Wildflowers: Winter in Anza-Borrego

Spiny Senna, Bow Willow, 20 March 2009

March 28, 2009 – Spiny Senna, a Plant to Look for Now – When you walk or drive past it, you may think it's a Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) but with flowers a much deeper shade of yellow. Stop and take another look. Brittlebush flowers have as many as 21 straight and narrow petals. This shrub has only 5, and they are nicely curved. This shrub may grow brown bean-like buds, while Brittlebush doesn't. If you look closely, its narrow green branches grow spines which, although easy to bend, are pointed at the end.

The plant is Spiny Senna, a Fabaceae or member of the Legume Family (hence, the bean-like buds). The spines are the reason for its scientific name, Senna armata. Spiny Senna blossoms from spring into summer, starting in March or April. This year it's been more in evidence that it has in several years. Look for it along the Borrego Valley Road southeast of Borrego Springs, off Highway 78 at the start of the Pinyon Wash Jeep Trail, along the Mine Wash Jeep Trail, across Mescal Bajada, in Yaqui Meadows (on the way to Glorietta Canyon), and in the southern desert in Indian Valley and Bow Willow. If you like good rich colors, you will love Spiny Senna.

March 19, 2009 – The good blooms aren't over. Much of the focus has moved to the west-side canyons and into the mountains. In Borrego Springs, Little Surprise Canyon, Borrego Palm Canyon, and Henderson Canyon are among the places to go now. And also, watch the flow of the flowers up the Montezuma Grade toward Culp Valley and the chaparral.

But that's not all. Within walking distance of the Borrego Desert Nature Center (where you can stop and ask for a free "What's Bloomin' in Borrego" report) are fields of Desert Dandelions behind the post office on the way to the churches. Plants like Desert Velvet or Turtleback (Psathyrotes ramosissima) and the white belly-flower Desert Star (Monoptilon bellioides) are to be seen near the church parking lot.

A drive south on Borrego Springs Road takes you past more Desert Dandelions. Stopping at the Tamarisk Grove Campground, you'll find hillsides full of Gold Poppies when you walk the Cactus Loop trail or the Yaqui Well trail. The latter is especially notable for its Fish-hook Cactus (Mammillaria dioicia). If you are looking for Desert Dandelions or Gold (or Dwarf-gold) Poppies, it's best to go out in mid-day when the flowers open to the sun.

In the drier areas like Clark Valley, the Lower Borrego Valley (the Cactus Garden), and Mountain Palm Springs, cactus flowers are starting to appear. Beavertail (Opuntia basilaris), if not in flower is certainly in bud. The Gander's Cholla (Cylindropuntia ganderi) is starting to show its yellow-green flowers with tips of rose. The Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus) you see may be wearing a crown of yellow flowers and buds. The seldom seen Yaqui Mammillaria Fish-hook Cactus (Mammillaria tetrancistra) is displaying its bright red fruit. In the southern desert, the warm red flowers of Wolf's Cholla (Cylindropuntia wolfii) are appearing along Jojoba Wash.

And in case you missed the Desert Lily invasion in Borrego Valley, we found some of these spectacular and sweet-smelling plants still in good bloom on the way to Palm Spring (that's our Palm Spring in the southern desert near Canebrake, not THE Palm Springs) the other day. Some Sand Verbena was also hanging on.

March 16, 2009 – ABDNHA member Tom Chester notes: "The annual bloom on the desert floor could come to a sudden end the week of March 17. Temperatures are predicted to be consistently in the mid-80s, which is usually the signal for annuals to immediately stop blooming and concentrate on maturing their seeds. This is similar to what happened last year, when heat arrived in mid-March, and quickly ended the bloom, with most annuals almost completely finished blooming by 1 April. The canyons on the west side, and higher elevations, will probably not be as affected by this heat, and will continue to have good blooms for at least a few weeks." Tom has updated his Borrego Blooms Report.

March 15, 2009 – Visit these links to photographs by the talented photographer and ABDNHA member Michael Charters: Clark Valley and Borrego Palm Canyon — Little Surprise Canyon to the County Line — Borrego Badlands.

March 14, 2009 – Driving through some of the broad meadows of Borrego Valley and Lower Borrego Valley this week, we couldn't help but notice several fields full of bright yellow Desert Dandelions. Stopping to look closely, we've noticed the white flowers of Desert Pincushion and Desert Chicory are usually there with them. And of course, the landscape is dotted with shrubs such as Creosote Bush (with bright yellow flowers) and White Bur-Sage (or Burro-Weed, with tiny flowers a soft yellow), the two most common shrubs in the desert. Other shrubs often seen in flower right now include Cheesebush and Ocotillo.

On walks in desert washes, we're noticing such favorites as the tiny Bigelow Monkey Flower. The creamy Ghost Flower is popping up in rocky places. Low shrubs like Wishbone Bush and California Fagonia (photo below) are commonly seen in a variety of places. If you're a trivia buff, you may want to know that California Fagonia and Creosote Bush are our desert's only members of the caltrop family, or Zygophyllaceae.

And did we mention that the cactus is starting to bloom? Look for Barrel Cactus to be wearing a crown of yellow flowers and fruit, and Beavertail Cactus to topped with bright red. The cholla with the smallish yellow flowers and the stems reaching skyward likely is Gander's Cholla.

When in Borrego Springs, be sure to stop at the ABDNHA Borrego Desert Nature Center at 652 Palm Canyon Drive just west of Christmas Circle and ask for a free copy of "What's Blooming Where?" which is updated every Friday.

California Fagonia (Fagonia laevis), Zygophyllaceae

March 4, 2009 – The roads to Borrego Springs are lined with gold! If you've been waiting for the right weekend to drive out to see the flowers, this could be the weekend to do it. Come in on S-22 from the east via the Borrego-Salton Seaway, and you are greeted by the golden flowers of Desert Sunflower and Brittlebush by the roadside. Come in from the west via the Montezuma Valley Road, and the gold starts at mile 11.5. As you descend into the desert, you'll see the golden flowers of Brittlebush, Creosote, and the desert's own Gold Poppy (Eschscholzia parishii).For the best (and easiest) viewing from your car, or within a few yards of your car if you park, look to the open lots and fields in Borrego Springs. Or, drive east through town on S-22, past the airport. The flower show starts as you pass mile marker 25, with Coyote Mountain in front of you. As you near the mountain, turn left at Henderson Canyon Road and keep your eyes open for fields of flowers that are the stuff of picture postcards – golden Desert Sunflower and the fragrant, ground-hugging Sand Verbena. Flowers to look for here – photos.

After you drive past the flowers on Henderson Canyon Road, you may: 1) Turn north at DiGiorgio Road and look for more flowers in Coyote Canyon, 2) Drive west on Henderson Canyon Road to where it turns south into Borrego Springs Road, but turn north here onto a bumpy dirt road (instead of making the turn south) and explore Henderson Canyon, or 3) Follow Borrego Springs Road back to Christmas Circle.

March 3, 2009 – Coyote Canyon, particularly between the First Crossing and Second Crossing is covered with spreads of white and yellow flowers. Sometimes the white is provided by Peirson's Brown-eyed Primrose (Camissonia claviformis var. peirsonii), sometimes by Desert Pincushion (usually Chaenactis fremontii but sometimes C. stevioides or C. carphoclinia). The yellow is Desert Dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata). Sometimes the fragrant white flowers of Desert Lily (Hesperocallis undulata) raise their heads. Occasionally, a Chuparosa bush (Justcia californica) or Sand Verbena (Abronia villosa) plant adds its distinctive shade of red.

It's a great show that begins at Desert Gardens, a mile-long stretch of slightly elevated terrain at the base of the mountains. Desert Gardens starts two miles north of the end of the DiGiorgio Road blacktop and is accessed by the Coyote Canyon Jeep Trail. Unless the ground is muddy, it's safe to drive this far in an ordinary passenger car. Photos. From Desert Gardens to Second Crossing, a few boulders in the road make a high clearance vehicle the best advice. You should only drive past Second Crossing with 4WD.

If you're up for a hike, it's about a mile and a half from the north edge of Desert Gardens to Second Crossing. If that is too ambitious, do your exploring in Desert Gardens where the plant life includes plenty of the usual desert plants like cactus (numerous species – we saw our first Barrel Cactus in bloom here today), Ocotillo, Cheesebush, and Burro-Weed (also known as White Bur-Sage), and also lots of Wishbone Plant, a low shrub with leaves a distinctive bright green and flowers that are usually white but sometimes pink. Just northwest of Desert Gardens, the large long area full of Ocotillo (and with lots of Desert Pincushion on the ground) is known as Ocotillo Flat. It should be worth a look, especially if you come across a little Fish-Hook Cactus, which usually grow in clusters. See Coyote Canyon flowers.

Desert Sunflower (Geraea canescens) Asteraceae
Henderson Canyon Road near Coyote Mountain, 24 February 2009

March 2, 2009 – Several reports have turned up that the Desert Sunflower (Geraea canescens) is out in force near the east of Henderson Canyon Road by the base of Coyote Mountain. Photos from Henderson Canyon Road and nearby Coyote Canyon.

February 24, 2009 – Tom Chester and two others stopped at Coachwhip Canyon today. Tom writes: "We were greeted by flowers lining the road! There were so many species that it took us 1 hour and 10 minutes to explore the area within 200 feet of where we parked. Nearly all of the species were in bloom, which sure makes identifications easier.

"Fortunately, Dave Stith wandered a bit farther east to a hill 200 feet from the car that turned out to be a mudhill from the Badlands formation, a very different rock from the sandstone and conglomerate in the rest of this canyon. To my complete shock, Dave found "desert red maids," aka "Dead Man's Fingers," Calandrinia ambigua, there! I had never seen that species before the last trip, and now here it was again."

See Tom's 2008-2009 Borrego Desert Blooms Report.

February 24, 2009 – The best place to see large quantities of Sand Verbena (Abronia villosa) is beside Henderson Canyon Road between the Pegleg Monument and the west slope of Coyote Mountain. There are nice quantities of bright white Dune Evening Primrose (Oenothera deltoides var. deltoides) here and also beside Pegleg Road (S-22) north of mile 24.

The good plant most often seen in and around Borrego Valley right now is Wild Heliotrope (Phacelia distans). The bad non-native plant most often seen is Asian Mustard (Brassica tournafortii).

The good plant next most often seen is Desert Dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata). Also in the running is Spectacle Pod (Dithyrea Californica) which, like Asian Mustard, is a Brassicaceae, a member of the Mustard family. Spectacle Pod is a native.

The next plant likely to be seen in flower in and around Borrego Valley this year is Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa). Brittlebush flowers are just starting to appear in force along the Montezuma Valley Road (County Road S-22) between mile 13.5 and mile 15, and also along Henderson Canyon Road near the Pegleg Monument.

In Coyote Canyon, if you start walking west at the Desert Trail signpost (on the Coyote Canyon Jeep Trail 1.5 miles north of the end of the DiGiorgio Road blacktop) you may encounter Dune Evening Primrose that is pink and white, and Spectacle Pod that is blue and white.

For a nice little walk right now, try Little Surprise Canyon. For an easy drive from Borrego Springs, drive east on Palm Canyon Drive past the airport, then north on Pegleg Road, and return on Henderson Canyon Road, or just drive north on DiGiorgio Road and explore Coyote Canyon. For a longer drive, continue past the Henderson Valley Road turnoff to the Rockhouse Canyon Road. Unless the road is muddy, you should be able to drive the first five miles without four-wheel drive.

Shell Canyon Road, Ocotillo, 19 Feb. 2009

February 19, 2009 – Quite spectacular are the lemon yellow Brown-eyed Primroses in the town of Ocotillo and blue Wild Heliotropes in the Cactus Garden in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

In Ocotillo and vicinity, the Brown-eyed Primrose (Camissonia claviformis var. peirsonii) is definitely the flower of the moment. It's everywhere along the roadways. When the same flowers are seen in Borrego Valley, they are usually white, sometimes a pale pink.

The drive on Shell Canyon Road toward the canyon for which it is named in the Coyote Mountains was especially rewarding. In the photograph above, Brown-eyed Primrose is seen with Sand Verbena (Abronia villosa) and Desert Lily (Hespercallis undulata), two plants notable for their fragrance. Shell Canyon, which is also known as Fossil Canyon and Alverson Canyon, is home to dozens of Desert Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpina virgata), a most colorful shrub and member of the legume family. Shell Canyon Photos.

Ocotillo is the southern terminus of County Road S-2, near Interstate-8. There is one stop sign on S-2 at the northwest edge of Ocotillo at Shell Canyon Road. Following Shell Canyon Road eastward toward the Coyote Mountains, you pass under a tall, high-voltage power line. The dirt road into the canyon area is one tenth of a mile past the power line.

The Cactus Garden is all about mise en scene. Located below the northeast slope of the Vallecito Mountains, along the mile-long road to Harper Canyon off Old Kane Spring Road three miles south of Highway 78, it is a rock garden dotted with Catclaw and Ironwood trees, Ocotillo, and millions of cacti. It's a beautiful setting for a wildflower show, and the Wild Heliotropes (Phacelia distans) seem to know it. They grow tall and dense, usually under a tree. Cactus Garden Photos.

February 10, 2009 – Rain comes to Borrego Springs! According to the National Weather Service, 0.72 inches of rain fell in Borrego Springs yesterday, a goodly quantity. And you can sure that similarly welcome amounts fell elsewhee in the desert. Great news for flowers!

February 6, 2009 – At the Borrego Springs entrance to Coyote Canyon at the head of DiGiorgio Road, the Spectacle Pods are blooming in great numbers. Borrego's blooming for 2009 has officlaly begun. We also noticed the flowers of Sand Verbena, Brown-eyed Evening Primrose, and Spanish Needles. A few Desert Dandelions were blooming here and there, promising more to come.

Up near the First Crossing of Coyote Creek the Wild Heliotrope is starting to flower. A lone Chuparosa had a plenitude of red flowers. Lots of buds on the Cheesebush means lots of flowers soon.

January 26, 2009 – A flower here and a flower there, the flowers are starting to appear. No vast displays, but occasional bunches such as along Highway 78 through Mescal Bajada where the roadside is dotted with bunches of red Chuparosa flowers, and in Sentenac Canyon where bunches of yellow Bladderpod flowers want to take a motorist's eye off the road. But in most places, the flowers are one by one.

After a trip to Butler Canyon, botanist Tom Chester reports: "The annuals are popping! Much to our surprise, in Butler Canyon we came across the first blooms of common phacelia, (Phacelia distans), small-flowered poppy (Eschscholzia minutiflora), and even the first FRUIT of curvenut combseed (Pectocarya recurvata) ... and buds on perennials and shrubs like cheesebush (Hymenoclea salsola) and rambling milkweed (Sarcostemma hirtellum). Many annual species will have their first blooms within weeks ... Not coincidentally, insects were out as well. Butterflies were mobbing a desert-thorn (Lycium brevipes) at Clark Lake." See Tom's full report and photographs by Michael Charters.

Photo of a Fish-hook cactus starting to flower in the Cactus Garden, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, 25 January 2009
Fish-Hook Cactus Starting to Flower, 25 Jan. 2009

January 15, 2009 – No doubt about it, there is plenty of green in the desert and the surrounding mountains. There are red flowers on the Chuparosa. Desert Lily leaves are sprouting up from the ground, with fragrant white flowers sure to follow. But in many desert fields, and along the Borrego-Salton Seaway roadside, it's the Brassica tournefortii weed that is seen in the greatest numbers. This is the villain that makes life almost impossible for the little annuals most people enjoy like Sand Verbena (Abronia villosa), and various members of the Sunflower (Asteraceae) and Evening-Primrose (Onagraceae) families.

But there is plenty of promise for good flowers where the B. tournefortii doesn't appear. Henderson Canyon, Borrego Palm Canyon, the Montezuma Valley Road, and canyons and valleys of the southern desert seem like good bets. Look for the north-facing hillsides that get the least sun, and don't overlook the north-facing sides of the Vallecito and Fish Creek mountains.

Driving the Montezuma Valley Road the other afternoon, we stopped to admire the pale flowers of a Desert Hibiscus (Hibiscus denudatus). We walked past a Rush Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea), and it too was showing a few blossoms, yellow ones. For flower fanciers, there is hope.

There is hope for flowers, that is,unless La Niña rains on the parade. That's just a figure of speech, of course. When La Niña enters the picture, there is no rain, and that's a problem if you like your flowers. According to a page one article in the San Diego Union for January 6, there are meteorologists who believe the rains we saw in November and December are going to be gone with the wind in what should be the real wet months of January, February, and March.

You could argue that the non-rains of La Niña come, or don't come, from the northwest while our desert gets rain not only from the northwest but also from the Gulf of Mexico.

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If you missed the show last year, here are a few photos.

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In case you missed the reports, a Thanksgiving Day storm brought just over half an inch of rain to San Felipe and Agua Caliente, and over a third of an inch to Borrego Springs. Over the following weeks, plants like Ocotillo, Brittlebush, and even Cholla started turning green. The Chuparosa was starting to bloom, some of it yellow.

During the 10 days before Christmas, Borrego Springs enjoyed over two inches of the wet stuff, with more rain and even snow in the outlying areas.

Residents looked to the mountains and saw snow down at the 2,000-foot level. Everybody's favorite peaks – Toro, Rabbit, Villager, Volcan, Granite, Whale, Sombrero – were nicely covered with white.

As one flower-fancier exclaimed: "This is the best Christmas present I could have hoped for."