Joshua Tree National Park has a new wildflower report for March 20, 2015
Black Rock Canyon’s Hi-View Nature Trail has thus far stolen the show for colorful annual flowers. However, annuals are starting to show up in other park areas as well. Joshua Trees are blooming at Black Rock as well as Key’s View Road, and sporadically elsewhere. Hi-View is a moderate 1.3 mile roundtrip hike where you can see Joshua Tree Poppies (Escholiza androuxii), Rock Cress (Arabis boechera), Forget- Me-Nots (Cryptantha barbigera), (C. pterocarya), (C. micrantha lipida), (C. circumcissa), Baby Blue-Eyes (Nemophilia menziesii), Tansy Mustard (Descurainia pinnata), Desert Parsley (Lomatium mohavensa), Fileree (Erodium cicutarium), Tidy- Tips (Layia glandulosa), Stiff-Haired Lotus (Acmispon strigosus), Woolly Daisy (Eriophyllum wallacei), Fiddleneck (Amsinckia tessellata), Chia (Salvia columbariae), Pale Primrose (Camissoniopsis pallida), Scale-bud (Anisocoma acaulis), Wild Cucumber (Marah macrocarpus), Rosy Gilia (Gilia sinuata), White Fiesta-Flower (Pholistoma membranaceum), and Jones’ Blazingstar (Mentzelia jonesii).
At the mouth of Cottonwood Canyon we’ve been pleasantly surprised by an eruption of Desert Gold Poppies (Eschscholzia glyptosperma). However, poppies are not known for their durability, so the show may not last. We’ll keep you updated.
Chuparosa (Justicia californica) are still showing well in the canyon, especially near MP 33. Mojave Yucca (Yucca schidigera), Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa), Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata), and Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) are the more obvious flowering shrubs.
Palo Verde Trees (Cercidium floridum) are blooming from Cottonwood Canyon and beyond the south entrance. Fragrant Desert Mistletoe (Phoradendron californicum) are flowering within the Palo Verde, Catclaw bush (Senegalia greggii), and Ironwood Trees (Olneya tesota).
Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris) flowers are blooming in many places.
The longer leaved cousin of the Joshua Tree, Mojave Yucca (Yucca schidigera) are blooming throughout the park.
See full report with photos at http://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/upload/2015-03-19-Flower-Report.pdf
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