Natural History Wanderings

Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association has a wildflower hike report for Hawi Vallecito to Lower Storm Canyon

The hike starts at the parking of Hawi Vallecito but is otherwise completely out of the park.

The intention was to hike up Storm Canyon, to check out all the green stuff you can see from the road.  But we never came that far, one of the reasons, we encountered so many plants we hardly, if ever, encounter..

The terrain is grassy, with Big galleta, Hilaria rigida. The upper part of the valley is covered with one of the biggest fields of Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa we’ve ever seen. We basically went for the lower part of the Storm Canyon wash. The wash is partially sand with patches of rock, the wash is obvious wetter than most.  White rhatany, Krameria bicolor is blooming we found several plans in partial bloom.  San Felipe dogweed, Adenophyllum porophylloides in full bloom.  We saw our first Short-lobed phacelia, Phacelia brachyloba.

Some Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa are still blooming. It’s time for Desert woolly-star, Eriastrum eremicum ssp. eremicum, you find them in town roadside.

Our third find of Lemmon’s Linanthus, Leptosiphon lemmonii in two locations of 99+ They seem to stay in one place and don’t spread out much.A surprise was the second Coulter’s snapdragon, Antirrhinum coulterianum we have seen in bloom this month (1 plant).

Finally another Gillia Caraway-leaved Gilia, Saltugilia caruifolia  And we where missing the Prickly poppy, Argemone munita as they where everywhere last year. So 3 plants was a good find. Showy Penstemon, Penstemon spectabilis var. spectabilis in my favorite for today, our first one this season.

See photos for above report and older  reports at  Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers Update.