April 26, 2013
An interesting mix of flowers was found on a 4/26 hike up Plum Canyon. We
saw Snake eyes, Dudleya, White sage, Buckwheat, Sweetbush, Desert
Lavender, Chuparosa, and Desert trumpet.
Cactus blossoms were well represented with Gander cholla, prickly pear,
hedgehog, beavertail and barrel cactus in bloom. - Marcy Yates
Photo by Marcy Yates
Dudleya - Photo by Marcy Yates
April 21, 2013
A nice Desert Willow bloom was starting along the Borrego Palm Canyon
trail. We also found a few yellow monkey flowers in and along the stream
leading out of the oasis. Desert lavender is still blooming well in the
drier areas of the trail.
Only a very few brittlebush and chuparosa flowers lingered. - Marcy
Desert Willow - Photo by Marcy Yates
April 15, 2013
While many flowers have faded or blown away recently, there are still
blooms to be found if you go looking. The Honey Mesquite is in bloom near
Tamarisk Grove. Between there and Mine Wash is a sea of red Ocotillo
flowers, plus quite a few agave flower spikes. Most of the agave do not
yet have flowers open.
At the Mine Wash village site, ocotillo, desert lavender, chuparosa, and
various cactus (beavertail, prickly pear, cholla) are in bloom here and
there, with agave flower spikes visible in the distance. - Marcy
Yates
Desert Lavender Photo by Marcy Yates
April 4, 2013
Marcy Yates sends us this report: Parts of the Jasper Trail
are showing carpets of Goldfields, and lots of wild cucumber in bloom.
Phacelia and Baby Blue Eyes were clumped in spots, and Fiddlenecks were
here and there along the road. One vista was dotted with Yucca blossoms.
There were nine spikes in flower on just one group of plants. It was
wonderful to see so much new life in the burned areas.
Travel along the Grapevine Trail showed spots of Monkeyflower
blooms, and a variety of cactus blooms. Spikes were up on some agave, but
no blooms open yet on those. Sugarbush/lemonade berry was blooming near
Stuart Spring.
Whispering bells and phacelia were blooming at Angelina Springs.
Apricot mallow was just starting to bloom. Hedgehog cacti had nice buds,
but few were in bloom yet there. - Marcy Yates
Wild Cucumber Marah
macrocarpa Gourd
Family Cucurbitaceae Photo by Marci Yates
Baby Blue Eyes Nemophila
menziesii Borage Family Boraginaceae
[Hydrophyllaceae]
Photo by Marci Yates
April 1, 2013
We hiked some washes west of the Angelina Spring. There are some
dry waterfalls you have to climb or bypass, but it is not difficult.
Many wildflowers here: Bigelow's monkey-flower, Wallace's woolly daisy,
wild heliotrope, fiddleneck, pincushion, whisperingbell, chia, wishbone
plant, jewel-flower, cryptantha, bluebell and blue dicks. Lots of
wild cucumber, and very large pincushions, > 1 foot. Some paintbrush and
golden-bush.
The golden yarrow is starting to bloom. We also found some California
poppy's.
But the best part is on the top, just before the Pacific Crest Trail.
There is a large flat sandy area, with seas of flowers. Fields of
Bigelow's monkey-flower, white tidy-tips, Wallace's woolly daisy, desert
dandelions, pincushions, gold-fields.
Photo by Fred
Melgert
(pink) Bigelow's
Monkey Flower Mimulus
bigelovii var. bigelovii Lopseed
Family Phrymaceae [Scrophulariaceae]
(yellow)
Desert Dandelion Malacothrix
glabrata Sunflower
Family Asteraceae
(white) White
Tidy Tips Layia
glandulosa Sunflower
Family Asteraceae
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Bigelow's Monkey Flower Mimulus
bigelovii var. bigelovii Lopseed
Family Phrymaceae
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Special Note: Thanks, Borrego Springs botanist Kate Harper,
for your behind-the-scenes help with many things plant-related, including
these pages. Kate is in her third year of research with Tom Chester for
the future publication of the Flora of the Borrego Desert, and has been a
great help in getting accurate ID's and other information. Thanks for your
help, Kate!
March 31, 2013
Today we went to the Mine Wash area. Lots of cactus are blooming
here now.
Higher up in the wash we saw lots of black-brush blooming and the white
sage is now blooming.
Fred and Carla
California Fishhook Cactus Mammillaria
dioica Cactus
Family Cactaceae
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Beavertail Cactus Opuntia
basilaris var.
basilaris Cactus Family Cactaceae
Photo by Fred
Melgert
March 30, 2013
There is lots of good cactus in flower along the Mortero Canyon Road off
S-2 in the Mortero Wash area in the southern desert. From our car, as we
drove down the road, we counted three dozen claret-colored flowers on a
single bunch of Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii). There was
Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris), of course, some with red flowers,
some pink. The red-flowered Wolf's Cholla (Cylindropuntia wolfii), seen
only in the southern desert, was well represented. A mile's walk up the
valley northwest of the road brought us to a small Yaqui Mammillaria (Mammillaria
tetrancistra) with an amazing seven fruits. Unfortunately, we missed the
flowers. Gander's Cholla (Cylindropuntia ganderi) was in flower
everywhere, but the best flowers of all were seen on the plants seen on a
short walk up the North Mortero Wash Road on the other side of S-2.
- Bill Sullivan
Hedgehog Cactus Echinocereus
engelmannii Cactus
Family Cactaceae
Photo by Bill Sullivan
Yaqui Fishhook Cactus Mammillaria
tetrancistra Cactus
Family Cactaceae Photo by Bill Sullivan
Wolf’s Cholla Cylindropuntia
wolfii Cactus Family Cactaceae Photo by Bill Sullivan
Gander’s Cholla Cylindropuntia
ganderi Cactus Family Cactaceae
Photo by Bill
Sullivan
March 30, 2013
Yesterday we went to Pinyon Spring. Because the road further on is rocky,
we parked close before Angelina Spring. At Angelina Spring we saw that the
wild cucumber is now getting "cucumbers".
More wildflowers than the last time we were here.
In the Pinyon Spring wash fields of Wallace's woolly daisy and tiny
goldfields.
Fred and Carla
Wild Cucumber Marah
macrocarpa Gourd
Family Cucurbitaceae
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Wallace’s Woolly Daisy Eriophyllum
wallacei (yellow
variety—there is also a white one)
Sunflower Family Asteraceae
Photo by Fred Melgert
March 28, 2013
The Paloverde trees are in bloom!
All around Borrego Springs the Paloverdes are magnificent right now,
draped in bright yellow.
Blue Palo Verde Parkinsonia
florida [Cercidium
floridum ssp. floridum] Legume
Family Fabaceae
Photo by Mike McElhatton
Blue Palo Verde Parkinsonia
florida [Cercidium
floridum ssp. floridum] Legume
Family Fabaceae
Photo by Mike McElhatton
March 28, 2013
We went again to the S2, but started now at mile 15. Although it is close
to the hike of March 25, the wash is different. More shrubs here: lotebush, desert apricot, desert thorn and acacia. We found fields of
white wallace's woolly daisy and pincushions. Lots of lupines,
fiddlenecks, jewelflowers, blue dicks, wild heliotrope, large desert
bluebells, cream-cups and spectacle pods. Also several wide throated
yellow monkeyflower and interior goldenbush.
Wide-throated Monkey Flower Mimulus
brevipes Lopseed
Family Phrymaceae
[Scrophulariaceae]
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Wild Canterbury Bells Phacelia
minor Borage
FamilyBoraginaceae
[Hydrophyllaceae]
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Blue Dicks Dichelostemma
capitatum ssp. capitatum Brodiaea
Family Themidaceae
[Liliaceae]
Photo by Fred
Melgert
March 28, 2013
We walked the Pictograph trail today. Beautiful hike on a beautiful
day. The area is looking fairly green. Flowers are few and tiny, but
there is a lot of beauty in those tiny flowers if you bend down and take a
closer look.
Top Left :
Desert Rock Pea Acmispon
rigidus Legume
Family Fabaceae
Top Right :
Wallace’s
Woolly Daisy Eriophyllum
wallacei (white
variety—there is also a yellow one) Sunflower
Family Asteraceae
Left :
Fremont’s Pincushion Chaenactis
~fremontii Sunflower
FamilyAsteraceae
Bottom Right:
Common Phacelia Phacelia
distans Borage
Family
Boraginaceae
[Hydrophyllaceae]
Photos by Mike
McElhatton
March 27, 2013
Becky sends us this shot of a barrel cactus in bloom in the vicinity of Agua Caliente
as well as an Orcutt's Aster from the Fish Creek area.
Barrel Cactus Ferocactus
cylindraceus Cactus
Family Cactaceae
Photo by Becky
Orcutt’s Woody Aster Xylorhiza
orcuttii Sunflower
Family Asteraceae
Photo by Becky
March 27, 2013
If you want to see millions of gold-fields you can hike a part of the
Pacific Crest Trail. We started close to mile 1, on the S22, and went
north. It takes about 1 hour to reach the first large field of
gold-fields, but the temperature is much cooler here. This is also a hike
were you can find Our Lord's Candle, and they are blooming now. Also
very nice: baby blue eyes, silver puffs and bajada lupines. And you see
lots of ground-squirrels.
Fred and Carla
Goldfields Lasthenia
gracilis Sunflower
Family Asteraceae
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Silver Puffs Uropappus
lindleyi Sunflower
Family Asteraceae
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Baby Blue Eyes Nemophila
menziesii Borage
FamilyBoraginaceae
[Hydrophyllaceae]
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Miner’s Lettuce Claytonia
perfoliata Miner’s
Lettuce Family Montiaceae
[Portulacaceae]
Photo by Fred
Melgert
California Elegant Rock Cress Boechera
californica [Arabis
sparsiflora var. c.] Mustard
Family Brassicaceae
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Miniature Lupine Lupinus
bicolor Legume
Family Fabaceae Photo by Fred
Melgert
Chaparral Yucca Hesperoyucca
whipplei [Yucca
w.] Century
Plant Family Agavaceae Photo by Fred
Melgert
March 26, 2013
March 25, we did an excellent hike. Go to the S2 and park roadside at
about mile 14.3.
From the road you can see a thistle sage. Hike towards the mountains and
pick up the wash.
This is an easy hike. You can hike up to the Pacific Crest Trail or just
return whenever you want.
Along/in the wash you find fields of bigelow's monkey-flowers,
pincushions, wallace's woolly daisy and wild heliotrope.
You also find lots of filaree, lupine, fiddle-neck, chia, bluedicks,
desert bluebells and cream-cups.
About two dozens of wide-throated yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus brevipes) ,
one paintbrush and higher towards the mountains some interior golden-bush.
Fred and Carla
Thistle Sage Salvia carduacea Mint Family
Lamiaceae Photo by Fred
Melgert
Slender-lobed Four O’clock Mirabilis tenuiloba
Four O’clock Family Nyctaginaceae
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Wooly Paintbrush Castilleja foliolosa
Broomrape Family Orobanchaceae [Scrophulariaceae]
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Bigelow's Monkey Flower Mimulus bigelovii var. bigelovii
Lopseed Family Phrymaceae [Scrophulariaceae]
Photo by Fred
Melgert
Ground Pink Linanthus dianthiflorus Phlox Family Polemoniaceae
Photo by Fred
Melgert
March 25, 2013
A Celebration in RED!
Ocotillo is in splendid bloom in many places - absolutely brilliant
colors. Some of the brightest
reds seem to be along the south side of Highway 78 between the junction
with S3 (Borrego Springs Road) and Ocotillo Wells as well as on the west
side of Borrego Springs Road in Borrego Springs. The photos shown
below were taken on the outskirts of town, near the entrance to Glorietta
Canyon.
Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens ssp. splendens
Ocotillo
Family Fouquieriaceae
Ocotillo
Photos by Mike McElhatton
March 23, 2013
Hal and Joanne Cohen sent us these shots from the Crucifixion Thorn
Natural Area near the town of Ocotillo. They report that this
place is absolutely fabulous right now, with fields of prickly poppies.
Photos by Hal and Joanne Cohen - (top) Field of prickly
poppies Argemone minuta, (lower left) prickly poppies, (lower
right) Desert Fivespot Eremalche rotundiflora.
Never heard of the Crucifixion Thorn Natural
Area? From Interstate 8, take the Ocotillo exit. Proceed south to
the stop sign at the intersection of Highway S2 and Highway 98. Turn
left (east) on Highway 98. After approximately eight miles, turn right on
Coyote 2.
March 22, 2013
Along S22 you can find a lot of Dune Evening Primrose. Coming from Borrego
Springs, you find the most of them on the north side of S22, around
mile 23.1. But you have to come early, because these primroses close
their flowers when the temperature rises. Fred & Carla
Dune Evening Primrose Oenothera deltoides ssp. deltoides Evening Primrose
Family Onagraceae
Photo by Fred
Melgert
March 22, 2013
Marci reports a nice array of mixed flowers, easy to get to, in town, at
the junction of Lazy S and Big Horn. Flowers are popping up
in several areas in the north side of town, including the end of
DiGiorgio Road. Just scout around and see what you find.
Some photos from today - in and around Borrego Springs -
by Mike
McElhatton
Starting top left: Bigelow's Monkey Flower Mimulus bigelovii,
Top Right: Desert Chicory Rafinesquia neomexicana,
Bottom Left:
Desert Lily, Hesperocallis undulata,
Bottom Right: Sand
Verbena Abronia villosa var. villosa Four O’clock Family Nyctaginaceae
March 22, 2013
Fred and Carla hiked the No Return Canyon (Fish Creek area) today.
A good place to look for blooming cactus, we found dozens of blooming
barrels, beavertails and about a dozen of silver chollas.
The cheese bush, creosote and chuparosa are also beautiful blooming, but
the indigo bush here is splendid.
Also worth mentioning: some ghostflowers, sand blazing star, broadleaved
gilia, specter phacelia, bunches of parish's gold poppy and lots of
trailing windmills."
Specter Phacelia Phacelia pedicellata
Photo by Fred Melgert
Wild Heliotrope
Phacelia distans Boraginaceae [Hydrophyllaceae]
Photo by Fred Melgert
Climbing Milkweed
Sarcostemma cynanchoides ssp. hartweggii apocynaceae
Photo by Fred Melgert
March 22, 2013
Bill Sullivan says "In a remote state park canyon in the In-Ko-Pah
Mountains, Wolf's Cholla (Cylindropuntia wolfii), our only
red-flowered cholla, is starting to flower."
Another find was 50 or so Beautiful Woolly Sunflowers, Eriophyllum
ambiguum var. paleaceum Sunflower family, Asteraceae.
At the end of the tall branches of Newberry's Velvet Mallow, Horsefordia newberryi
Mallow family Malvaceae, we found golden flowers
...
March 21, 2013
Kate Harper, Adrienne Ballwey, Mike Crouse and Tom Chester report that
they botanized the Pacific Crest Trail north of Scissors Crossing on
Monday, 3/18/13, at elevations of 2200 to 2900 feet. They report
that they found it at the beginning of full bloom, such as it is this
year. Hence full bloom in the Borrego Desert, the northern part of ABDSP,
is now probably at 1000 to 2000 feet, they say, with 2000 to 2500 feet
entering full bloom on south-facing slopes.
 |
 |
 . |
|
Erodium citutarium |
Lupinus bicolor |
Malacothrix glabrata |
| Redstem Filaree |
Bicolor Lupine |
Desert Dandelion |
| Stock Photos |
On the drive in along S2, the San Felipe
Valley is actually a field of color in places, but unfortunately it is
due to the non-native erodium cicutarium. but it makes a pretty nice
field of color. (;-) and we even had to stop to make sure that was the
source of the color.
The s2 roadside itself is lined with the native lupinus bicolor in
full bloom |
On the drive from Borrego Springs along Yaqui Pass Road, Kate found that
the encelia farinosa, creosote and desert dandelion have popped in places,
with hundreds of plants in bloom. She reports that there is also a nice
display of the non-native baileya multiradiata in one spot in south
Borrego springs where it was either planted or escaped.
In our hike of the first 2 miles of the pct north of scissors crossing at
SR78, we recorded over 1,739 plants of 68 species in bloom. many of those
species are found in the area immediately east of S2, just north of SR78,
an easy stroll from the roadside.
The best blooms almost surely continue to be in the north-facing canyons
found on both the south side of Borrego Springs and along the south side
of SR78 east of scissors crossing, with walking required to pick up a lot
of plants in bloom. Due to the dry conditions of this year most of
the blooms are on very small plants, with few blooms per plant.
- Report from Tom Chester
March 21, 2013
There is a good variety of annual plants in bloom, and about to bloom, at
the end of DiGeorgio Road, just beyond the end of the paved road.
The plants are small due to the dryness of this season, but there are many
verbenas starting, brown-eyed evening primrose, spectacle pod, Spanish
needles, desert pin cushion, desert dandelion, and others. This area
should be looking good by the weekend. The best time to see the
flowers opened is mid morning, around 9:30 or so.
This area sometimes sees lots of visitors because it is close to Borrego
Springs and easy to reach; no hiking is required. If you go here,
and if you drive on the dirt road, please be aware that the sandy soils
and the flowers are easily damaged by parking or driving your vehicle
outside of the main travel route. Simply pulling over onto the side
of the road can destroy hundreds of flowers. So park carefully, walk
around, enjoy the flowers that you find, and keep them healthy for the
next person to see them.
March 21, 2013
This report from Kathy, who says that S22, between mile markers 35 - 38.5,
has lots of blooming creosote, ocotillo with blooms forming, lots of
brittlebush in bloom, and two areas with Lupine in bloom, a nice drive
from Borrego Springs. The geology of this area also makes for a
fascinating backdrop. There is an "Erosion Road" brochure available
free of charge that explains the geology. The brochure is available
from the ABDNHA Nature Center, one block west of Christmas Circle.
March 20, 2013
Several flower reports this morning. Desert dandelions along
roadsides in several places, with little gold poppies, patches of verbena
coming on, beavertail beginning to open up, barrel cactus now beginning to
bloom in some spots, desert willow leafing out. Chuparosa is a
brilliant red in some areas and Brittlebush a bright yellow.
Ocotillo also in bloom. This is not the carpet of flowers that is
seen in years with good rainfall but there are lots of flowers to be found
tucked in the washes and wherever the localized moisture level is good.
Several people suggest that peak bloom will likely take place over the
next week to ten days.
Some shots from yesterday and today
- March 20, 2013 bigelow's monkey flower, brittlebush, sand verbena.
Photos Mike McElhatton
March 20, 2013
Wow! Bill Benzel sends us this lily photo and report. Bill
says. "Desert Lily -- Coyote Canyon at the end of DiGiorgio Rd -- there
are several of them -- spotted yesterday around 10AM.
Desert Lily photo by Bill Benzel
March 19, 2013
Terri McElhatton sends this shot of a Beavertail in bloom and set to burst
into color with many buds. Photo taken in Borrego Springs.
March 18, 2013
This beautiful shot of a female Sonoran Blue Butterfly was sent to us
today by Frank Model. Photo was taken in Plum Canyon on March 11.
Thanks, Frank!
March 18, 2013
Carol Meetze sent this report from her trip to Big Spring:
Big Spring is an easy - moderate 1.6 mile hike across the Culp Valley area
up around mile marker 11.3 on the Montezuma Grade to Big Spring. The
directions for this hike can be found in Robin Halford's "Hiking in
Anza-Borrego Desert (over 100 Half-Day Hikes), her first book.
We saw flowers from the roadway all the way in to Big Spring and spotted
some different ones on the way back. We saw: blue dick, blue witch,
wishbone bush (white and pink), ground cherry, blue phacelia and desert
phacelia, desert tobacco, lupine, lotus, sun cup, pale primrose, desert
dandelion, fillaree, desert rock pea, CA primrose, checker fiddleneck,
fiesta flower, fish hook cactus, whispering bells, goldenbush,
brittlebush, Mojave yucca, goldfields, woolly daisy, rattlesnake weed and
chia. It was a beautiful day.
March 18, 2013
Today we hiked one of our favorite canyons: Canyon Sin Nombre.
Very pretty slot-canyons, with hiking trails on the top and excellent
views. The desert dandelions, lupines and sand-verbena's are doing well,
and we believe it is one of the best places for ocotillo's this year. It
is also a very good place to see blooming cactus. The barrels are here at
there peak, dozens of them are blooming.
The beavertail is also doing very well here, about a dozen in bloom. We
saw one golden cholla with an open flower.
Carla Hoegen
& Fred Melgert
Orcutt's Woody Aster
Photo by Fred Melgert
Yellowhead and Desert Chicory
Photo by Fred Melgert
Bristly Gilia
Photo by Fred Melgert
Barrel Cactus
Photo by Fred Melgert
March 17, 2013
Want to see lots of Desert Dandelions, one of Borrego's prettiest yellow
wildflowers? In the morning, when the flowers are open at their best,
drive to the end of Big Horn Road and Lazy S ---it looks just like the
last couple of years. Beautiful!
PROGRAM NOTE:
March 17, 2013
We hiked Mine Wash today. This is always a very nice wash to hike, even if
there are no wildflowers. Along the mine wash road you see fields of
desert dandelions. The mohave yucca's are beautiful blooming. In the
wash you don't find many wildflowers, but we hiked a wash west from the
mine wash, up to a saddle. Here you find beautiful patches of yellow
goldfields.
Mojave Yucca - Mine Wash
Photo by Fred Melgert
Goldfields - Mine Wash
Photo by Fred Melgert
March 16, 2013
Today we hiked the Henderson Canyon. We started early (08.15), because it
would be it hot day.
To our surprise the poppy's had already opened their flowers. This is an
easy hike, you can just hike the first part of the wash, or hike to the
end of the canyon (about 4 hours return). We found here some
blooming cactus: 5 blooming barrels and 4 blooming beaver tails.
In the first part you see many wildflowers, then they seem to reduce, but
after a short while they increase again. Lots of pygmy poppy, wild
heliotrope, desert dandelion, bigelow's monkey flower (some of them still
very small, don't step on them) trailing windmill, brown eyed evening
primrose, desert chicory, lupine, chia, popcorn flower, false mustard,
parish's gold poppy, bluebell, purple mat, lance leafed ditaxis, desert
pincushion, short wing deer weed.
Further in the wash/canyon you also find: desert apricot, parish's golden
eyes, desert rock pea, spectacle pod, white fiesta flower, fiddle neck,
fountain grass and rock crossosoma. The bigelow's monkey flowers are much
larger here and you find more parish's gold poppy's. Carla Hoegen
& Fred Melgert
Photos today from Henderson Canyon
Desert Dandelion, Lupine, Ocotillo
Photo by Fred Melgert
Rock Crossosoma
Photo by Fred Melgert
Beavertail Cactus
Photo by Fred Melgert
Spectacle Pod (seed pods)
Photo by Fred Melgert
Fountain Grass
Photo by Fred Melgert
Groundcherry (fruit) Photo
by Fred Melgert
Bigelow's monkeyflower
Photo by Fred Melgert
Wild Heliotrope
Photo by Fred Melgert
March 13, 2013
Let's take time for a Creosote moment!
Creosote Bush Larrea tridentata Photo by
Mike McElhatton
Generally overlooked because it is such a common plant in southwest
desert environments, the Creosote offers plenty of beauty if you look
closely at the delicate flowers and the fruits, and if you take in the
unique smell, which is something of an acquired taste that desert lovers
come to appreciate, a smell that hangs in the air after a desert rain and
signals to your brain that life is being renewed. It's a happy smell.
And like the plant itself, the story of the Creosote is a story with many
branches. There are complex stories that tell of the incredible
adaptations of this plant that permits it to thrive in it's harsh
environment, like the resinous leaves that help the plant hold on to all
the valuable water that it can, by slowing water loss through
transpiration.
And then there is the story of it's age. Some Creosote
bushes may be counted among the oldest plants in the world.
As the plant grows and the crown branches divide, the central branches
will slowly die, leaving the outer circle of the plant as the most
vigorous part. As this process continues over the years the plant
may assume a donut shape, with bare earth in the middle and a ring of
growth spread round the center.
Over hundreds or even thousands of years, this slow cloning of the
original plant will cause the circle to expand, to take on an elliptical
shape as different sections of the plant grow faster than others.
Some of these circles have been estimated to be more than 10,000 years
old, placing them as one of the oldest living plants on earth. Over
the years some of these clone circles have expanded so much that they are
not immediately recognizable for what they are; they appear to be
individual plants randomly growing across the desert floor.
March 13, 2013
This great photo of a desert lily was submitted today by Carla Hoegen and
Fred Melgert. They found it off to the side of the S22, between mile
posts 38 and 39. Absolutely beautiful flower!
Fred and Carla also explored Ella Wash today, and some side washes.
"Beautiful, easy to hike washes, but almost no wildflowers." they report.
Desert Lily Photo by Fred Melgert
March 13, 2013
This photo of California Fagonia, Fagonia laevis, was taken
earlier today by Bill Sullivan near the Mortero Wash Jeep Trail.
March 12, 2013
We went to the Oyster Shell Wash (Fish Creek Mountains). Along the Split
Mountain Road you see a lot of desert sand verbena and desert dandelions.
In the Fish Creek Wash we saw some desert sunflowers, asters, milk vetch
and ground cherry.
In the Oyster Shell Wash and side washes we saw a reasonable amount of
wildflowers and many of them are not yet blooming. Browneyed evening
primrose, notch leaved phacelia, bishop's lotus, desert tobacco, desert
hibiscus, fagonia, parish's gold poppy, lupine, false mustard, ghost
flowers, desert chicory, trailing windmills, popcorn flower, heart leaved
evening primrose, rock daisy, wishbone bush, desert lantern. Carla Hoegen and Fred Melgert.
Desert Chicory by Fred Melgert
Desert Lantern by Fred Melgert
March 11, 2013
We hiked the Bitter Creek Wash. This is a very nice wash, easy to hike.
There has been a fire here, but it didn't affect the wildflowers.
Lots and lots of wildflowers here, most of them on the right side, on a
bank.
Filaree, pale yellow sun cup, ground cherry, chia, pygmy poppy, desert
bluebells, white fiesta flower, brown-eyed evening primrose, wild
heliotrope, shortwing deerweed, san felipe dogweed, false mustard.
Beautiful chuparosa, flowering Parish's golden eyes end even a lot of
brittle bush are here blooming.
Further up in the canyon you will find rock daisy, desert tobacco, wishbone
bush and sow thistle.
Two miles further is the Angelina Spring. Not so many wildflowers here.
Filaree, fiddleneck, wild heliotrope, 1 apricot mallow. But lots of wild
cucumber, the sweet smell is overwhelming. Carla Hoegen and Fred Melgert
Wild Cucumber by Fred Melgert
Brown-eyed Evening Primrose by Fred Melgert
March 10, 2013
We hiked the Hornblende Canyon today. A few fiddlenecks, lots of filaree
and 2 desert bluebells.
We found much more wildflowers on the Granite Mine Road. Lots of
fiddleneck and filaree, some chia, whispering bells, desert pincushions,
popcornflowers. - Carla Hoegen and Fred Melgert
March 10, 2013
This program note is posted here because it may be of interest to the
readers of this page.
March 10, 2013
There are lots of desert marigolds along both sides of Yaqui Pass Road
leading up to Rams Hill.- TM
Desert Marigolds Photo by Mike McElhatton
March 9, 2013 From Carla Hoegen and Fred Melgert - We hiked the
Smoke tree Wash.
We saw lots of Parish's Gold Poppy here. Not in big patches, but
individual or in small patches.
Also we found some pygmy poppy, trailing windmills, popcorn flowers, notch
leaved phacelia, brown eyed evening primrose, desert rock pea, false
mustard. One flower from the desert hibiscus was already blooming.
Also we saw a beautiful blooming shrub, rock crossosoma.
Rock Crossosoma Crossosoma bigelovii Smoke Tree Wash by Fred
Melgert
Notch-leaf Phacelia Phacelia crenulata Smoke Tree Wash by Fred
Melgert
March 9, 2013
Although not specifically a flower photo, the following beautiful and
intriguing image of dendritic fine mud cracks was sent to us by Tom
Chester, -
www.tchester.org. The image was San Felipe Creek on March 1,
2013.
Tom comments: There was a channel with mud in the creek bed, which had the
usual large polygonal cracks seen when mud dries. but in one ~6 foot long
portion next to the south bank, in some shade under an acacia or similar,
the mud had dendritic fine-scale cracks. Note that while the vast majority
of the fine scale cracks connect to other cracks in a branching pattern,
some of them do not connect to anything. There was no debris on the cracks
now, and these fine scale cracks don't really look like they could be
caused by anything from nearby trees or shrubs. It is possible that slower
drying in the shade might have something to do with it.
March 6, 2013
From Fred Melgert & Carla Hoegen - We hiked a nameless wash on Hwy 78, at mile
83.4. Coming from the from Borrego Springs Road, turn right at Hwy 78. There is a
curve in the road. A little further, after a call box, you see a parking
spot on your left-hand side.
This is really a beautiful wash. Even if you don't want to do a long hike
this wash is perfect.
Don't come too early (after 10.00 AM is OK) or on a cloudy day, because
the poppy's close their flowers at night.
After you parked your car, look to left. From the parking you can see a
bank full of parish's gold poppy, lupine, some ghost flowers, some
bigelow's monkey flowers, some brown eyed evening primrose, some ground
cherry and some wild heliotrope.
The chuparosa here is also beautiful.
If you want to hike further you will find: pygmy poppy, filaree, wishbone
bush, trailing windmill, popcorn flower, beetle spurge, 3 flowering trixis
and 1 flowering jojoba. |
