Natural History Wanderings

Borrego Wildflowers two most recent reports

April/22/2019 PCT Scissors Crossing North

We read reports of a good bloom along the PCT from Scissors Crossing, so we made a new hike.
The bloom is indeed good with many Encelia farinosa farinosa | Brittlebush in good bloom.
Our second encounter with a venomous snake, we were almost on top of it, not too snake aware on the PCT. It was making a hissing sound and kept and eye on us, even when other hikers arrived on the scene.

It’s finally time for Dudleya saxosa aloides | Desert dudleya to start their bloom.
Eriastrum eremicum eremicum | Desert woolly star are extremely late this season, we found many plants but just a few in bloom.
This is place were Eriophyllum wallacei | Wallace’s woolly daisy, white and yellow mix, often just next to each other.
Our favorites are still in good bloom | Diplacus brevipes , Wide throated yellow monkeyflower and Diplacus fremontii | Fremont’s monkeyflower.

Species in bloom below 3000 feet: 107.

April/21/2019 Pena Spring Hellhole Canyon

A trip down the Hellhole Canyon starting at Pena Spring.
The bloom is very good going down, hundreds of Collinsia concolor | Chinese houses and Gilia capitata abrotanifolia | Globe gilia in good bloom.
Many Delphinium | Larkspur and Keckiella antirrhinoides microphylla | Little leaf chaparral beard tongue in bloom.
Going down wasn’t too difficult except for the last part. The creek is running, but the vegetation is dense with a lot of catclaw.

Many Encelia farinosa farinosa | Brittlebush and Justicia californica | Chuparosa in bloom along the creek.
We were very pleased to find one Phacelia ramosissima | Branching phacelia in bloom.

On our way up a couple of blooming Nemophila pedunculata | Littlefoot blue eyes.

Species in bloom below 3000 feet: 102.

see photos and older reports at Borrego Wildflowers