Natural History Wanderings

DesertUSA  has several posted several new wildflower reports in its Southern California section today:

an area near Landers/Giant Rock with a variety of wildflowers and lots of green hinting at things to come. There’s lots of blooming desert marigold; some freckled and Layne’s milkvetch; California croton; queen’s root; sand verbena; dune evening, brown-eyed, and pale primrose; spectacle pod, Cryptantha sp.; devil’s lettuce; Mentzelia sp.; little gold poppies; desert chicory; scalebud… Some of the wildflowers are easily spotted from the road; some require closer investigation.

Along 29 Palms Hwy, traveling west out of 29 Palms, there are occasional outbreaks of desert dandelion, phacelia, and dune evening primrose.

On Saturday, Feb. 8 in the El Paso Mountain Range, near Ridgecrest a Bladder Pod and Fremont Phacelia.

Newberry Springs area on Sat 2/15/2014, and the following were in bloom, Heliotrope Phacelia, Blazing Star, Pygmy Poppy, Narrow Leaved Primrose, Forget-me-not, Pincushion, California Tickseed, Suncup, Star Gilia, Chia and Fiddleneck. (hills are green)

Also I checked out Ridgecrest, near the El Paso Mountains, last night 02/17/2014, and the following were in bloom in low lying areas, Gilia, Rattlesnake Weed, Forget-me-not’s, Pigmy Poppy, Goldfields, Milk Vetch & Phacelia. All in low lying areas, where water sat from earlier rains, and very small specimens.

Red Rock Canyon State Park off SR14, on Sat 2/15/2014, and the following were in bloom, Gilia, Forget-me-not & Bladderpod (quite bleak)

See photos and older reports at: Desert Wildflower Reports for Southern California by DesertUSA.