Natural History Wanderings

Although there has been good germination of plants reported in some areas, including the popular Borrego Palm Canyon, we have not been treated to a valley wide bloom, at least not yet.  There are many flowers to be found be in washes and canyons in places that received good rainfall during this winter’s two storms, but it will likely be another couple of weeks before nature lets us know the extent to which this will spread across the valley floor.  Rainfall in the desert often varies dramatically from one place to another and flowers grow where the rain has fallen. The flower reports on this page all come from contributors “on the ground” so they will provide the best ideas of places to go to catch flowers in bloom. For those who are heading out, it is important to note that many flowers close during the heat of the day so early morning is the best time to see them.

Grapevine Loop  View Hike Details Here
A loop up to the Pacific Crest Trails and back into another fork. Probably our best documented hike. Mojave yucca, Yucca schidigera are starting to bloom in Grapevine canyon. What a green area this is once again, even with so little rain. We where still hunting for female Jojoba, Simmondsia chinensis in bloom and along the Jasper trial we found one.

Wow a White fiesta flower, Pholistoma membranaceum with purple striping. Wishbone plant, Mirabilis laevis retrorsa are starting to bloom. Wild cucumber, Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus are everywhere in full bloom. We still found only a handful of Whispering bells, Emmenanthe penduliflora penduliflora.  The one Bush poppy, Dendromecon rigida was already in bloom, so not later than usual. Redgland spurge, Chamaesyce melanadenia blooming by the hundreds. Some Common fiddleneck, Amsinckia intermedia in bloom. Desert globemallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua (var. rugosa?) about to go in full bloom. Bladderpod bush, Peritoma arborea are still blooming in Grapevine Canyon Not that many Red stem filaree, Erodium cicutarium as we’ve seen in Culp Valley. Big Wild Canterbury Bells, Phacelia minor plants in bloom. Still missing Chia, Salvia columbariae, we found one with single flower, we did find germination. Carla was pleased to find baby Fremont’s monkeyflower, Mimulus fremontii. In total, we found 38 different flowers in bloom.

See their reports at Anza-Borrego Wildflower Updates