Western Wildflowers ..Spring 2023

January 23

After an unexpectedly wet winter for many areas of the west this year, spring natives should be spectacular over the coming weeks / months.

Starting this thread ahead of time so that all may have time to plan a trip somewhere to see one of the many great things about living in the Western U.S..

While seemingly early, parts of Anza Borrego are already seeing "spring" color due in part to rains that fell in October/ early November. https://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca_abdsp.html

With the extra rainfall that has fallen across the deserts of CA since then, anticipate that the main show should be great. Also anticipate this will be one of those years not to be missed across most of the state itself.

Since we've done alright this winter also, spring displays should lean better than average here in central AZ and adjacent states this year, esp. up in the foothills / mountains north and east of Phoenix.

Get out, take some pictures, and enjoy..

**Reminder, when posting, post both the common and correct scientific plant names, next to the pictures of each species observed.**

Desert USA's Wildflower Reports are a great online reference as to which areas are in their prime as we head into and through the spring.

January 24

Great idea! I bet there will be a lot of action out in the CA desert this year...

January 25

2 hours ago, Patrick said:

Great idea! I bet there will be a lot of action out in the CA desert this year...

Deserts wil be good.. Expect all of the state to be quite a sight as well. We'll see who actually gets off their butts and out getting some pictures, lol.

Have lots of miles penciled in over the next few months here for sure. Very early to think about, but crosing my fingers for one more good summer this year. Would be the icing on the cake since having both is very uncommon. Usually are gifted with one or the other.

January 27

California Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia californica) is a native and not as showy as the more tropical species. It's the main food source for pipevine swallowtail butterflies (Battus philenor) larvae: https://baynature.org/article/dutchmans-pipe-is-the-only-pipevine-native-to-california/ The flowers of this vine 'enlist' flies in their pollination process.

This plant took three years to get established and start blooming. It's growing in my backyard on the stems of a Tecoma, which shades it from hot summer sun. No sign yet of pipevine swallowtails, but I remain hopeful!🙂

January 27

Posted in wrong section. Will repost in more appropriate🙄 section.

February 12

Start of the 2023 spring season color in the desert..

While everything is green, overall, a bit surprised to see how short some of the native annual stuff is considering the rain we'd received back in December. Could be this area of the valley ( S.E. end of the San Tan Mountains ) didn't get quite as rainfall much as other areas.. Will be interesting to compare different areas later. Regardless, not a ton of color out here yet, but enough..

Brittlebush w/ the Northeastern face of the Malpias Hills in the background.

Main show on the slopes / in and near washes atm is Gordon's Bladderpod, ( Physaria gordonii ) one of 2 or 3 Physaria species native to the area..

One and only Coulter's Lupine ( Lupinus sparsiflorus ) encountered in flower.. Other specimens encountered about 2 weeks away from flowering.

Phacelia species ..probably P. distans about a week from flowering.

February 26

3 hours of Sniffing around the Telegraph Hill section of South Mountain ( South Mountain County Park )

Despite all the rain we'd received back in Dec / Jan., surprised at how dry it looks out here.. Plenty of color on some hillsides, but not near as much as there was the last time i was out here after the last " wet winter" ...19? 0r 20??..

Even up on the ridge / north facing slopes tucked between it and another to the west, some splashes of color on near and more distant slopes, but definitely subdued compared to the last time up there..

Some other stuff, for another thread, as well.

Main things on display atm is Notch Leaf Phacelia, Phacelia crenulata, Mex. Gold Poppies, Eschscholzia californica var. mexicana, and Coulter's Lupine, Lupinus sparsiflorus. Some Bladderpod, AZ. Lupine, ..other stuff scattered about as well.

Notch leaf Phacelia : Note in one of the photos, some the Echinocereus out there are already putting on flower buds behind the Phacelia...

Possibly Phacelia distins, but color seems too dark ( Flowers of that species are usually an obvious light Blue ) Surprised to have not seen much -if any- of that species. Is usually very common above the flats on the hilltops.

Mex. Gold Poppies :

Coulter's Lupine :

AZ. Lupine, Lupinus arizonicus :

One of several plants called "Sun Cups". Not 100% sure which Genus, but possibly something in Chylismia.. Just starting to flower in some spots on the flats.

..Erodium sp., Likely E. texanum, Texas Stork's Bill.. Most of the Crane's / Stork's Bills are weedy introduced plants from the Mediterranean but this one is native. Occurs here and there on hot, gravely slopes, but is never overly prevalent.

Desert Plantain ( Plantago ovata. ) ..Believe we have a couple natives, but most sp. encountered in AZ are introduced sp. from other parts of the world. A source of Psyllium Fiber.

Globemallow ( Sphaeralcea ) sps... First is S. coulteri, a first encounter of this particular species.. Second is the orange flowered form of the common, S. ambigua, Apricot / Desert Globemallow. There was a pink flowered specimen nearby, but didn't see it until pulling out of the parking lot.

Dudleya saxosa.. Panamint Liveforever / Dudleya I'd encountered a couple specimens of these up here a few years ago. this was the only one i noticed this time.. One of those plants that occurs in both S.Cal. and Central AZ. More common in the mountains east of Phoenix, than here / in other mountain islands on the west / south side of town.

Not flowering, but worthy inclusions, since the idea of both occurring in a place that gets very little rain, and can see temperatures over 130F+ ( ground level ) for several months would seem a big contradiction to those not well versed in arid-environment ecology / evolution..

Anytime i come across a steep, shaded rock face, especially if north facing or shaded, ...esp. if near / in a wash, i'll carefully examine it, even from a distance, for ferns.. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes there isn't anything growing in what might look like an ideal spot. Lucked out finding these Star Cloaks ( Nothlaena standleyi ) tucked under a ledge along a wash that is shaded by some short Ironwoods ( Olneya tesota ). Seedling plant on the left is probably a Phacelia. Some Cyanobacterial crust on the Granite above right of the Star Cloak.

More Star Cloaks in a different spot, ..more where i'd expect to find any, if present here. Don't remember seeing any last time. ( North facing side of a rock ledge, up on top of the ridge where cooler / exposed to breezes. )

Gold colored undersides of a Frond.

One of our native Spike Mosses, Selaginella sp. Pretty sure it is S. arizonica.

March 8

Spring flowering stuff from out east of Florence / along the way back today.. As seems to be the case each time i visit that area, encountered a few things i hadn't observed out there in the past..

Acmispon rigidus,

Eriogonum fasciculatum v. flavoviride, ( Sonoran Desert California Buckwheat )

Calliandra eriophylla,

Oenothera sp.

Anemone tuberosa, first observations of plants in flower.. and in a different area then where i noted some a few years ago. Always blows my mind seeing these growing next to Hedgehog Cacti ( Echinocereus ) and Saguaro.

Another "previously not encountered in the past" encounter here today.. Largeflower Onion, Allium macropetalum. Nearest iNat observations of the species are from several miles to the north, up in the hills above the Gila River. Like many Wild Onion sps. bulbs of this sp. are supposedly edible, but need to do more research.

Lupinus coccinnus

Chia, Same plant marketed for growing " Chia Pets "

Fiddleneck

Just another episode of " that NO-ID DYC " ( Danm Yellow Composite )

Roadside Lupinus sparsiflorus

Desert / Apricot Globemallow, probably S. ambigua

Desert Marigold ( Easy to ID DYC, haha )

Ehpedra sp.

Noted several areas near Florence where Bladderpod ( Fendler's or Gordon's ) were covering the ground below Creosote Bush flats in carpets of gold.

Extensive enough this year that you can see patches of the stuff growing on hillsides from a distance also.

Taking a detour on the way back, seeing how close i could get to the section of the San Tan Mountains that sit inside the Gila River Indian Community, lots ( ..and lots ) of Coulter's Globemallow carpeting areas below the hills right now.

Coulter's Globemallow and Bladderpod carpeting the desert in this area.

Edited March 8 by Silas_Sancona
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Sunday at 06:18 AM

After picking up a few things, more enjoying this year's super bloom.. this time on the way to.. and back from Tucson.. have to say, while past wet winter years have been great, this year seems supercharged.. For as dry and sad looking as the desert can look some years, amazing what some rainfall does, both in summer and winter.

Unfortunately, in the case of these shots, a majority of the " Yellow" flowering plants are invasive Stinknet / Globe Chamomile. Might look pretty to some, but this quick spreading winter Annual can cause big problems once it dries out. Also can cause allergy issues / contact reactions when handled.

This is different from the native Bladderpod which is still lighting up a few areas..

Lupinus sparsiflorus peaking pretty much everywhere atm.. Along both the U.S. 79, between Florence and a few miles north of Oracle Junction, and a roughly 6-8 mile stretch of Park Link RD ( Goes from near Picacho to where intersects the 79 ) both sides of the road are bathed in robes of blue violet for about as far as the eye can see..

Palo Verde branch doing it's best Palm frond impression, lol.

Some stuff seen while stopping at a specific spot along Park Link:

Bladderpod

Bajada Lupine

Onethera sp.

Spreading Woollystar, Eriastrum diffusum

...As if the Lupine isn'tn't spread around enough color, Coulter's Globemallow is setting large areas of the desert ablaze atm.

.........