Natural History Wanderings

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park had a new report today

Wildflower Update March 24, 2017

ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK® WILDFLOWER UPDATE 3-24-2017

Abundant winter rains have given us this lovely phenomenon of annual plants, shrubs, and cacti bursting into bloom this month, and we’re happy you’re here to see it, too.

Follow this route to see a variety of different wildflowers:

• Head east on Palm Canyon Drive (the “main drag” through our little town)

• Go past the traffic circle/roundabout that we call Christmas Circle

• Follow the highway as it continues east, then follow the road as it heads north (if you have time, check out the flowers—Dune Primrose and Sand Verbena, with a few Dune Sunflowers and Desert Lilies—blooming in the dunes along Old Springs Road, a paved road to the right at this corner)

• You should see white Dune Evening Primrose and pink Sand Verbena along the sides of the highway.

• Where the highway bends right to continue east, make a left turn onto Henderson Canyon Road (an alternative is to follow the highway to a great display near mile marker 31, then come back).

• You’ll see more pink and white, along with purple lupine, near the east end of Henderson Canyon Road, before arriving at the fields of yellow-orange Desert Sunflower. There should be lots of parking along this road. The freshest-looking sunflowers are in the eastern half of this field.

• Continue west on Henderson Canyon Road; you’ll see a field of flowers at the intersection with DiGiorgio Road; a left turn on either DiGiorgio or Borrego Springs Road will show you more flowers and bring you back to the center of town. A collection of large metal sculptures near the intersection of Henderson Canyon Road and Borrego Springs Road is worth checking out, too.

Desert lilies have mostly finished blooming, but a few can still be found at Arroyo Salado primitive camp.

Ocotillos are starting to bloom; look for them along Highway 78, on Yaqui Pass Road (Highway S-3), and in the Desert Gardens area in Coyote Canyon (the dirt road beyond Desert Gardens requires a 4WD vehicle).

The bright yellow flowers of Brittlebush are stunning, on the hillsides of Highways S-22 and S-3.

The Visitor Center is one of the best places to see a variety of cacti in bloom, as well as desert dandelions, pincushionjoining other shrubs such as brittlebush, indigo bush, and chuparosa.

Primitive camps available to two-wheel-drive vehicles are Culp Valley (west of town) and Arroyo Salado (east of town), both on Highway S-22. 4WD vehicles can access Yaqui Well camp. No ground fires permitted.

Visitors who have a day or more would do well to explore the southern half of the park, also.

Flowers will be coming into bloom at higher elevations, and are already blooming at the Carrizo Badlands Overlook.

Blair Valley and Mountain Palm Springs are large primitive camps along S-2 in the southern half of the park, with plenty of room, vault toilets, and short hikes nearby. Both are accessible to 2WD vehicles. Fill your gas tank before heading south, take plenty of water, and be prepared to pack out your trash. No ground fires.

Please drink plenty of water while you are here, obey all traffic laws, and be considerate of the flowers (all vegetation is protected!) and of the visitors who are here with you and those who will come

March 24, 2017 Flower Map

Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers new reports

3/23
It’s cool today, so time for our planned longer hike up the Yucca Valley.
Our feeling was on our way back, we are definitely past prime bloom and the bloom count isn’t that good.
But after adding up all the plants we found in bloom, the bloom count was incredibly high.
One of the reason for a high bloom count, a long hike, following a creek. And one flower is enough to increase the bloom count.

The best highly visible plants in bloom on our hike, dandelion and pincushion.

On our way back out of Coyote Canyon the road was busy and very busy close to first crossing.
The flowering along Di Giorgio is still good, but is fading away.

Species in bloom below 3000 feet: 101+4

Pictures: Lower Willows Salvador Canyon Middle Willows

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3/21
Time for Henderson canyon to check the bloom and to search for Roundleaf phacelia, Phacelia rotundifolia.
Our feeling was the canyon is obviously past peak bloom, but surprised to find such a good bloom count. A lot of the count came from isolated patches of plants, in places not exposed to the full force of the sun.
An excellent find was an albino Bigelow’s monkey flower, Mimulus bigelovii bigelovii, this clearly is the year of albino plants, as the number of blooming plants is extremely high.
The find of the day was finding Roundleaf phacelia, Phacelia rotundifolia close to the suspected location, found by Mike a couple of years ago. What seems to be a tiny population of about 6 plants on a rock-face, in the shade most of the day.
The number or Desert threadplant, Nemacladus rubescens in bloom was very high on our trip.
And despite the crowds in town, in the canyon we only encountered 2 hikers on our 4 hour trip.
As empty as the Henderson canyon was, where the dirt road reaches the asphalt, the junction Henderson Canyon road and Borrego Springs road was one of the busiest places for flower watchers.

Species in bloom below 3000 feet: 97

Pictures: Henderson Canyon