Palm Canyon Brittlebush
This brittlebush photo, at dawn in Palm Canyon in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, was one of only a handful of desert wildflower photos I made last year. It is raining again, the second bout of rain the coast of Southern California has received this week. This is on the heels of much rain earlier in the winter. The pattern of precipitation that we have received this winter — lots of rain in early and mid-winter, followed by a few more lighter storms in Jan/Feb/Mar — oftens sets up a great desert wildflower bloom. It is no guarantee of course, just favorable conditions and increased odds. Importantly, unlike the front that came through earlier in the week, yesterday and last night’s system had enough push to get over the mountains and reach the desert. It could provide that last bit of moisture that the sprouting seeds and young plants need to reach maturity and spread out, which should really help the bloom this year. I’ve got my fingers crossed and am hoping to squeeze out a day or two to take a look for flowers soon and make a visit to my favorite desert wildflower spots.
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| Brittlebush at sunrise, dawn, springtime bloom, Palm Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Image ID: 24301 Species: Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA |
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| Cholla cactus, sunrise, dawn, Palm Canyon, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Image ID: 24305 Species: Cholla cactus, Opuntia Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA |
Henderson Canyon Road Dune Evening Primrose
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 20' 27.95" N, Longitude: 116° 21' 55.97" W, Coord: 33.3411°, -116.36555°
Filed under: Desert, Wildflowers on 2/16/2011
Its raining now. If the deserts to the east of us get some of this moisture, it should bode very well for the wildflower season. We received a lot of rain in November and December. When this occurs, typically all that is needed is another moderate rain or two in January or February to really make the desert wildflower bloom flourish. I’ve got my fingers crossed.
This is a cluster of dune evening primrose, my favorite desert wildflower. This was made along Henderson Canyon Road in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. It is quite possible that we will never see such displays on Henderson Canyon Road again, due to the recent spreading of invasive Saharan mustard that is unfortunately now carpeting much of the state park. Henderson Canyon Road used to be one of the “go to” places to see spectacular wildflower displays in Anza Borrego. I suspect those days are over.
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| Dune primrose blooms in spring following winter rains. Dune primrose is a common ephemeral wildflower on the Colorado Desert, growing on dunes. Its blooms open in the evening and last through midmorning. Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Image ID: 20467 Species: Dune primrose, Oenothera deltoides Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA |
Eureka Valley Dune Grass, Swallenia alexandrae
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 37° 6' 17.64" N, Longitude: 117° 40' 30.79" W, Coord: 37.1049°, -117.67522°
Filed under: California, Death Valley, Desert, Flora, National Parks on 6/10/2010
Stock photos of the Eureka Valley Dune Grass, Swallenia alexandrae, in Death Valley National Park.
The Eureka Valley Dune Grass (Swallenia alexandrae) is a federally endangered grass found only in the Eureka Valley, in the far northern reaches of Death Valley National Park. Swallenia is a monotypic genus, consisting only of the one species alexandrae. The grass is a rhizome, forming horizontal stems that spread laterally underneath the sand, producing new roots and shoots that lead to a tufted aggregation of the plant. This perennial grass grows on the slopes of the Eureka Valley Sand Dunes. In the past its survival was threatened by off-road vehicles, which were prohibited by BLM in the Eureka Valley in 1976 with enforcement effectively beginning in 1980. The area became part of Death Valley National Park in 1994. We found a number of small tufts of Eureka Valley Dune Grass on the dunes. This one depicts the Last Chance Mountain Range in the background, viewed from the north end of the dunes.
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| Eureka dune grass, and rare and federally endangered species of grass endemic to the Eureka Valley and Eureka Sand Dunes. The Last Chance mountains, lit by sunset, as visible in the distance. Swallenia alexandrae, a perennial grass, grows only in the southern portion of Eureka Valley Sand Dunes, in Inyo County, California. Image ID: 25358 Species: Eureka Valley dune grass, Eureka dunegrass, Swallenia alexandrae Location: Eureka Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California, USA |
The Eureka Valley Sand Dunes are home to another notable and imperiled plant species, which I blogged about recently: the Eureka Valley Evening Primrose (Oenothera californica eurekensis)
Eureka Valley Evening Primrose, Oenothera californica eurekensis
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 17' 47.79" N, Longitude: 117° 39' 34.92" W, Coord: 33.29661°, -117.6597°
Filed under: California, Death Valley, Desert, Flora, National Parks, Wildflowers on 6/4/2010
Stock photos of the Eureka Valley Dune Evening Primrose, Oenothera californica eurekensis, in Death Valley National Park.
The Eureka Valley Evening Primrose (Oenothera californica eurekensis) is a federally endangered wildflower found only on and near the sand dune habitat of the Eureka Valley, in the far northern reaches of Death Valley National Park. Observed primarily at the Eureka Sand Dunes, it is also found on the nearby Saline Spur Dunes and Marble Canyon Dunes. According to a 2007 review of the 1982 recovery plan for the species, the Eureka Valley Evening Primrose is “a subspecies with a moderate degree of threat and a high recovery potential.” During spring and fall seasons that have enough rainfall, the plant blooms (typically April through June) with large white flowers that turn red as they age. As soon as I saw the first one, it instantly reminded me of its close cousin, the Dune Evening Primrose that I have seen in Anza Borrego. I am intrigued at how severely ecologically isolated the Eureka Valley Evening Primrose is, existing on just three sets of sand dunes. Sort of like a plant found on only a tiny atoll in the middle of the ocean, but this is the desert. Because of its rare nature and the wherethehellamI habitat in which it resides, it is now one of my favorite flowers.
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| Eureka Valley Dune Evening Primrose. A federally endangered plant, Oenothera californica eurekensis is a perennial herb that produces white flowers from April to June. These flowers turn red as they age. The Eureka Dunes evening-primrose is found only in the southern portion of Eureka Valley Sand Dunes system in Indigo County, California. Image ID: 25237 Species: Oenothera californica eurekensis Location: Eureka Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California, USA |
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| Image ID: 25267 |
I recently made a short visit to the Eureka Dunes with my photographer friends Garry McCarthy and John Moore. We were on a sort of banzai run**, trying to cover Eureka Dunes, the Racetrack and Badwater Salt Flats in 3 days. We definitely were not looking for wildflowers, so we were fortunate to find a few Eureka Valley Evening Primroses along the outskirts of the dunes. Our visit took place in mid-May, and heading into Death Valley I figured the wildflowers were past peak and would be burnt to a crisp by the harsh conditions. Indeed, in the lower regions of the park, wildflowers that presented such an excellent display earlier in the spring were long gone. However, the floor of the Eureka Valley is at an elevation of 2800′, where conditions are much cooler. In fact, as we approached Eureka Valley, and especially on the dirt roads between Eureka Valley and Death Valley at altitudes between 2000′ and 4000′, I was surprised by the richness and variety of the wildflower displays. It really was superb, and I might consider that region for a wildflower trip in future years since it offers a ton of solitude and some awesome vistas.
The Eureka Valley Sand Dunes are home to another endangered plant species: the Eureka Valley Dune Grass, Swallenia alexandrae.
**banzai photographer (n): (1) a photographer with a working spouse and multiple kids each of whom has lots of activities that require driving all over the place during the week, help with homework in the evenings, and then driving all over the place on the weekends; (2) a photographer who crams five days of photography into a single weekend; (3) a photographer with a banzai attitude about life; (4) a photographer who photographs banzai trees.
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve SNR
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 34° 43' 56.24" N, Longitude: 118° 24' 13.6" W, Coord: 34.73229°, -118.40378°
Filed under: California, Wildflowers on 4/25/2010
California Poppy photos (Eschscholzia californica) at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, in Lancaster, California.
With Amanda and Tracy in Kansas City at a Volleyball National Qualifier tournament, Sarah and I had the weekend to ourselves — with absolutely nothing planned. This is unprecedented. We took advantage of it by making a quickie road trip to the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve, in Lancaster, California. Poppies don’t open up until the sun has had a chance to warm them, so we were in no hurry, stopping for mandatory roadtrip breakfast at Denny’s on the way. Sarah particularly liked the surprise I had waiting for her: a brand new iPad with a couple of her favorite movies already on it, along with an eBook (she had to read for 30 minutes for each hour of movie watching). We reached Lancaster about 9am and went straight to the Reserve. We saw bugs, live lizards, dead lizards and more California poppies than you can shake a stick at. No snakes! After the Reserve we did a bit of exploring on the dirt roads around Lancaster, going in a ways from the paved roads and crowds, looking for that perfect field of poppies through which we could frolick and sing “The hills are alive, with the Sound of Music…” in our lederhosen and brilliant Austrian smiles. We met up with old diving and photography friends, Bruce and Jo, who were making a similar loop as we but in the opposite direction. (Bruce’s great advice the week before about where to look for the thickest poppy areas was part of the reason we decided to make the trip to Lancaster in the first place — thanks Bruce!). Following lunch in Gorman, we made our way into Hollywood for a stop at the grandparents for some gelato and a chance to make our own Avatar photos at the movie theatre. Home by 7pm, Leucadia Pizzeria delivery, crashola.
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| California poppies, wildflowers blooming in huge swaths of spring color in Antelope Valley. Image ID: 25223 |
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| California poppies, hillside of brilliant orange color, Lancaster, CA. Image ID: 25228 |
Me in a field of poppies, confused, trying to figure out which one to put in the center of my photograph, Lancaster, CA; photo by Bruce Wight
Camo for my next photo assignment on planet Pandora.
In Search of Chocolate Lilies
I got out early this morning with Mike. We went looking for chocolate lilies (Fritillaria biflora) on the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. We got there at sunrise. It was warm and clear. We found a lot of lilies. They were so dark brown I am declaring them to be a new sub-species, or at least a new variety: Super Double-Kahlua Belgian Chocolate Lily, Fritillaria biflora kahluensis belgiatica. Lucky for us the lilies were near peak, with some past and some coming into peak now. I spent some time shooting oaks and a big vernal pool panorama. I got back home by noon (yay, no ticks).
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| Oak tree at sunrise, Santa Rosa Plateau. Image ID: 24382 Location: Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve, Murrieta, California, USA |
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| Chocolate lily and honeybee. Image ID: 24366 Species: Chocolate lily, Fritillaria biflora |
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| Shooting stars, a springtime flower, blooming on the Santa Rosa Plateau. Image ID: 24368 Species: Shooting star, Dodecatheon clevelandii |
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| Chocolate lily growing among grasses on oak-covered hillsides. The chocolate lily is a herbaceous perennial monocot that is increasingly difficult to find in the wild due to habitat loss. The flower is a striking brown color akin to the color of chocolate. Image ID: 24369 Species: Chocolate lily, Fritillaria biflora |
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| California poppies grow on Santa Rosa Plateau in spring. Image ID: 24371 Species: California poppy, Eschscholzia californica |
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| Vernal pool, full of water following spring rains, Santa Rosa Plateau. Image ID: 24379 |
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| Vernal pool, full of water following spring rains, Santa Rosa Plateau. Image ID: 24375 |
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| Panorama of a large vernal pool, full of water following spring rains, Santa Rosa Plateau. Image ID: 24381 |
California Poppy Photos, Eschscholzia californica
Photos of California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) from past seasons. I am hoping we get some good displays this year!
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| California poppies cover the hillsides in bright orange, just months after the area was devastated by wildfires. Image: 20497 Species: Eschscholzia californica |
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| California poppy plants viewed from the perspective of a bug walking below the bright orange blooms. Image ID: 20539 Species: California poppy, Eschscholzia californica |
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| California poppies cover the hillsides in bright orange, just months after the area was devastated by wildfires. Image ID: 20499 Species: California poppy, Eschscholzia californica |
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| California poppies bloom amidst rock boulders. Image ID: 20520 Species: California poppy, Eschscholzia californica |
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| California poppies cover the hillsides in bright orange, just months after the area was devastated by wildfires. Image ID: 20540 Species: California poppy, Eschscholzia californica |
See lots more California poppy photos as well as photos of Eschscholzia californica.
Raging Waters in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
It is uncommon for water to be flowing in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. At least, I have never seen it before. Sure, the washes are there for a reason: they channel rainwater that comes down the canyons out to the floor of the Anza-Borrego basin. But the running water does not last long. So as I was out in Anza-Borrego for a look-see at the spring wildflower bloom and cactus situation, I was pleased to see the stream in Borrego Palm Canyon, near the visitor center, still running after the most recent bout of rains the week before. The sounds of the running water were pleasant so I used my camera to record a little video and tried to include some of the brittlebush alongside the stream that is just coming into bloom now. This was shot Saturday morning a few minutes after sunrise.
Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflower Update
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| Brittlebush at sunrise, dawn, springtime bloom, Palm Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Image ID: 24301 Species: Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA |
I made a sunrise visit to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, my first visit this spring. By 9am I had seen enough to know there was no further point in staying, and the light had grown harsh. There is some good news and bad news — bad news first.
Bad: Since I have been monitoring reports from other photographers for the past month, especially Ron Niebrugge’s, I had a reasonable idea of what to expect. Nonetheless, I was surprised and deeply disappointed by the extent to which invasive Sarahan mustard has overrun some of the best and most accessible wildflower areas of past years. Everyone who has visited Anza-Borrego for wildflowers is probably familiar with the alluvial flood area that descends from Coyote Canyon, and is bordered by DiGorgio Road on the west, Henderson Canyon Road on the south, and mountains to the east. My fear is that that entire area will never again produce the gorgeous expanses of Dune Evening Primrose and Sand Verbena that is has in the past. Currently, it is totally overrun and choked by saharan mustard. In theory this year’s timing of rain and warm spells should have produced a fantastic bloom in that area right about now, peaking in the next 10 days or so. Well, that won’t be happening. I did not even bother to get my camera out as I made a few stops on Henderson Canyon Road and past the end of DiGiorgio Road; I had a hard time even finding patches of verbena to look at. With some walking way in from the road, one can find patches of sand verbena (Abronia villosa) but honestly they are just nothing like in past years. While there are desert lilies about, they are overshadowed by the taller, engulfing mustard. My favorite desert flower, the dune evening primrose (Oenothera deltoides), is just not happening this season; the few that are blooming are being smothered. To the east of Borrego Springs, on S22 out toward the Fonts Point and Arroyo Salado turnoffs, past years have often had large swaths of sand verbena. That’s not happening in those areas right now, and probably won’t this year. Mustard is starting to appear in those areas as well, unfortunately.
I hate to say it, but my sense is that this year’s flower bloom in Anza-Borrego will be (is?) sub-par. The same may hold true for the Coachella Valley. We saw virtually no color on the western flanks of the Coachella Valley, including almost no brittlebush, as we left Palm Desert and drove up into the mountains today.
Good: I think this may be a super year for cactus blooms. I went to a couple of my favorite canyons and found thousands of cacti, including large red barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus), looking healthy, in bud stage or just beginning to bloom. They look great. I plan to come back in a couple weeks to see how they have progressed. Brittlebush is beginning to bloom now, and looks very good in some areas, including Borrego Palm Canyon (near the visitor center), where it can be seen growing alongside the short-lived stream that is still flowing (video). While the brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) is sparse relative to past years, it provides the best opportunities for color. I am hopeful the brittlebush fills out and covers the western flanks of the Anza-Borrego basin in yellow as it has in the past. If it does, it will probably take at least another week or two to develop that way.
I will return in another week or so for the cactus, ocotillo, agave and brittlebush, but with little hope for the flowers.
Update 1: Micheal Gordon posted his observations (similar to mine). Many have commented on the Carol Leigh’s Calphoto wildflower sheet, also with some dour news about the mustard
Update 2: I was pleased to see water in Palm Canyon, so I shot and posted a little video of the stream flowing past brittlebush.
Update 3: Oh, yeah, here is a shameless plug: Borrego Springs House for Sale! A family member is selling a home in Borrego Springs. It is a beautiful, custom, single-level high-end home with interior pool and courtyard on a large quiet lot. Let me know if you are interested.
Below are some photos I got this morning between sunrise and 9am.
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| Brittlebush blooms in spring, Palm Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Image ID: 24304 Species: Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA |
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| Red barrel cactus, Glorietta Canyon, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Image ID: 24302 Species: Red barrel cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA |
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| Cholla cactus, sunrise, dawn, Palm Canyon, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Image ID: 24305 Species: Cholla cactus, Opuntia Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA |
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| Red barrel flower bloom, cactus detail, spines and flower on top of the cactus, Glorietta Canyon, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Image ID: 24309 Species: Red barrel cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA |
Photo of California Poppy
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 2' 42.48" N, Longitude: 117° 8' 12.6" W, Coord: 33.045136°, -117.13684°
Filed under: San Diego, Wildflowers on 3/14/2008
Here are a few more photos of California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) near Del Dios, California. I got lucky with the weather, with lots of sun and blue skies the day I shot these. Now we have leaden gray skies and its supposed to be windy and cold this weekend.
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| California poppies cover the hillsides in bright orange, just months after the area was devastated by wildfires. Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA. Image: 20497 Species: Eschscholzia californica Location: Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA  View this Image in Google Earth! |
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| California poppy plants viewed from the perspective of a bug walking below the bright orange blooms. Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA. Image: 20541 Species: Eschscholzia californica Location: Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
See lots more California poppy photos as well as photos of Eschscholzia californica.
Photos of Eschscholzia californica
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 2' 42.48" N, Longitude: 117° 8' 12.6" W, Coord: 33.045136°, -117.13684°
Filed under: San Diego, Wildflowers on 3/13/2008
This field of dreams is a literal carpet of California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) on the hillsides above Lake Hodges in Del Dios, California. In October this hill was ablaze with the Witch Creek wildfire, one of the worst fires southern California has experienced. Five months later it is ablaze again with the wild orange and yellow hues of California poppies. Stunning.
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| California poppies cover the hillsides in bright orange, just months after the area was devastated by wildfires. Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA. Image: 20499 Species: Eschscholzia californica Location: Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
See lots more California poppy photos as well as photos of Eschscholzia californica.
California Poppies — Bug’s Eye View
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 2' 42.34" N, Longitude: 117° 8' 13.94" W, Coord: 33.045097°, -117.13721°
Filed under: San Diego, Wildflowers on 3/11/2008
More California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) madness. These were shot with a super-turbo-customized tilt-shift-micro-bugeye lens I just received from Canon Covert Services.
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| California poppy plants viewed from the perspective of a bug walking below the bright orange blooms. Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA. Image: 20539 Species: Eschscholzia californica Location: Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
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| California poppies cover the hillsides in bright orange, just months after the area was devastated by wildfires. Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA. Image: 20540 Species: Eschscholzia californica Location: Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
Photos of Elsinore Poppies
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 43' 56.87" N, Longitude: 117° 22' 49.14" W, Coord: 33.732464°, -117.38032°
Filed under: Wildflowers on 3/9/2008
Last week I spent a few hours photographing the California poppy blooms close to home. Today I got out with a friend and we hiked around the Santa Rosa Plateau and the hills around I-15 in Elsinore, looking for good stuff to photograph. These California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are from today near Lake Elsinore, high in the hills above I-15:
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| California poppies bloom amidst rock boulders. Elsinore, California, USA. Image: 20520 Species: Eschscholzia californica Location: Elsinore, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
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| A photographer trains his camera on a bright orange bloom of California poppies. Elsinore, California, USA. Image: 20504 Species: Eschscholzia californica Location: Elsinore, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
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| California poppy plants viewed from the perspective of a bug walking below the bright orange blooms. Elsinore, California, USA. Image: 20505 Species: Eschscholzia californica Location: Elsinore, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
Poppy Explosion
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 2' 37.82" N, Longitude: 117° 8' 7.45" W, Coord: 33.043839°, -117.1354°
Filed under: San Diego, Wildflowers on 3/6/2008
You spins the zoom ring and you takes your chances:
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| California poppies in a blend of rich orange color, blurred by a time exposure. Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA. Image: 20506 Species: Eschscholzia californica Location: Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
Photo of Dune Evening Primrose
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 17' 47.79" N, Longitude: 116° 18' 8.1" W, Coord: 33.296611°, -116.30225°
Filed under: California, Desert, Wildflowers on 3/4/2008
My favorite desert flower to photograph is the dune evening primrose (Oenothera deltoides). It is so elegant and striking that even a blind monkey with a broken camera can get a good shot of this flower. I’ve seen them in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park during years of good spring bloom, this year being one of them. This from Sunday morning:
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| Dune primrose (white) and sand verbena (purple) bloom in spring in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, mixing in a rich display of desert color. Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA. Image: 20464 Species: Oenothera deltoides, Abronia villosa Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
Found throughout the Mojave, Sonoran and Great Basin deserts of the southwest, dune evening primrose forms a soft white four-petal flower with yellow center, sometimes turning pink or light brown as they age. Dune evening primrose grows in clusters, often mixed with sand verbena. Coyote Canyon in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is chock full of dune evening primrose right now.
Photos of Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 18' 2.86" N, Longitude: 116° 19' 12.33" W, Coord: 33.300797°, -116.32009°
Filed under: California, Desert, Wildflowers on 3/3/2008
I got out for a quick look at some wildflowers at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on Sunday morning. I got out there at 6am just as the sun was rising, and by 8am the light had grown so harsh I put my camera away and just hiked around. The bloom is definitely on and will be going for a few weeks I think. My guess is that it will be good but not great, at least not surpassing the bloom of a few (was it three?) springs ago, but at least it is better than the poor showings we had the last two years. One thing I noticed was a huge abundance of desert lilies. In one area I hiked, I had a hard time finding a place to step without smashing small desert lilies, they were everywhere. The cluster shown here, composed of white dune evening primrose and purple sand verbena, is literally inches from Henderson Canyon Road.
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| Dune primrose (white) and sand verbena (purple) bloom in spring in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, mixing in a rich display of desert color. Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA. Image: 20466 Species: Oenothera deltoides, Abronia villosa Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
Red Barrel Cactus Photos, Anza Borrego Desert State Park
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 11' 16.76" N, Longitude: 116° 23' 13.92" W, Coord: 33.187989°, -116.3872°
Filed under: Cactus, California, Desert, Wildflowers on 3/18/2005
Thanks to John Dougherty for kindly helping us to correctly identify a number of flowering plants from recent visits to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. One of our favorite subjects was the Red Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus) which were just beginning to show their blooms.
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| Barrel cactus, brittlebush and wildflowers color the sides of Glorietta Canyon. Heavy winter rains led to a historic springtime bloom in 2005, carpeting the entire desert in vegetation and color for months. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA. Image: 10899 Species: Ferocactus cylindraceus, Encelia farinosa Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
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| Barrel cactus, Glorietta Canyon. Heavy winter rains led to a historic springtime bloom in 2005, carpeting the entire desert in vegetation and color for months. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA. Image: 10906 Species: Ferocactus cylindraceus Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
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| Barrel cactus, Glorietta Canyon. Heavy winter rains led to a historic springtime bloom in 2005, carpeting the entire desert in vegetation and color for months. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA. Image: 10905 Species: Ferocactus cylindraceus Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
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| Barrel cactus, brittlebush, ocotillo and wildflowers color the sides of Glorietta Canyon. Heavy winter rains led to a historic springtime bloom in 2005, carpeting the entire desert in vegetation and color for months. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA. Image: 10919 Species: Ferocactus cylindraceus, Encelia farinosa, Fouquieria splendens Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
Keywords: barrel cactus photo, flowering cactus, cacti, red barrel cactus, ferocactus, desert Anza-Borrego desert state park.
Canyon Sunrise, Anza Borrego Desert State Park
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 11' 15.19" N, Longitude: 116° 23' 16.13" W, Coord: 33.187553°, -116.38781°
Filed under: California, Desert, Wildflowers on 3/16/2005
Anza Borrego Desert State Park is currently experiencing an epic, once-in-a-lifetime bloom of desert wildflowers, bushes and cacti. The sand verbena and desert primrose flowers that had covered the valley floor so spectacularly in places in February seem to be receding or largely gone, replaced with poppies and lupine. However, the principal attraction now is a profusion of brittlebush filling the canyons and coloring the hillsides on the east side of the valley with yellow. The slopes along the Montezuma Grade leading down to Borrego Springs from the west are bright with brittlebush, so that they appear entirely yellow and green from afar. The density of brittlebush continues down toward the valley and into the canyons, washes and alluvial fans. Barrel and cholla cactus and ocotillo are just now beginning to bloom, so desert color in Anza Borrego should continue to improve for at least a few more weeks. There are many small assorted flowers still, along with caterpillers (munching the flowers) and butterflies. The following is a blended exposure shot at sunrise, composed of three images blended to account for the extreme range of light that neither film nor digital sensor can adequately capture in a single exposure:
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| Brittlebush, ocotillo and various cacti and wildflowers color the sides of Glorietta Canyon. Heavy winter rains led to a historic springtime bloom in 2005, carpeting the entire desert in vegetation and color for months. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA. Image: 10895 Species: Encelia farinosa, Fouquieria splendens Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
See all the photos from this shoot.
Keywords: Anza Borrego Desert State Park, photo, photographs, wildflower.
Photos of Wildflowers at Anza Borrego Desert State Park
View this blog entry in Google EarthLatitude: 33° 20' 18.13" N, Longitude: 116° 21' 48.48" W, Coord: 33.338372°, -116.36347°
Filed under: California, Desert, Wildflowers on 2/10/2005
The spring wildflower bloom is happening right now at Anza Borrego Desert State Park, as well as many other places in California. The bloom appears to be early and thick this year due to the heavy rains we had over the past few months. Here are some examples, shot Sunday February 6, 2005. For the best current reports visit Carol Leigh’s California wildflower hotsheet.
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| Dune primrose blooms in spring following winter rains. Dune primrose is a common ephemeral wildflower on the Colorado Desert, growing on dunes. Its blooms open in the evening and last through midmorning. Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA. Image: 10458 Species: Oenothera deltoides Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
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| Brittlebush (yellow) and wild heliotrope (blue) bloom in spring, Palm Canyon. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA. Image: 10457 Species: Encelia farinosa Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA View this Image in Google Earth! |
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| Arizona lupine is a common early spring ephemeral wildflower of the Colorado Desert. The purple-pink flowers show a yellow spot on the upper petal, which changes in color to red once the flower has been pollinated to discourage insects from visiting it after pollination. This photo shows both red and yellow petals. Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA. Image: 10526 Species: Lupinus arizonicus |
Dune primrose (white) and sand verbena (purple) bloom in spring in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, mixing in a rich display of desert color. Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA. Image: 10477 Species: Oenothera deltoides, Abronia villosa |
Keywords: desert wildflower photos, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, wildflowers, spring, bl
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