Natural History Wanderings

Desert Wildflower Reports – DesertUSA reports

Storms in California’s deserts and in Arizona and Nevada have given us lots of rain. The outlook is very good for the 2017 wildflower season. Results should start showing in a few weeks.

Mojave National Preserve The Preserve got a lot of rain and should have wildflowers this year.

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve As of January 30th the recent rains have started to green up the hills with tiny wildflower sprouts, but it is too early to determine what the bloom will be like this year. We have reached the minimum amount of rain the poppies need, but there are many other factors that can still affect them such as late freezes or early heat waves. If all goes well, we expect the bloom to start in early to mid-March and last until mid-April or later.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument reports: While we’ve been reveling in the ocotillo growing leaves after the past couple winter rains, another desert plant has also been capitalizing on the good growing conditions. Jatropha cuneata, commonly known as limberbush, can grow and shed leaves multiple times in a year, changing from odd coral like sticks to vibrant bushes in a matter of days.