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Wildflowers: Autumn in Anza-Borrego
7 November 2011 - Tom Chester led a survey of plants in bloom down the Montezuma Grade and up Coyote Creek to Lower Willows. He reports "an amazing" 666 plants of 47 species, which beats any of his lists in 2010 and 2011 at this time of year, or at slightly later times of year. The Elephant Trees area on 12/1/09 had more plants, 1073, but only 39 species.
Plants seen most in bloom were Horseweed, Desert Dicoria, Tall Buckwheat, Sandpaper Plant, Desert Trumpet, Mule-Fat, Spanish Needles, and Dodder.
Honeybee and California Croton, Croton californicus
Euphorbiaceae
20 October 2011 - There are plenty of green leaves and buds and some mostly small flowers on the desert shrubs. Just ask the bees. Buds and small flowers are attracting bees to California Croton in Clark Valley, Arizona Honeysweet by Highway 78 in Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area, Desert Dicoria in the Borrego Valley, and Big Sagebrush by the Montezuma Valley Road near the Jasper Trail. The bees are so busy they hardly stop beating their wings to pose for a picture.
Amid all the greenery, we found a favorite blue flower, Sapphire Woolly-Star, near the Big Sagebrush by the Montezuma Valley Road.
Sapphire Woolly-Star, Eriastrum sapphirinum
Polemoniaceae
Details and photos: California Croton, Arizona Honeysweet, Desert Dicoria, Big Sagebrush, Sapphire Woolly-Star.
Trailing Windmills, Allonia incarnata
Nyctaginaceae
11 October 2011 - Summer is fading. The nights are cool enough for sleeping, the mornings great for walking, and flowers are starting to appear. What greater way to begin the season than to be greeted by a stand of tall Great Marsh Evening Primrose beside Coyote Creek at Second Crossing, just past the gaging station! Surrounding the bright yellow flowers are hundreds of flowering Mule Fat plants (also known as Water-Wally), taking advantage of the water in the creek, which is rushing down the valley to well below First Crossing.
Further along, a Desert Willow tree (a summer bloomer) is still heavy with flowers, bees are buzzing over the first flowers of Bladderpod (which a hummingbird also stops to visit), while Bur-Sage, Four-Wing Saltbush, Datura, Trailing Windmills, and Spanish Needles are all in flower. Walks on both sides of the creek are accompanied by birds, most of whom remained too deep in the shrubbery to be seen. Coveys of quail left their tracks in a few patches of sandy soil, however.
If you drive the Montezuma Valley Road through Culp Valley, you can't help but notice all the Tall Buckwheat by the side of the road. There are flowers of pink, white, and light blue growing in clusters, well separated on the narrow reddish branches. To appreciate these plants, you'll have to park and walk, which shouldn't be far. Bring a magnifying glass if you can. This plant and its flowers are well worth a close look.
Tall Buckwheat, Eriogonum elongatum var. elongatum
Details and photos: Great Marsh Evening Primrose. Mule Fat. Desert Willow. Bladderpod. Bur-Sage. Four-Wing Saltbush. Datura. Trailing Windmills. Spanish Needles. Tall Buckwheat.
Should you wander into Willow and Mule Fat country below 6,000 feet, you may appreciate this guide by Tom Chester and Jane Strong.
Mono Butterweed, Senecio flaccidus var. monoensis
Culp Valley
2 October 2011 - They are few and far between, but they are flowers, mostly bright yellow flowers of the Sunflower family. Along the Montezuma Valley Road around Culp Valley, we noted Mono Butterweed, Parish's Golden Eyes, and Sweetbush, in addition to Sand Mat (Spurge family), Coyote Melon (Gourd Family), Tall Buckwheat (Buckwheat Family), and the non-native Puncture Vine (Caltrop family). In the southern desert near Dos Cabezas, we noticed the first buds of the season on Boundary Goldenbush (Sunflower family).
Details and photos. Parish's Golden Eyes, Sweetbush, Boundary Goldenbush.
Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association
P O BOX 310 ( 652 Palm Canyon Drive) Borrego Springs, CA 92004-0310
Office 760-767-3052 | Desert Store & Nature Center 760-767-3098 | FAX 760-767-3099