Natural History Wanderings

The Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association reports

Wednesday March 16 Ant Hill Dunes Loop   View Hike Details Here
Note: This is an area close to Borrego Springs that is often overlooked and receives very little visitation.  The dune habitat in this area is the perfect environment for Dune Evening Primrose.  This location is listed on our current flower map.

“The Dune primrose, Oenothera deltoides ssp. deltoides where blooming by the thousands when we started the hike early in the morning. Most of them small one flower plants. Surprisingly the Brown-eyed primrose, Chylismia claviformis ssp. peirsonii where still going strong. Regretfully this area is also home to Brassica tournefortii, the plants are not big, but enough are flowering and skeletons enough to suggest they where here before. This is the landscape, most people think what a desert should look like, so a lot of sand. Desert lily, Hesperocallis undulata are almost end of bloom, but a few still show nice flowers. Flowering is otherwise sparse, as this area is very dry.  Close to the the car, there they were, small Annual stillingia, Stillingia spinulosa, at least 22, that was the best find of the day.” 

See photos and older reports at  Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers Update