Natural History Wanderings

Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association reports

Free flower maps are available in ABDNHA’s Nature Center, 652 Palm Canyon Drive.  We update the maps daily as reports come in. 

Update March 20:  The bloom is still going strong in the Borrego Valley and adjacent washes and canyons.  Coyote Canyon is full of color with the best blooms about 1 – 2 miles in on the dirt road from the end of the blacktop on DiGiorgio. The expansive field of orange desert sunflowers on the north side of  Henderson Canyon Road, about one mile west of S22 is at it’s prime right now and there is ample parking along the shoulder of the road.  On the south side of the road the ground is covered with dune evening primrose, verbena, and other annuals.  The “ocotillo forest” south of Tilting T along Borrego Springs Road has many hundreds of ocotillo just days away from full bloom.  The ground in that area is covered with yellow desert dandelions.  There is also a bright yellow field of desert dandelions along DiGiorgio Road just south of Henderson Canyon Road.  Beavertail cactus, with bright fuchsia colored flowers, are now in bloom in many locations around the Borrego Valley.   Glorieta Canyon, on the southwest side of the the Borrego Valley is a great short hike right now, completely emersed in a bright yellow bloom of Brittlebush.

This will be a “rolling bloom”; different areas, different species, different elevations, as things come into bloom; cacti, shrubs, ocotillo are not in bloom yet.  The “Ocotillo forest” area along Borrego Springs road, south of Tilting T, will be spectacular when it comes into bloom, easily viewed from the roadside and that will likely happen in the next week. The entire area is very green with the nearby dune covered in yellow desert dandelions.    It’s also important to know that the best flower viewing is in the morning.  Many flowers close up during the heat of the day.  

Although there was heavy visitation in Borrego Springs this weekend everything appeared to go very smoothly, and traffic was not the problem it was the previous weekend.  The big surge of traffic is probably behind us now, although we expect heavier than normal visitation through April. 

See photos at Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers Update

There are also new reports  at Anza Borrego Desert State Park – Wildflower Reports – DesertUSA and  Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers: Species in bloom.