I’ve got a wildflower update for you. I just spent the weekend in Anza Borrego, and it’s all about lilies!
Desert Lilies are blooming all over the northern two-thirds of the park. They’re not the only flower blooming, but they are certainly the most dramatic.I am especially excited because I have wanted to see Desert Lilies for YEARS, but have never been in the right place at the right time before.
Lilies aren’t the only flowers blooming. There are those frequent first bloomers, the brown-eyed evening primrose.
Other early bloomers include Desert Sand Verbena. Cryptantha, and California Spectacle Pod.
There are even a few Dune Evening Primrose.
Seeing these lovely flowers is pretty special, but even better is the fragrance. OH-MY-GOD!! Walking through the field late Saturday afternoon just before sunset, I breathed in great drafts of what was possibly the most exquisite scent I’ve ever smelled. Think about it – lilies, of course, sand verbena, that I USED to think was the sweetest smelling flower in the desert, two different evening primroses, and scented cryptantha. I wish I could bottle it up and sniff it forever.
What is really exciting is that wildflower season is just getting started here. There’s not a lot of variety yet, but by mid-March, things should be REALLY cranking!
It’s raining in the desert, yet again. It poured yesterday, flash flooding in many areas. This rain, followed by a warming spell predicted for the rest of the week, should really get the blooms popping.
A few species of phacelia are starting to bloom. I saw lots of lupine plants in the meadows at the beginning of the Coyote Canyon Road, and desert five spot seedlings on Buttes Pass Road.
Perennials are starting to show their colors, too. A few ocotillo have started to flower. The Wild Apricot are blossoming in Plum Canyon. Chuparosa is blooming in the mid-elevations.
Not much is happening in the south part of the park yet. There are some cryptantha and brown-eyed evening primrose, but that is about all. But wherever you go, things are really, really green. The middle of March will be absolutely AMAZING!
If you do come out to see the flowers, please, please, PLEASE be mindful of where your feet are. If you step backwards to get the awesome shot, look where you are going so you don’t kill another perfect flower. I found three trampled lily plants in one field, and the season has just begun. Happy flower hunting, but do be careful out there!
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