Natural History Wanderings

Death Valley National Park reports

We have a different holly here in Death Valley, and it’s blooming now! Desert holly (Atriplex hymenelytra) is a kind of plant known as a halophyte, which means “salt-loving”. This plant can grow in places that most plants can’t, due to its high tolerance of salt, heat, and dryness. It takes a substance, salt, that is detrimental to most plant growth and turns it into an asset. Desert holly moves the salt to the tiny hairs on the outside of its leaves, where it helps to reflect excess sunlight, lowering leaf temperature 7.2⁰F.,and reducing transpiration by 14%. Desert holly is the most drought tolerant saltbush in North America. It is even more drought tolerant than the famous creosote bush, which can survive two years of no rain! Amazing plant, the desert holly.

Another interesting attribute of the desert holly is that it can change its sex depending on the conditions. Desert holly is dimorphic, with separate male and female plants. Producing a good crop of seeds, though, may rob a plant of essential nutrients. The next season, this plant can become a male, and only need to provide pollen, much less of a drain on its resources.

As for what’s blooming in Death Valley now…. Encelias (both species) are blooming near the East Entrance and up in the Hole in the Wall area. Echo Canyon would probably be a good place to look for these beauties, also. Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea) and ground cherries (Physalis crassifolia) are happening in many of the canyons. Desert Gold (Geraea canascens) is in bloom between Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells, also south of Badwater on the Badwater Road . No big shows, but bright spots of color if you watch closely. Artist’s Drive area is my pick of the week, though. There are HUNDREDS of Brown-eyed Evening Primrose (Chylismia claviformis) along the first mile of this road, and I found Caltha-leaved Phacelia (Phacelia calthafolia) and Purple Mat (Nama demissum) blooming on the alluvial fans, as well as a few Desert Gold.. There are lots of Brown-eyed Evening Primrose blooming south of Badwater on the Badwater Road, also. Down south it is getting SO green, and the plants are so healthy looking! There are even a few Sand Verbena (Abronia vilosa) blooming around Shoreline Butte, Now. In December. Incredible. (dm)

See photos at Death Valley National Park.