Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Desert Wildflowers

Spring comes to the desert Verbena and desert sunflower, Anza-Borrego State Park, CA



Sand verbena, Anza-Borrego State Park Lupine, Anza-Borrego



Ocotillo, Anza-Borrego, above




Above left: Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, California, with snow capped mountains in the background. Right: Owls' Clover and poppies, Saddle Mountain, AZ. Center: Evening Primrose, Anza-Borrego, CA. Below: Ajo getting in close on wildflowers (in this case, his namesake, or visa versa, the Ajo Lilly) near Tonopah, AZ


Below left: Ajo\Desert Lily, Tonopah, AZ. Center: My motorhome at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, Lancaster, CA. Below center: Goldfield on the near Warner Springs, California

















The desert is a great place for wildflowers because the conditions are so specific. Rain must fall at the right times, in great enough quantity to bring on the blooms as the days get warmer. Because of the sparce desert vegetation, the wildflowers show up dramatically against grey and brown rocks and soil.
Now I am waiting to see how the wildflowers do in Northern California. I am seeing some, but not yet a lot. But I have moved further north and the days are a tiny bit shorter. I will be the in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco thru April and hope for a good show here.
Not much text here, but who needs it with all the color. Happy wildflower viewing.