Elephant Trees Area


Elephant Tree, Bursera microphylla
Burseraceae

The area in and around the Elephant Trees Nature Trail was big news in the wildflower season of 2010. The diversity of plant species was remarkable. While many parts of Anza-Borrego received generous amounts of rain in the weeks before blooming, this area, an alluvial fan with rocky, sandy soil, benefited not only from rain but also from warm temperatures and its low elevation.

* * *

A word about the Elephant Tree. There is only one to be seen on the Elephant Trees Nature Trail. However, in 2010, Tom Chester and Mike Crouse counted 63 Elephant Trees in the 3-mile area from the Elephant Trees Nature Trail southwest to Starfish Cove at the head of Alma Wash.

Elephant Trees can also be seen in Torote Bowl in the Mountain Palm Springs area, and in Torote Canyon which is reached from Indian Gorge. Both places are off of County Road S-2 in the southern part of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

In addition, Chester, Crouse, and Mike Adams observed Elephant Trees as recently as 2009 in the Santa Rosa Mountains, in a steep, remote area above Clark Dry Lake. Marjorie Cleary is credited with the northernmost discovery of Elephant Trees, in Martinez Canyon in Riverside County in 1939.

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The Elephant Trees Nature Trail is in the Lower Borrego Valley and is reached by going 6 miles south from Ocotillo Wells on Split Mountain Road. While the trail is less than a mile long, the area extends nearly three miles southwest up Alma Wash to Starfish Cove in the Vallecito Mountains. In February and March of 2010, ABDNHA Members Mike Crouse, Michael Charters, and Tom Chester found more than 90 different species in bloom in this area.

For us, it all began with an early-morning visit in March 2009. Thoughts of such plants as Ocotillo and Desert Lily in bloom at that time prompted us to keep an eye on the place.


Ocotillo, Fouqueria splendens var. splendens
Fouqueriaceae
21 March 2009


Desert-Lily, Hesperocallis undulata
Agavaceae
21 March 2009

Note on the Desert-Lily: This plant is a member of the Agave family.


7 January 2010 — We returned to find a few flowers. Honeybees were busy on the Desert Lavender.


Chuparosa, Justicia californica
Acanthacaceae


Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa
Asteraceae


Desert Lavender (Hyptis emoryi) with Honeybee
Lamiaceae


Desert-Lavender, (Hyptis emoryi)
Lamiaceae


Greene's Ground-Cherry, Physalis crassifolia
Solanaceae


24 January 2010 — The buzzing continued.


Honeybee on Desert Lavender, Hyptis emoryi
Lamiaceae


3 February 2010 — This was starting to look like a serious bloom.


Cheesebush, Ambrosia Salsola var. Salsola
Asteraceae


Cheesebush, Ambrosia Salsola var. Salsola
Asteraceae


Emory's Rock Daisy, Perityle Emoryi
Asteraceae


Narrow-Leaf Cryptantha, Cryptantha angustifolia
Boraginaceae


Narrow-Leaf Cryptantha, Cryptantha angustifolia
Boraginaceae


Fish-Hook Cactus, Mammillaria diocia
Cactaceae


Fish-Hook Cactus, Mammillaria diocia
Cactaceae


Soft Prairie-Clover, Dalea mollissima
Fabaceae


Soft Prairie-Clover, Dalea mollissima
Fabaceae


Indigo Bush, Psorothamnus schottii
Fabaceae


Wild-Heliotrope, Phacelia distans
Hydrophyllaceae


Wild-Heliotrope, Phacelia distans
Hydrophyllaceae


Desert Trumpet, Eriogonum inflatum
Polygonaceae


Desert Trumpet, Eriogonum inflatum
Polygonaceae


12 February 2010


Indigo Bush (Psorothamnus schottii)
Fabaceae


Trailing Windmills (Allionia incarnata)
Nyctaginaceae


Long-Lobe Four O'Clock (Mirabilis tenuiloba
Nyctaginaceae


22 February 2010


Cheesebush, Ambrosia salsola var. salsola
Asteraceae


Peirson's Brown-Eyed Evening-Primrose,
Camissonia Claviformis
var. Peirsonii
Onagraceae

Note on the Evening-Primrose: We usually see this plant with yellow flowers in the southern desert and with white or pink flowers in and around the Borrego Valley. It was interesting to see both colors in this area, which is about half way between south and north.


Wild-Heliotrope, Phacelia distans
Hydrophyllaceae
Dwarf Pygmy-Poppy, Eschscholzia minutiflora
Papaveraceae


Trailing Windmills, Allonia incarnata
Nyctaginaceae


Greene's Ground-Cherry, Physalis crassifolia
Solanaceae


Burro-Weed, Ambrosia dumosa
Asteraceae


Creosote Bush, larrea tridentata
Zygophyllaceae


2 March 2010 — Flowers all over, including at least three species of cactus and Desert Five-spot.


Mohave Desert Star or Belly Flower,
Monoptilon belliodes
Asteraceae


Silver Cholla, Cylindropuntia echinocarpa
Cactaceae


Silver Cholla, Cylindropuntia echinocarpa
Cactaceae


Barrel Cactus, Ferocactus Cylindraceus
Cactaceae


Barrel Cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus
Cactaceae


Barrel Cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus
Cactaceae


Barrel Cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus
Cactaceae


Fish-Hook Cactus, Mammillaria dioica
Cactaceae


Beavertail, Opuntia basilaris
Cactaceae


Beavertail, Opuntia basilaris
Cactaceae


Desert Five-Spot, Eremalche rotundiflora
Malvaceae


10 March 2010


Desert Silverbush, Ditaxis lanceolata
Euphorbiaceae


26 March 2010 — Just when we thought we'd seen it all ...


Brittlebush, Encelia Farinosa
Asteraceae


Emory's Rock Daisy, Perityle Emoryi
Asteraceae


Emory's Rock Daisy, Perityle Emoryi
Asteraceae


Emory's Rock Daisy, Perityle Emoryi
Asteraceae


Desert Lavender, Hyptis Emoryi
Lamiaceae

The Honeybees have gone. The silence is deafening.

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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