Flora

Desert San Diego The American Southwest Wildflowers

The Year of the Desert Lily: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflowers in Spring 2024

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park occasionally has exceptional spring wildflower blooms. 2024 was one of those years, it was a nice, fairly typical bloom and not a Superbloom. The last Superbloom we had in Anza-Borrego was in 2017. (And no, 2019 was not a superbloom). But the 2024 bloom in Anza-Borrego…

adminMarch 28, 2024

Trees

Incredible Oak Alley at Wormsloe Plantation, Savannah, Georgia

Wormsloe Plantation in Savannah, Georgia has one of the most impressive oak alleys anywhere in the South. 400 Southern Live Oak trees (Quercus virginiana) line a 1.5 mile long promenade leading to the Georgia's oldest plantation. I have a long-term project to visit and photograph the grandest oak alleys in…

adminJanuary 4, 2022

California Sierra Nevada Trees

Fall Colors in Bishop Creek Canyon, Sierra Nevada, 2020

As I try to do each autumn, I recently returned to some of my favorite spots in the Bishop Creek watershed to enjoy autumn's brief show. Inyo National Forest has been closed lately due to major fires throughout California including the nearby Creek Fire, but opened a week ago in…

adminOctober 12, 2020

California Sierra Nevada Trees

Piper’s Biennial Eastern Sierra Fall Color Hiking Trip

9/29/2019 Piper and I made a quick fall-color trip along the Highway 395, visiting a few of our favorite hiking spots. A cold front that came through Saturday afternoon put a damper on hiking Little Lakes Valley with hail, ice, temps in the low 20s and high winds, but the…

adminOctober 1, 2019

California Carlsbad Desert San Diego The American Southwest Wildflowers

Sorry but No, 2019 Was Not a #Superbloom

It's official: 2019 was not a wildflower #superbloom. Huh? But Internet said? In spite of what was trending, 2019 in southern California was just #spring. What about #elsinore #poppypocalypse? That was an entirely predictable social media feedback loop of herd behavior. As far as the flowers themselves go however, Elsinore…

adminJuly 3, 2019

Carlsbad Desert Joshua Tree San Diego The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photographs of Southern California’s Spring Wildflowers — the 2017 Super Bloom

During March and early April of this year I was chasing the wildflower bloom around the southernmost parts of California. The wildflower bloom was indeed spectacular and went on for weeks with vast displays of color. Was it a "super bloom"? I'm not sure. Somewhere during March the interwebs began…

adminJuly 16, 2017

Landscape Panoramas Trees

Beautiful Oaks and Perfect Sunrise at Oak Alley Plantation

Oak Alley Plantation, with its remarkable double row of 300-year-old southern live oaks (Quercus virginiana) is, I imagine, a near-ideal vision of what the old South once was. I photographed this amazing tunnel of oaks at both dusk and dawn and, after contemplating the images for a few weeks, have…

adminJuly 8, 2015

Landscape Panoramas Trees

Oak Alley Plantation and Its Famous Tunnel of Old Oak Trees, Vacherie, Louisiana

While in New Orleans recently, I made a side-trip to visit Oak Alley Plantation. I love ancient, huge and gnarly trees, and when it comes to oak trees -- specifically the southern live oak, Quercus virginiana -- Oak Alley Plantation has some of the most photogenic in the South. Oak…

adminJuly 4, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Trees White Mountains

Ancient Bristlecone Pines, Full Moon and Starry Night, Patriarch Grove

This is the best image I made during a May trip through the White Mountains and Tioga Pass. I set out to find new, photogenic ancient bristlecone pine trees, something other than the two iconic brutes along the Discovery Trail near Schulman Grove and the oft-photographed leaner near the Patriarch…

adminJune 25, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Trees White Mountains

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees, Pinus longaeva, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees, Pinus longaeva, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest Ancient Bristlecone pine trees (Pinus longaeva) live in a relatively restricted area of eastern California, Nevada and Utah, typically at altitudes above 9500'. The ancient bristlecone pine tree is considered to be the world's oldest species of tree (and…

adminJune 12, 2012

Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

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…

adminFebruary 19, 2011

Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Henderson Canyon Road Dune Evening Primrose

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…

adminFebruary 16, 2011

California Redwood Trees

Coast Redwood Tree, Sequoia sempervirens

Stock photos of Sequoia sempervirens, the Coast Redwood Tree. Sequoia sempervirens, also known as the Coast Redwood, Giant Redwood, or simply Redwood Tree, is the tallest species of tree in the world. The Coast Redwood tree is the only member of the genus Sequoia, part of the Cypress tree family.…

adminSeptember 17, 2010

California Redwood Trees

Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Redwood National Park

Lady Bird Johnson Grove in Redwood National Park is gorgeous. From clover and ferns covering the soil to tall rhododendron bushes at eye level to the coast redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens) and Douglas firs towering above, this grove seems to harbor countless shades of green and brown. I spent two…

adminSeptember 8, 2010

California Death Valley Desert Flora National Parks

Eureka Valley Dune Grass, Swallenia alexandrae

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…

adminJune 10, 2010

California Death Valley Desert Flora National Parks The American Southwest Wildflowers

Eureka Valley Evening Primrose, Oenothera californica eurekensis

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…

adminJune 4, 2010

California Wildflowers

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve SNR

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…

adminApril 25, 2010

California Flora Wildflowers

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…

adminMarch 20, 2010

Beautiful Views of San Diego Wildflowers

California Poppy Photos, Eschscholzia californica

Photos of California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) from past seasons. I am hoping we get some good displays this year! California poppies cover the hillsides in bright orange, just months after the area was devastated by wildfires. Image ID: 20497 Species: California poppy, Eschscholzia californica, Eschscholtzia californica Location: Del Dios, San…

adminMarch 19, 2010

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflower Update

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…

adminMarch 13, 2010

California Infrared National Parks Sierra Nevada Trees Yosemite

Infrared Photo of a Giant Sequoia Tree

One tree in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia trees (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is my favorite. Its huge, reasonably symmetric, and sits somewhat alone in meadow clearing so that morning light can illuminate almost the entire tree nicely. Plus, its a nice 2 mile run up through the grove from the…

adminOctober 1, 2009

Sierra Nevada Trees Yosemite

Giant Sequoia Pictures

Many of my giant sequoia pictures are now on Photoshelter, which is the source of this nifty slideshow. Sequoia trees really are the most majestic of all plants. They are the largest (i.e., most massive) life forms on earth, and they are nearly the tallest (exceeded only by their cousins…

adminSeptember 2, 2009

California Sierra Nevada Trees Yosemite

Giant Sequoia Tree Photo

My in-laws live year-round very near the south entrance to Yosemite National Park. It only takes a few minutes for me to drive in and reach the Mariposa grove of giant sequoia trees (Sequoiadendron giganteum), so I will often go into the park early in the morning and take a…

adminAugust 31, 2009

San Diego Wildflowers

Photo of California Poppy

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. California…

adminMarch 14, 2008

San Diego Wildflowers

Photos of Eschscholzia californica

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…

adminMarch 13, 2008

San Diego Wildflowers

California Poppies — Bug’s Eye View

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. California poppy plants viewed from the perspective of a bug walking below the bright orange blooms. Image ID: 20539 Species: California poppy, Eschscholzia californica, Eschscholtzia californica Location: Del Dios,…

adminMarch 11, 2008

Wildflowers

Photos of Elsinore Poppies

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…

adminMarch 9, 2008

San Diego Wildflowers

Poppy Explosion

You spins the zoom ring and you takes your chances: California poppies in a blend of rich orange color, blurred by a time exposure. Image ID: 20506 Species: California poppy, Eschscholzia californica, Eschscholtzia californica Location: Del Dios, San Diego, California, USA

adminMarch 6, 2008

California San Diego Wildflowers

Photos of Poppies in San Diego

California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) have been blooming all over the place in the San Diego area, courtesy of the terrible wildfires last fall and the perfectly spaced rainfall of the last two months. Here is a hillside that was burnt in October, now coming alive with spring color. My friend…

adminMarch 5, 2008

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photo of Dune Evening Primrose

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,…

adminMarch 4, 2008

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photos of Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers

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…

adminMarch 3, 2008

California Icons Trees White Mountains

Photos of Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees

Ancient Bristlecone pine trees (Pinus longaeva) live in a relatively restricted area of eastern California, Nevada and Utah, typically at altitudes above 9500'. The ancient bristlecone pine tree is considered to be the world's oldest species of tree (and indeed the world's oldest sexually reproducing, nonclonal lifeform). A number of…

adminOctober 8, 2006

California Sierra Nevada Trees

Fall Comes to the Eastern Sierra

For a few years I have been interested in witnessing the famous fall colors of the Eastern Sierra, but never had the time to drive up Highway 395 and take a look. I finally managed to squeeze 36 hours out of my schedule recently and get up to Bishop, and…

adminSeptember 30, 2006

National Parks Olympic Trees Washington

Nurse Log Photo

A "nurse log" is a tree that has fallen and, in the process of decay and rotting away, provides nutrients and a substrate for other plants, including seedling trees, to root and grow. Eventually these plants overwhelm the nurse log which rots away and is completely replaced by the new…

adminSeptember 9, 2006

Cactus California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Red Barrel Cactus Photos, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

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. Barrel cactus, brittlebush and wildflowers color…

adminMarch 18, 2005

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Canyon Sunrise, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

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,…

adminMarch 16, 2005

Wildflowers

Linanthus Dianthiflorus, Batiquitos Lagoon

We found a great spread of Linanthus dianthiflorusin a small canyon leading off of Batiquitos Lagoon in South Carlsbad: Ground pink blooms in spring, Batiquitos Lagoon, Carlsbad.Image ID: 11486Species: Ground pink, Linanthus dianthiflorusLocation: Batiquitos Lagoon, Carlsbad, California, USA Ground pink blooms in spring, Batiquitos Lagoon, Carlsbad.Image ID: 11489Species: Ground pink,…

adminMarch 11, 2005

California Carlsbad Wildflowers

Photos of Batiquitos Lagoon in Spring

Batiquitos Lagoon, bordering Carlsbad and La Costa in northern San Diego County, is experiencing a fantastic display of spring flowers and plants. The hills bordering the lagoon are as verdant as we can ever recall seeing them, covered with lots of yellow flowers and deep green foliage. Now is a…

adminMarch 7, 2005

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photos of Wildflowers at Anza Borrego Desert State Park

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…

adminFebruary 10, 2005

Kings Canyon / Sequoia Sierra Nevada Trees

Photos of Sequoia Trees, Kings Canyon National Park

This is a stand of giant Sequioa trees, Sequoiadendron giganteum, in Kings Canyon / Sequoia National Park, California. The United State Postal Service recently licensed this image as artist reference to create a painting version of the photo for a postage stamp and associated paper and philatelic (stamp collecting) products.…

adminFebruary 9, 2005

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