How do warm colors make you feel? For me, they bring a smile to my face, excitement and happiness. I often use a warming filter on my camera because I like my colors a little warmer in most instances. This may come as no surprise to you, as I scurry south every winter to get more of the warmth! My favorite time to do photography is the late afternoon and early evening. It’s not only that I’m too lazy to get up early, I prefer the warm light!
Bladderpod in Joshua Tree National Park
The desert is full of warm colors. Even in the wintertime, you can find warm colors in the sunsets, the red rock, even the birds. I’ve been seeing a lot of those warm colors this past week.
Even the birds have warm colors in the desert.
As for warm wildflower colors, not so much, but there are a few.
Red rock is a warm color you can always find in the desert.
The warmest color in Saguaro National Park’s foliage is the yellow fruits from last year’s barrel cactus bloom.
The warmest color in Saguaro National Park this week
But there is one flower blooming in Saguaro, the delicate pink Fairy Duster.
Fairy Duster
Organ Pipe was greener. It looks to be a good bloom there in a couple of weeks. Right now Ocotillo is what’s blooming.
Ocotillo is blooming in Organ Pipe.
Here’s a closer look at those beautiful warm red flowers.
Ocotillo blooms
There was a carpet of green from the Sonoran into California, giving me high hopes for a good flower season in a couple of weeks. But right now the only thing blooming in that vast expanse was Brittlebush.
Brittlebush has started to bloom throughout the deserts.
I was underwhelmed and a bit disappointed when I got to Joshua Tree National Park. I had expected more.
Bladderpod
Even the Brittlebush was sparse. There were a couple of new flowers blooming, Bladderpod and Chuparosa. These are both perennial bushes, as are Fairy Dusters, Brittlebush and Ocotillo. Annual flowers are practically non-existent still.
Chuparosa
I did find a few Canterbury Bells in Joshua Tree, but that was it. The carpet of green I’d noticed in the Sonoran desert was missing here. By this time of year, there should have been a haze of fuzzy green, the seedlings of the annuals, covering the roadsides. I don’t know if the southern part of Joshua Tree missed the storms, or if it’s been too cold, but don’t expect a big bloom in Joshua Tree this spring. Very little is even sprouting there now.
Perennials like Brittlebush are doing well.
A little bit of good news, though. Reports from Anza Borrego indicate that it should be a good wildflower season there. It’s already starting, especially the Sand Verbena, the sweetest-smelling flower in the desert. I’ve seen fields full of them here in the Palm Springs area, too.
Not really a warm color, but Sand Verbena is what’s blooming!
The latest reports I’ve found from Death Valley are a couple of weeks old, but state that sprouts are coming up, so I’m hopeful. I will be visiting both Anza Borrego and Death Valley next week and will have a better idea then of what this season will be like.
Will the sand dunes be the only warm colors in Death Valley when I get there?
So it looks like the flowers may get going a little late – March will probably be the best month to see the desert bloom this year. Until then, enjoy the warm colors wherever you are, wherever you find them – in the rocks, in the sunset – but keep your eyes open, warm colors in the flowers are coming soon!
Red rocks in Organ Pipe National Park
Thank you, Egidio, for bringing us this week’s Lens-Artists Photography Challenge, Warm Colors.
For this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Ann-Christine asks us to envision the future. It could be near future or far, personal future or universal.
“The future’s uncertain, but the end is always near. ” Jim Morrison
I read Tina’s post, with its warnings about the consequences of climate change. Climate change was already on my mind. I had just spent the morning at an open house held by the Navarro-By-The-Sea Center. They are trying to save the remaining historical buildings still standing at the site of the former town of Navarro-By-The-Sea, but the open house was held more to bring awareness of king tides and the rise of sea level due to climate change.
A king tide was in progress, so to get to the Center those of us without 4-wheel drive had to take a shuttle with high enough clearance to ford the water. The beach parking lot was completely underwater. Sea level is 6 inches higher than it was in 1950. This may not seem like much, but the rate is increasing dramatically, over 66% in the last 5 years. Now it’s rising at the rate of an inch every 5 years, and that rate is still going up. A lot of places are going under, and the king tides are a preview of what will become an everyday occurrence in the near future.
King tides and rising sea level
As I witness ecosystem crashes and see the current administration win one battle after another in its War Against Nature, I despair. When I contemplate the future, I fear we’re already past the tipping point.
I couldn’t go there. I thought of other signs of the consequences of climate change I could write about, but it all made me so sad. I couldn’t write a whole post with no hope, and I was feeling hopeless.
Sea level is rising.
I needed some positivity, so I started playing Michael Franti as I read the post from Soybend, “Someday in the Future”. It was uplifting, positive and poetic, just what I needed. I then learned about new research connecting melting ice in the Arctic to the increasing prevalence of El Nino cycles.
I saw a teeny, tiny silver lining to the dark storm clouds of the future. More El Ninos = more desert wildflowers. Ironic that as so many other places dry up and desiccate, the California desert will get wetter.
More desert wildflowers?
I started thinking about desert wildflowers, and that led me to my personal near future, which is actually pretty exciting.
“The future’s so bright, I’ve gotta wear shades.”
Patrick Lee Mac Donald
I’m currently housesitting on the beautiful Mendocino Coast in northern California. Think redwoods and wild, secluded beaches with an abundance of arches and sea stacks.
Love those Redwoods!
I’ll leave here in early March and go down to see the desert flowers. I’ll head east and travel through the Sierra foothills so I can avoid the urban insanity of San Francisco traffic. Along the way, maybe I’ll stop at Yosemite.
Yosemite Falls
I have four flower destinations in mind. Death Valley received nearly an inch of rain over the winter, which is a decent amount for that place. When I passed through in mid-January, there were a lot of little seedlings coming up. I even saw a Turtleback blooming already. If the winds and heat aren’t too brutal, it might be a nice bloom this year. Since the last 3 years were abysmal there, I’m looking forward to and hoping for a good season this time around.
Notchleaf Phacelia
Joshua Tree has gotten a lot of moisture this winter, both snow and rain. There’s a current winter storm warning there, so the precip is still happening. I think Joshua Tree might be THE place to check out this year, although I doubt if it will be quite as outrageous as it was last spring.
Purple Mat
Anza Borrego has gotten a fair amount of precipitation, too, over an inch in one winter storm. Smaller storms since then have kept the ground moist. Word is flowers are already blooming in Coyote Canyon.
Wild Apricot
Last year I discovered Carrizo Plains. The rough dirt roads are hard on my little truck, but I’ll just have to try to go slow and pray the washboard isn’t TOO bad. I thought it had some of the best wildflowers I’d ever seen, and Carrizo got hit by all the same storms that have inundated Joshua Tree.
Camping at Carrizo Plains
As I head back north to Alaska, those Sierra foothills and southern Oregon should be blooming. I’m not sure if I’ll travel back by the coast or interior yet, but by May I’ll be back home enjoying the incredible view from my front porch.
For this week’s Lens Artists Photo Challenge, Patti invites us to go on a scavenger hunt, looking for the color red.
Well, I didn’t have a lot of luck. Contrary to the name, the redwood forest does not have a lot of red, especially in January, and that just happens to be where I am this week.
Bunkhouses on National Creek
I thought to myself, “Gee, I don’t really have a lot of red in my life”, and then it struck me. Oh, duh, I actually have a LOT of red in my life, since I work in the red-and-white town of Kennecott, Alaska during the summer.
The last time this building was painted was in 1938!
Kennecott, a company town, painted most of their buildings red. The reason? For the same reason so many barns used to be painted red. Cheap red paint lasted a long, long time. Some of the buildings at Kennecott haven’t been painted since the mines shut down, in 1938.
Fall Colors on Fireweed Mountain
Another place where red crops up in my Alaskan life is fall. Lots of bushes turn red in the fall, and of course, there are also berries. Blueberries aren’t the only berries to be found here, and most of the others are red.
Highbush Cranberries
When I travel south for the winter, I find other shades of red – sunsets, for instance.
Pacific coast sunset
I also sometimes see red when the desert wildflowers bloom. Look for Desert Paintbrush in Death Valley, and Ocotillo and Chuparosa in Joshua Tree and Anza Borrego.
Ocotillo
Speaking of the desert wildflower season, this should be a good year just about everywhere. I’m not predicting a superbloom, but even Death Valley has gotten a fair amount of rain. When I passed through there last week, I saw little seedlings coming up all over. We even found a Turtleback with a few blossoms already. The valley floor should be looking good by mid-February, and Jubilee Pass will be at its best around early March.
Look for Paintbrush in Death Valley in March.
Of course, another little rain wouldn’t hurt. And too much wind or a drastic return to high temperatures will desiccate those little baby plants.
Chuparosa
Further south, both November and December brought an abundance of precipitation, with Anza Borrego receiving over an inch of rain in one storm. The forecast for this spring, though, is drier than average. Once again, the amount of sun and wind will play a big part in just how special the wildflower season will be or how long it will last.
It’s going to be a good flower season this year. The rains have been steady throughout the desert. There’s been a strong El Nino pattern the entire month of February, with one storm after another barreling through. The weather has stayed cool, too. In past years we have seen temps in the 90s by now and strong winds drying out the flowers, causing them to bolt before they really got started. Not this year. It even snowed in Las Vegas, LA, and Tucson, this past week, three towns that very, very rarely see the white stuff.
Bladderpod
What does this mean for the wildflowers? The cool weather and moisture allow the plants time to grow before they bloom. It means more flowers, bigger flowers, and longer lasting flowers eventually, even though in some places they will get off to a late start.
Ocotillo
Not everywhere, though. Some areas are in full bloom now!
Anza Borrego
Anza Borrego is going to have a superbloom kind of year! They got 3 inches of rain in just one storm in mid-February, and the park has been hit by rainstorms every week this month.
Things are already looking fine in some sections, and it’s green, green, green all over the park. With all this rain it’s going to bloom and bloom and bloom. March should be amazing.
Coachwhip Canyon
Right now the place to be in Anza Borrego is the eastern end of the park. Arroyo Salado is in full bloom. The trail to the Calcite Mine just before the eastern boundary is reputed to be THE hot spot for desert lilies right now. My favorite camping area, Coachwhip Canyon, is just plain lovely. Brown-eyed Evening Primroses and Lupines dominate, but there are lots of Spanish Needles, Ajo Lilies, Brittlebush, Poppies, and Sand Verbena, also. Indigo and Wild Lavender bushes are just getting started.
Sand Verbena
Speaking of Sand Verbena, the hills just east of Rockhouse Canyon Road are pink with fields of these flowers. They are, in my opinion, the sweetest smelling flower in the desert and the exquisite fragrance drifting on the breeze is heavenly! Look for the bright red flowers of Ocotillo and Chuparosa throughout Anza Borrego.
The big fields at the end of San Giorgio Road are just getting started. Look for Spectacle Pod, Dune Primrose, Sand Verbena and Lupine here. Although you may find some lilies, it’s still early times. The majority will be blooming in a couple of weeks.
Ajo Lily
If you are into off-road riding, Ocotillo Wells is undergoing a fantastic bloom right now. They got hit by the same big winter storm that set off the east end of Anza Borrego. Good things happening there!
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
The southern end of Joshua Tree is full on right now. I hate to predict a “peak”, as every flower and every area is on a different schedule, but I would say that the southern end of Joshua Tree will be at its best this coming weekend.
Brittlebush
If you can’t make it until March, that’s okay, too. There will still be flowers down south, and the higher elevations of the park will start to bloom then.
Lupines
The lupines are the showstoppers in Joshua Tree right now. They contrast nicely with the golden hues of Bladderpod, Brittlebush, Desert Dandelions, and Desert Poppies. There are tons of at least three species of white evening primroses and lots of chia in full bloom currently. Look for Canterbury Bells and belly flowers like Purple Mat, Desert Star, and Bigelow Mimulus in the washes.
The cactus country transition zone between the Colorado and Mojave Deserts is fuzzy with a carpet of Cryptantha, but it’s still early times here, too. Things are green, green, green, though. I expect this area to pop in March. Goldfields, Brittlebush, and Bladderpod are blooming in Wilson Canyon.
Unusual color variant of Canterbury Bells, almost albino
Joshua Tree got SLAMMED by the storms this month. Currently all the dirt roads in the park are closed due to flood damage. I was in Joshua Tree and Desert Hot Springs during the big Vantine’s rain event. I hadn’t seen flash flooding this crazy since the big October 2015 storm that caused the 2016 Death Valley superbloom!
By the way, if you were planning to check out the Mecca Hills between Joshua Tree and Anza Borrego, bad news. The road is closed due to flood damage over the winter.
Early morning light in Joshua Tree
Mojave National Preserve
It’s looking really green in Mojave. Not much blooming yet, but I’m hoping for good things here as spring progresses. There are lots of lupine blooming on the Amboy Road between Mojave and Joshua Tree.
Death Valley
You may have to look a little harder for flowers in Death Valley this year.
Death Valley’s rainfall is still below average. Don’t expect much from the main valley.
Shredding Evening Primrose
That said, the southern portions of the park HAVE gotten rainfall from this series of storms, and also got some earlier in the year. I saw signs of life on the southern part of the Greenwater Road, the Jubilee Pass area, and the southern portion of the park near Saratoga Spring. I think there will be nice flowers in those areas, but don’t expect a superbloom here this year. For that, you need to travel farther south. The mountains of Death Valley have also received precipitation. There might be some nice things going on higher up in April. A friend in Vegas assures me that Mt. Charleston and Red Rock NCA will pop later this spring.
Southern Arizona
Chuparosa
It’s still early times here. There are a lot of roadside lupine, poppies, and brittlebush, but not much happening yet when you walk into the desert. I’ve seen Desert Star and Chuparosa in the washes. But it’s green. There are an awful lot of plants getting a good start. I haven’t had the opportunity to spend much time in the Arizona desert when it blooms, but people who have say that this year has the markings of a possible superbloom. Bartlett Lake near Phoenix is happening already. For the Tucson area, check it out in about a month. It will be amazing by then.
The flowers are out there this year. Some areas will have a significantly better bloom than others, though. Happy Flower Hunting!
Superblooms don’t happen every year. It takes just the right conditions to make all those flowers pop out. You need a big storm in the fall or early winter to get the seeds started, followed by occasional precipitation through the winter and fall to keep the seeds moist. Too much heat or wind after the seedlings sprout will cut the season short, too.
Death Valley got a lot of rain in February, but no rain before that. Seedlings have come up all over the park, but they did not have time to get established in the lower elevations before the heat and wind came.
March 2016
March 2017
Wildflower season in Death Valley’s lower elevations will be short and quick. There are very few flowers blooming in the lower elevations this spring. Due to the heat, those that do bloom will be dwarfed and will bolt quickly.
The good news is, there are SOME flowers blooming in the park. Look in the Jubilee Pass/ Salsbury Pass area for a little variety in the washes, mostly yellow composites. Patches of phacelia are blooming along the Badwater Road.
Notchleaf Phacelia (Phacelia crenulata)
The higher elevations have received a lot more precipitation, so the best is yet to come. I predict a nice flower season at the end of March and through April in mid to higher elevations. Don’t give up, there WILL still be a flower season in Death Valley.Happy flower hunting!
Superbloom? I don’t think so. There’s a lot of talk about a superbloom in Anza Borrego. I have to admit, some of that hype came from me! The reason for all the talk was the rain, 5 inches since January. A lot of rain, and a heavy rain between October and December, is essential for a big bloom. Anza Borrego got the rain.
Dune Evening Primrose (Oenothera deltoides) and Sand Verbena (Abronia villosa)
But rain is not the only factor that controls just how great a flower season will be. Heat and wind are important, too. There IS such a thing as too much heat too soon, and that is what happened at Anza Borrego. It has been HOT! Temperatures have been in the 90s for most of the last 2 weeks. Flowers bolt, going quickly to seed, if the temperatures are high, instead of sticking around for a long, leisurely flower season.
Desert Chicory (Rafinesquia neomexicana) and Blue-eyed Scorpion Weed (Phacelia distans)
Another way emerging flowers adapt to the heat is dwarfism. Teeny tiny versions of the flower will appear. Instead of wasting time growing into a big plant with full size blooms, the flower forms a miniature version in an attempt to get viable seeds produced before the heat kills the plant. The few Desert Five-Spots I saw in Anza Borrego were following this strategy.
Mike Ellis, This bug’s for you!
Although not a superbloom, it is still a lovely flower season. Near Borrego Springs, the roadsides are filled with Dune Evening Primrose, Sand Verbena, Brown-Eyed Evening Primrose, Desert Chicory, Desert Gold Poppies and Ajo Lilies. There were even some Beavertail Cactus blooming along Coyote Canyon Road!
Ajo Lily (Hesperocallis undulata)
As you climb out of the lowest parts of the valley, look for Desert Dandelion and patches of Phacelia. I saw four different kinds of phacelia in the park, and there are probably more.
Blue Eyed Scorpion Weed (Phacelia distans)
In slightly higher elevations, such as Butte Pass Road, look for fields and fields of cryptantha and brown-eyed primroses. This area is littered with lilies, too, but sometimes they are hard to spot. Try morning light to see the lilies at their best.
Chuparosa, aka Hummingbird Bush (Justicia californica)
Another great thing about these mid to higher elevations are the bushes. Ocotillo is blooming, the red tips of their branches like tongues of flame licking at the blue sky.
Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)
One canyon in particular, Plum Canyon, seemed to be Flowering Bush Canyon Central. Ocotillo, chuparosa, desert lavendar, wild apricot, and others I couldn’t even name crowded the canyon.
Desert Lavendar (Hyptis emoryi)
Anza Borrego is looking great right now. Don’t wait TOO long, see these flowers before the heat causes them all to bolt. If you can’t make it right away, though, I’ll bet cactus flower season here will be spectacular, too.
Hawk Canyon
Wonder what’s happening in Death Valley? Stay tuned to this blog for an update on Death Valley’s flower situation, coming real soon!
