Desert Wildflowers - Phoenix - Northern AZ

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May 9, 2012 Linda reports: I hiked Mingus Mountain above Jerome two weeks ago and I found these two flowers that I cannot find anywhere in the wildflower sites. Anyone have a clue?

May 4, 2012 Steve reports: May 3rd. I went up to Mt. Ord, the closest place to Phoenix to get to higher elevation for plants. There were lots of Calochortus ambiguous and I saw a few of the yellow variety of the Desert Mariposa (Calochortus kennedyi var munzii). Mixed in were Allium acuminatum the Taper Tip Onion. Yucca bacata is in bloom and the Hoary Aster is starting. Along the road at lower elevation the Engelmann Prickly Pear was blooming and the Smoke Trees have started.

May 4, 2012 Paul reports: Highway 60 from Miami-to-Globe still has robust patches of goldpoppies (particularly as you drive through the community of claypool, near the copper mine entrance and the Freeport 'Rod Plant'); as well as four-foot-tall, white Prickly Poppies and other colorful roadside wildflowers. Want to see and photograph more unusual varietals? Continue north of Globe on hwy 60 to Timber Camp, about a half-hour drive north of town & at higher elevation. Migrant warblers are back and i heard both Grace's and Black-throated Gray singing at the boundaries of their courtship territories in the ponderosa pines and upland junipers. Other colorful birds Wednesday included Western Tanager, Plumbeous Vireo, Broad-tailed Hummingbird and Bridled Titmouse - plus a raucous flock of Gray-breasted Jays that flew in to scold my dogs as they romped around the woods.

Park at Timber Camp and walk the forest service dirt roads up into the juniper-grasslands to see Doubting Mariposa lilies; these are more deeply colored than i've seen in recent years. Groundsel adds yellow color, and there were even a few dark-blue Larkspurs (Delphinium parishii), orange globemallow, and woodland lupines. Beautiful spot for a daytrip, hike & picnic. You can camp in the adjacent campground, but no pass is required for daytrippers who park immediately in and to the right, near the toilets. Park there & walk northwest past the livestock corral, down into the forest, and then up into the grassy-woodland above the campground.

May 1, 2012, Bayou Bill reports: Saguaro blooms are everywhere around central Arizona right now. It's no wonder this is the Arizona state flower. The clusters are so beautiful.

 

April 27, 2012 Boyce Thompson Arboretum wildflower tourguide Cass Blodgett reports: "What's new and notable this week at BTA? Robust yellow monkeyflower along Queen Creek, at the trail's narrowest pinch-point where the chain link fence is all that prevents you from tumbling down into the creek. Look for one vivid red Twining Snapdragon flowering and woven into that chainlink fence, too. Join me Saturday April 28 for the season finale springtime wildflower walk at 11am; weekend nature walks are included with $9 daily admission (read more at [http://ag.arizona.edu/bta])

What else will we see this weekend? Cactus flowers are more numerous and showy - particularly the "Boyce Thompson" subspecies of colorful magenta Strawberry Hedgehogs; and watch for yellow-to-peach colored blooms on native prickly pears. The cactus garden still has an impressive crop of Desert Marigold and pretty patches of Prickly Phlox. As you walk above Ayer Lake watch for native bright green Hopbush covered in bright yellow seed pods. Wolfberry (or "Tomatillo") fruits are unusually thick on those shrubs this year, one look at these ripe fruits and you'll see where that shrub got its common name. Walk along the shaded riparian corridor beside Queen Creek and enjoy thickets of blue-flowered phacelia that border the trail; BTA staff report the jury's still out on just which variety of phacelia this is! Here are 10 great reasons to walk the High Trail this week: Bush Penstemon (Keckiella antirrhinoides) are blooming strong and bright yellow shortly after you start the trail from the suspension bridge (east) end; watch for Red Mint, Miner's Lettuce, Larkspur (Delphinium parishii), Desert Phlox, and Perezia (that's new this week).

You'll see great views of Elderberry trees (Sambucus mexicana) with white flower-clusters along Queen Creek down below; White Ratany along the trail, and for a special treat you can get up close to a patch of Mariposa Lilies growing right on the trailside. And the 10th is a delicate pink-flowered Taper-tip Onion which is a first sighting in the park (at least for me). Join me Saturday and see the blooms.

Pink-flowered Taper-tip Onion

April 24, 2012 Bayou Bill reports: Yellow blooms were from some cholla's we found on Peralta Trail this afternoon. The red blooms are from a type of prickly pear.

April 21, 2012 Karen and Bill report: The Apache Trail has the prettiest display of Ocotillo's I've seen. Hedgehog blooms (pic) are still everywhere. Prickly Pear cactus are in the very early stages of bloom and will bust out any day. The area past the pavement and before Fish Creek Hill seemed best.

April 18, 2012 Paul reports: Boyce Thompson Arboretum has just two springtime guided wildflower walks left - April 22 (Sunday) and again the following Saturday, April 28, at 11am [http://ag.arizona.edu/bta]. These and other Arboretum nature walks are included with $9 daily admission. New flowers spotted this week include Climbing Milkweed (Sarcostemma cynanchoides); watch for a particularly easy-to-find one of these blooming at the easternmost end of the main trail, near the handrail of the hairpin turn down below Picket Post Mansion. Look for white flowers and clusters of tiny orange aphids - hundreds, maybe thousands of them. Slightly uphill are a few Mustard Evening Primrose (Camissonia californica); while down in the riparian grove along gurgling, splashing Queen Creek you'll find knee-high trailside thickets of pale-blue phacelia. Elderberry trees (Sambucus mexicana) have white flower-cluster 'doilies' along silver king wash and queen creek; perhaps a good omen of summertime fruit production?

Showy Colorado four o'clock are blooming beneath the red gum trees in the eucalyptus grove, white ratany has paradoxically red flowers along the Curandero Trail, and prickly pear cactus blossoms ('The Yellow Rose of Texas') are more numerous this week. Watch for asparagus-spear-shaped stalks of the golden-flowered agave (Agave chrysantha) in various places from the cactus garden up towards the mansion. And Tomatillo fruits are ripe, juicy and abundant -- bright red berries the size of coffeebeans add bursts of color to the otherwise inconspicuous Anderson Thornbush (Lycium andersonii) this year. Watch for cliff chipmunks, black-throated sparrows and other photogenic resident critters to feast on these ephemeral fruits while they're ripe and available during the final two weeks of April.

April 16, 2012 Bill reports: A prickly pear of some type in the desert N. Scottsdal, Az.

April 14 Delmar reports: There was an awesome ocotillo display along AZ 96 from Hillside to the junction with AZ 93/97 (close to Bagdad) today.

April 13 Paul in Globe reports: Robust clumps of roadside goldpoppies border Highway 60 from Miami to GLOBE this week (about 90 miles east of Phoenix), and there's still abundant roadside color on Highway 70 from Globe for 30 miles heading east onto the San Carlos Apache reservation enroute to Safford (sundrops, dandelions, lupines, desert marigold & chicory). Doubting mariposa lilies can be seen and photographed on the south side of hwy 70 near the 70/77 crossroads just east of Globe. Forest Service Road 527 (about 3 miles north of this crossroads, a turn west off hwy 77) has thick patches of cream cups growing in the prickly shade of catclaw acacia; great photos with goldpoppies mixed in, or with a blue-purple backgound of phacelia. ROUND MOUNTAIN PARK has a unusual flowers at peak color this week.

Hike the East Mountain Trail which drops downhill immediately right past the entry gate to see wallflower, penstemon barbatus, blackfoot daisies, doubting marposa lilies and false garlic. Hedgehog cacti are blooming at this elevation - and Round Mountain has particularly vivid dark ones - including a few cristate cacti you'll see trailside. The City of Globe's Round Mountain Park is located just west of the highway 60/70 stoplights; turn north onto the road between Zen's Cafe and Two Lanes bar to get there. Watch for hillsides carpeted with Night-scented Stock (Matthiola longipetala) as you approach the entry gate and bathrooms. This invasive nonnative plant, does have its charms - in particular the sweet perfume in the evening if you walk trails at sunset or sunrise. Watch for delphinium along the East Mountain Trail, too. Trails at Round Mountain park are a great place to see and photograph hedgehog cacti in April and May; if you've never been here - make a point of hiking Round Mountain Park trails this spring.

April 12 Patty reports: My friend Sallie and I were out looking for wildflowers on April 4-5 in the Arizona Strip. They were hard to find, but at Toroweap we felt like we hit the jackpot. Using a hand-held Canon G12 we got these.

April 11 Paul at BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM reports: Flowers to see and photograph this week include elderberry, tomatillo, Colorado four o'clock, white ratany, prickly phlox and mustard evening primrose -- and the season's first prickly pear cactus blossoms ("The Yellow Rose of Texas") are starting to appear. Two more guided wildflower walks are scheduled for this Spring: April 14 & 22, at 11am. These and other Arboretum nature walks are included with $9 daily admission (read more about events at http://ag.arizona.edu/bta). Where to find this week's colorful blossoms? Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) is the tall shrub with white 'lace doilies' of flower clusters just as you enter the hummingbird-butterfly garden; also watch for 'em along silver king wash and queen creek. They have abundant flowers this year -- will elderberry fruit production be equally robust? Tomatillo fruits are ripe and juicy -- bright red berries the size of coffeebeans add bursts of color to the otherwise inconspicuous Anderson Thornbush (Lycium andersonii) this year. Watch for cliff chipmunks, black-throated sparrows and other photogenic little resident critters to feast on these ephemeral fruits while they're ripe and available. Prickly phlox (Eriastrum diffusum) are blooming above the quincho, small plants which can carpet the ground with pale blue star-shaped flower clusters in a good year. Showy mariposa lilies are more numerous than in recent memory -

Monday there were three nice mariposas blooming above the trail and at left as you approach the Ayer Lake overlook. Delphinium are having a good year, too; look for the big, spreading patch at right while walking eastbound and uphill above Ayer Lake just as you approach the Picket Post Mansion overlook. While descending down the 'switchbacks' section of trail watch for mustard evening primrose (Camissonia brevipes); White Ratany adds color along the curandero trail (and a special guided ethnobotany tour of the Curandero Trail on Saturday, April 14, at 1:30 p.m. brings a chance to meet author Jean Groen and learn about ethnobotanical uses of ratany and other trailside plants). Watch for asparagus-spear-shaped stalks of golden-flowered agaves (Agave chrysantha) in various places from the cactus garden up towards the mansion, and Colorado Four O'Clock blooming strong, and right on schedule, beneath the shade of towering red gum trees in the eucalyptus forest.

Apr 2, 2012 Paul at BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM reports: Found some nice color on the hillsides above arnett canyon in superior, az its a 4WD road going in, but the distance is short and 2WD'rs can park at highway 60 and hike from there if you want to see and photography Mariposa Lilies above Arnett Canyon near Boyce Thompson Arboretum just west of Superior, AZ. Photographer Philip Lowe and I took a quick trip over there at lunchtime saturday & found abundant Mariposa Lilies and the season's first Hedgehog cacti.

Also miniature wooly star (Eriastrum diffusum), brittlebush, clumps of fleabane daisies, rattlesnakeweed spurge - and just one golden-yellow prickly pear blossom. Directions? Take Hwy 60 past Boyce Thompson Arboretum - just east of BTA watch for the south-bound (right-hand if you're driving east) turnoff onto the unmarked Apache Tears Mine Road (also known as the "wagon tracks" road), a dirt road with a cattleguard immediately adjacent on highway 60. If you have a low clearance vehicle, take my advice and park on the highway side of the cattleguard and walk in - its about 1/4 mile hike down to Queen Creek; the Mariposa lilies and other flowers described here were found in the hills above Queen Creek, overlooking Arnett Creek and Arnett Canyon -- maybe another 3/4 mile hike up above Queen Creek. *** We saw a Zone-tailed Hawk fly over as we reached the rim of Arnett Canyon - first I've seen here this year.

March 28 2012 Paul at BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM reports: new this week - our first Mariposa Lilies are flowering, and Arizona Native Plants Society Chapter President Cass Blodgett spotted Larkspur beginning to bloom in a patch near the highest point on the main trail. Learn to ID wildflowers Saturday (3/31) at 11:00am when Cass leads his weekly wildflower walk; these continue in April and are included with daily admission of $9 (at no charge if you're a BTA annual member or have an Arizona State Parks annual pass).
Cactus blossoms worth visiting to see this week include a rare Claret Cup hedgehog (Echinocereus triglochidiatus, var. Arizonicus) with vivid red flowers easily photographable in the raised bed where the Main Trail crosses Silver King Wash. Native 'Boyce Thompson' Hedgehog cacti named in honor of the park's founder are flowering as you walk the main trail above Ayer Lake

March 27 Paul reports: ROUND MOUNTAIN PARK IN GLOBE, about 90 miles east of Phoenix, has a few unusual varietals at peak color this week. Hike the East Mountain Trail which drops downhill immediately right past the entry gate to see wallflower, penstemon barbatus, blackfoot daisies, doubting marposa lilies and false garlic. Hedgehog cacti are just beginning to bloom at this elevation - and Round Mountain has particularly vivid dark ones - including a few cristate cacti you'll see trailside. The City of Globe's Round Mountain Park is located just west of the highway 60/70 stoplights; take the road between Zen's Cafe and Two Lanes bar to get there. Watch for hillsides carpeted with Night-scented Stock (Matthiola longipetala) as you approach the entry gate and bathrooms. Its an invasive nonnative plant, but has a sweet perfume in the evening if you walk trails at sunset or sunrise. Watch for delphinium along the East Mountain Trail, too. Trails at Round Mountain park are a great place to see and photograph hedgehog cacti in April and May; if you've never been here - make a point of hiking Round Mountain Park trails this spring. http://www.globeaz.gov/departments/recreation/round-mountain-park

March 22 2012 Paul at BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM reports: Our first cactus blossoms of the season include a rare Claret Cup hedgehog (Echinocereus triglochidiatus, var. Arizonicus) with a dozen vivid red flowers open and easily photographed in the raised bed where the Main Trail crosses Silver King Wash. And watch for the first of our native 'Boyce Thompson' Hedgehog cacti flowering as you walk the main trail up above Ayer Lake; at least four have purple-magenta flowers above the lake and at the highest point on the trail where visitors have the closest view of Picket Post Mansion; we'll see lots more over the next few weeks. Learn to ID wildflowers Sunday (3/25) at 11:00am when Arizona Native Plants Society Chapter President Cass Blodgett leads his weekly wildflower walk.

Joining him Sunday will be Arizona author Christine Maxa ("Arizona's Best Wildflower Hikes: The Desert"), an expert on the inter-relationships between flowers and native pollinators. Maxa will sign copies of her books following the 11:00-12:30 walking tour. Wildflower walks are included with daily admission of $9 (at no charge if you're a BTA annual member or have an Arizona State Parks annual pass).

Cass tells us Highway 60 East from Florence Junction is lined with Pink Parry's Penstemon along with multi-colored Globemallow, Lupine, Poppies, Desert Marigold and Fairy Duster. Brittlebush are starting to bloom as well, adding bright yellow to hills north of the road. Here at BTA, trailside flowers in the CACTUS GARDEN include Mexican Goldpoppies, Lupine, Bladderpod, Owls Clover, Parry's Penstemon and Western Dayflower. On the HIGH TRAIL Miners Lettuce is thick at the base of the rhyolite cliffs; Wallflower and Purple Bladderpod and trailside, and the most observant viewers may see one bright Red Mint (Stachys coccinea) below the trail in a seep.

March 16, 2012, John reports: On March 15, 2012, I took a drive outside Safford to the Black Hills Back Country Byway. Some of the west facing hillsides were splashed with yellow, and there were hillsides of poppies within about the first four to five miles or so of the drive. Many of the hillsides face east, making them hidden from view until you are almost on top of them. Mid morning to mid afternoon is probably the best time for picture taking on the east facing slopes and afternoon for the west facing slopes. I spent several hours in just a few locations and ran out of time to explore numerous other areas.

The road is a BLM Backcountry Byway, so no 4WD is necessary, but it does have washboard as well as some rough sections, so a high clearance vehicle is a good idea, especially for side road trips into other flower filled hillsides. I took these pictures at a conveniently located roadside interpretive stop near an abandoned cinder mine. The color in this area seemed pretty close to peaking, but other areas look to be a week or two in the making. To get there, take I-10 east or US 70 to Safford and then another 10 miles to the Clifton/Morenci Jct, the watch carefully for the BLM byway sign on the left up about 3 or 4 miles. You will pass a byway kiosk and about 4 miles or so up on the left watch for flower filled hillsides. Make sure you gas up in Safford.. as there are no services beyond. Have fun!

March 15, 2012, Jan reports: Thanks to Paul for his wonderful report on March 12, 2012. Peridot Mesa was fabulous! One of the best poppy displays I have ever seen, and would never have known about this hidden treasure without the concise report from Paul. We live in Lake Montezuma, Arizona, so it was quite a long trip but well worth it!!!

March 12, 2012, Paul reports: Peridot Mesa on the San Carlos Apache reservation remains a worthy destination for wildflower photography - i was there over the weekend and can faithfully report that, though poppies are waning and going to seed, enough color remains for landscape shots of poppy-covered hillsides. Fact is, you'll see roadside hills lined with poppies for about 12 miles as you approach Peridot Mesa heading east. -- Starting shortly after you enter the Apache lands just past the City of Globe boundary line on highway 70 and near the Apache Gold Casino & Best Western hotel. That's no hype - 12 miles of colorful hills border the highway; watch for blue borders of robust roadside lupines, white patches of chicory, and a few clutches of cream-white desert dandelion. **** Make sure to buy your $10 recreation permit to explore and photograph flowers on the Apache reservation. Its tribal law, and the $$ you spend helps support the Apaches' Recreation and Wildlife manageme
nt program.

Buy yours in Globe at the Fast Stop convenience store west of the Hwy 60/70 stoplights, or at the Circle K a half-mile farther east on Hwy 70 -- or at the Basha's Grocery Store on the reservation near hwy 70 milepost #271, just two miles east of Peridot Mesa and conveniently nearby.

Peridot Mesa is arguably the most accessible place in AZ for flower photographers driving from Phoenix or Tucson. You're on highway 70 to within less than a mile of the mesa, you can see the color easily from hwy 70, and the dirt road leading up and over the mesa is suitable for just about any vehicle driven slowly and carefully. No 4WD or high clearance needed.

DIRECTIONS: from Globe take hwy 70 east for about 20 minutes. Slow down at milepost #268 and watch carefully at left for an unmarked dirt road recognizable by two 'Capital H-shaped' white metal poles bracketing each side of a cattleguard. Turn here and head north; after 1/4 mile or so the road splits at a large white sign; bear right and drive towards the hillsides of color. Other flowers to watch for: amsinckia, filaree, phacelia, bluedicks, owl's clover. Peak color should continue for another week - for an update call Harold, Savina or other San Carlos Apache Recreation & Wildlife Department staff at 928.475.2344.

March 12, 2012, George reports: A few miles south of Superior on Highway 177 toward Winkleman, I found spectacular color on two hillsides: phacelia, desert marigold, poppies, canterbury bells and lupines. Check both sides of the highway.

 

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We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone. iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.

Photos tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography and wildflowers photos.

 

For other state reports click on link below

Wildflower Field Guide

Mojave Desert Wildflowers book 200 color photos

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When Will The Wildflowers Bloom?
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