Upcoming Desert Wildflower Season

[matt_kennedy1]

Hi Everyone,

 

I hear that last year was a great year for desert wildflowers.

Unfortunately I missed it and was hoping to not make the same mistake

this year.

 

I'm hoping to find out if it's supposed to be as good this year, where

I should go, and when it's supposed to start. I seem to recall

hearing that Death Valley was good last February. Thanks!

[jd_rose]

It hasn't been wet here in the desert like it was last year. Last year was a record breaker! Death Valley always seems to be good though, the flowers there just need a little bit of moisture to take off. Call the rangers at DVNP and see what they think.

 

--- JDR

[luminous world]

The desert may be an exception, but the general rule in the rocky mountains is that the wildflowers are best the year after a wet year. Yes, the wet year does germinate many more seeds than normal, but all those flowers then seed the ground for the coming year. All's that really necessary is just enough spring moisture to germinate last year's bumber crop of seeds and look out!

[robertshantz]

<P>Matt

<P>I can't speak to Death Valley, but in Arizona the quality of the spring wildflower show is primarily dependent upon the fall and winter rains. This year we got almost nothing in this critical period, so I suspect the spring show will probably be dismal to poor. Last year the fall and winter rains were exceptional - hence the great wildflower show.

<P>Robert Shantz

[dan_v]

I also plan to not miss this spring's wildflower bloom. Here's a link to a popular site for California field reports that's worth keeping an eye on as the season approaches: http://www.calphoto.com/wflower.htm

 

You might check this link for broader Southwest coverage: http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/wildupdates.html

[bill_proud]

Matt,

 

Yeah, last year was a great year. A friend and I drove from Phoenix and started at Organ Pipe on Monday. The first night the temps dropped to 29 degrees and my friend came down with a cold and was miserable and finally flew back to Florida on Friday.

 

Arizona is a huge state and even having clues to where the blooms are can be daunting to get to that location. Allow plenty of time if you can. Wickenberg was especially beautiful, or so I heard. We spent time at Picacho State Park, as did many others. It was so-so. Went to Tortilla Flat one afternoon and was disappointed. Tucson was not profitable either. We heard along the Colorado river was good but that was another 200 miles west of us.

 

The Phoenix South Mountain Park was good when I got there and stunning when I left. I would highly recommend it and preferably mid-week. Very crowded on the weekend.

 

I might go again this year. I have a friend living in Wickenberg who says she will keep me informed of flower status and another friend wintering south of Phoenix who promises to do the same.

 

If it is a bust I'll work the Colorado Plateau.

 

good luck,

 

Here is a shot of Organ Pipe taken mid-day, looking north. We wanted to do it at sunset but the drive is a one-way, 17 mile, 4WD so didn't get back to this point.<div></div>

[bill_proud]

Matt,

 

I forgot to mention that we were there in mid-March.

 

good luck,

[matt_kennedy1]

Ah, I was afraid I'd missed out. Looks like that might still be the case. Well, I'll keep an eye on those sites and on the weather channel. Thanks everyone!

[craig_gillette]

We've just had pretty much our first rain to note this year, last year it started in November (near Los angeles), although I'd expect the concept that the seed production last year was pretty intense. The calphoto link is a good place to start as is just keeping an eye out locally.

[J.W. Wall]

Tohono Chul Nature Park's curator, Russ Buhrow, was recently in the paper saying the wildflower outlook is very poor this year due to the lack of moisture. The park, in Tucson, is a beautiful place to visit. http://www.tohonochulpark.org/

[dave wyman]

It will not be a good year for wildflowers in Death Valley unless the storm track drops towards the south. There has been something over an inch of rain since last summer.<div></div>

[markplawchan]

There hasn't been ANY measurable precipitation in the Scottsdale/Phoenix/Valley of the Sun since October 18th....

[bert_nelson1]

> I seem to recall hearing that Death Valley was good last February

<br>

<br>

There may have been some blooming going on in Februrary, but I found

mid-March to be fantastic when I went. Different parts of the park bloom at different times.<br>

<br>

 

See <A HREF="http://www.nps.gov/deva/FrameSet-Wildflower.htm">http://www.nps.gov/deva/FrameSet-Wildflower.htm </A> for more details from the National Park Service on the best times for different areas of Death Valley National Park.

[J.W. Wall]

Just for anyone who checks this thread later, a good site to visit for updates as the season (if any) progresses, is: http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/az.html