Common Name Scientific Name

BR

WE

HV

BD

49

QV

NE

WC

PB

CW

BJ

SB
Anderson’s boxthorn Lycium andersonii

2

Brown eyed evening primrose Chylismia claviformis

2

2

Cheesebush Ambrosia salsola

1

Comb burr Pectocarya recurvata

3

1

Desert almond Prunus fasciculata

1

Desert alyssum Lepidium fremontii

2

1

Desert Forget-me-nots Cryptantha maritima

2

  Cryptantha angustifolia

3

1

  Cryptantha pterocarya

3

1

  Cryptantha barbigera

1

Desert Star Monoptilon belloides

3

1

1
Desert star vine Brandegea bigelovii

1

3

1

Desert tobacco Nicotiana obtusifolia

1

Ditaxis Ditaxis neomexicana

1

1

  Ditaxis lanceolata

1

Joshua Tree Yucca brevifolia

9

4

3

2

5

2

1

Mojave yucca Yucca schidigera

2

1

Pebble pincushion Chaenactis carphoclinia

3

Rock Daisy Perityle emoryi

2

Sand blazing star Mentzelia involucrata

1

Woody bottle washer Eremothera boothii

3

1

1
   

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink to Purple Flowers
  Common Name Scientific Name

BR

WE

HV

BD

49

QV

NE

WC

PB

CW

BJ

SB
  Arizona lupine Lupinus arizonicus

1

1

   Bajada lupine Lupinus concinnus

1

  Beavertail cactus Opuntia basilaris

1

1

  Big berry manzanita Arctostaphylos glauca

2

  Bigelow’s monkeyflower Mimulus bigelovii

1

  Chia Salvia columbariae

3

  Desert five-spot Eremalche rotundifolia

1

  Desert lavender Hyptis  emoryi

1

1

  Desert parsley Lomatium mohavense

1

  Gilia Gilia spp

1

1

  Milk vetch Astragalus sp

1

1

  Filaree (invasive alien) Erodium cicutarium

1

3

1

  Notch leaved phacelia Phacelia crennulata

1

1
  Paper bag bush Salazaria mexicana

1

1

  Purple mat Nama demissum

1

1

  Spanish needles Palafoxia arida var arida

1

  Turpentine broom Thamnosma montana

2

  Wild heliotrope Phacelia distans

1

 

 

Blue Flowers
Common Name Scientific Name

BR

WE

HV

BD

49

QV

NE

WC

PB

CW

BJ

SB
Canterbury bells Phacelia campanularia

1

1

Mojave lupine Lupinus sparsiflorus

1

 

 

Green/Brown Flowers
Common Name Scientific Name

BR

WE

HV

BD

49

QV

NE

WC

PB

CW

BJ

SB
Beetle spurge Euphorbia eriatha

1

Plantain Plantago ovata

1

 

Posted in Desert, Wildflower Bloom Reports, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: , ,

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