We’re not the only ones excited about the bloom. One denizen of the desert, the Desert Tortoise, is especially delighted with springtime. That’s because they EAT flowers! Check out the “milk mustache” of green that this dude is sporting!
Right now they are on the move, looking for the next delectable dinner, maybe even looking for love!
Which leads me to my cautionary tale of the week – please be aware of the desert tortoise! He’s pretty slow sometimes (ever hear of the tortoise and the hare?), but he won’t win his race if you run him over! Watch out for this guy if you’re out there in southern California checking out the flowers. They are out and about, and easy to run over if you’re driving fast and not paying close attention.
We found this tortoise trying to cross the road in southern Joshua Tree, and barely had time to divert a speeding truck bearing down on him. We decided we needed to help him cross the busy road or he would have next to no chance of survival.
This was not a decision we made lightly, because contact with humans is often fatal to tortoises, even if they are not being flattened by a speeding truck. If you see a desert tortoise, do not pick him up. If you absolutely have to, to save his life, do not use your bare hands. People carry germs that are transmitted to tortoises. They may get sick and die. We used a newspaper to pick him up so that our hands did not contact his shell.
Being handled by humans can literally scare the piss out of them. This is also deadly, as they need the water in their bladder to survive until the next rainstorm. We kept him low to the ground when we moved him so that we wouldn’t frighten him TOO badly. It seemed to work. He held his water. Whew!
Wildflower update
Here’s a flower update for Joshua Tree National Park. The Joshua Trees are blooming!
So are yucca, but the real show is happening in the Lower Colorado Desert section of the park, especially south of the Cottonwood Visitor Center.
This area is at its peak now. I’m especially impressed by the Canterbury Bells. In my opinion they are the most beautiful flowers in the park.
The meadows are awash with a rainbow of color. The indigo shades of Canterbury Bells and Chia complement the golden hues of Bladderpod and Desert Gold Poppies.
Taller flowers float over a groundcover of creamy Brown-eyed Evening Primroses and white Cryptantha, accented by lighter purple lupines and phacelia.
Get out and walk around. You’ll see even more diversity. You may even find a splash of the brightest pink, the exquisite blooms of Bigelow Monkeyflowers.
The Lower Colorado Desert is peaking right now. Get out soon or you’ll miss it! Stay tuned to this blog for an update on the phenomenal flowers in Anza Borrego State Park, coming soon!
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