Natural History Wanderings

DesertUSA reports

For those of us who love the Desert Gold of Death Valley, this January bloom is some of the best I have seen in the southern Badwater road area since 2010. From the rise at Ashford Mills, an exciting number of bright yellow patches are to be seen going off into the distance. Good stops along the Badwater Road, starting at the far end:

1) The last few miles before the road closed sign – see a patch of solid gold off in the distance and walking up washes out to them. The Sand Verbena intermixed is fresh and lovely.

2) MM 41 – wander around two domes of black rock that are covered with Desert Gold.

3) MM 28 – stop at an alluvial fan of Desert Gold along the road.

4) MM 27 – look closely at the rocks and seeing dozens of tiny Desert Stars. And,5) the first part of Artist Drive – get out and looking at the flowers along the road that are, well, artistic. One place has a nicely arranged display of Purple Mat, Caltha Phacelia, and Brown Eyed Primrose and in other spots Desert Gold are artistically placed. I also drove up the Warm Springs road (high clearance/4 wheel drive).There were nice sections of Desert Gold and one area thick with Golden Evening Primrose and Desert Five Spot, but overall there was as much to see along the paved roads. A wide variety of plants were shooting up and yet to bloom. One Desert Five Spot had close to a dozen buds.

See photos at Death Valley Wildflower Report – DesertUSA