Desert Wildflowers
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We'd like to see your pictures too. E-mail your digital photos and reports to Jim@desertusa.com. Use Wildflower Report as the subject of your e-mail. Let us know where you took the photo and the date.

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May 3 2012 David Reports: I was in the Sierra foothills, north of Sacramento, last weekend. Even though it was a fairly dry winter, the flowers are blooming. Everything was very green, and there was a pretty good wildflower show. I spotted some nice globe lilies, lots of lupine, big head clover, Douglas's Triteleia, some poppies, white brodiaea, and blue eye grass.

Apr 13 2012 John Reports: This weekend I enjoyed many wildflowers along a very scenic Hwy 140 along the Merced River between El Portal and Yosemite National Park. See attached photos from Saturday morning around 10:00 a.m. 4/21/2012. Millions of poppies, lots of lupine and many others.

Apr 13 2012 BLM Reports: Poppy blooms are the best they've been in years, on BLM-managed lands along the Merced River. These photos were taken on Friday, April 6, 2012

Mar 28 2012 Ashley Reports: Visited Lower Kern River Canyon on the 24th of March, staying on the old main road. See attached picture Lower Kern Canyon 076. Flowering roadside were the following:- California Goldfields, Gilia, Fiddlenecks, Coulter's Jewel Flower, California Poppies, Coreopsis, Cryptantha, Lupine, Small flowered Blazing Star, Bush Monkey Flower, Desert Figwort and Phacelia. Flowers should remain showing for at least another week.

Also Visited Cannell trail just North of Kernville. See attached picture Cannell Trail 316 & 235. Flowering were the following:- California Goldfields, Gilia, Wallflower, Fiddlenecks, Suncups, Owls Clover, Indian Paintbrush, Coulter's Jewel Flower, Yellow Pincushion, California Poppies, Coreopsis, Cryptantha, Whispering Bells, Linanthus, Lupine, Small flowered Blazing Star, Silver Puffs and Phacelia. Flowers should remain showing strong for at least another two weeks.

Mar 13 2012 CTS Reports: A few lupine scattered on Sacramento River levee near Colusa State Park. Most of the wildflower show is very sparse due to dry conditions. Many trees starting to blossom and leaf in the riparian areas. Canon EOS 7D, EF 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM

Mar 7 2012 BLM Reports: Unfortunately this year the winter has been very dry, therefore we are not expecting a spectacular spring annual wildflower display.

Regardless, it is still a little early for most things throughout much of the Owens Valley but there are a few things just beginning to bloom in the southern part of the Owens Valley. An occasional blooming bush sunflower (Encelia actoni) can be seen on Hwy. 395 along with the desert dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata). Blooming wildflowers are a little more common at lower elevations south of Owens Lake.

Feb 25 2012 CTS Reports: Not wildflowers, however, Almond orchards in the Sacramento Valley nearing full bloom. This photo from Walnut Avenue & Hwy 20 West of Williams, CA 2-24-2012. Cow Camp (BLM) on Hwy 16 and foothills all along Hwy 20 to Hwy 16 are very dry! I do not believe this season is going to produce much of a wildflower display, just too dry. Some common henbit if one looks closely. Roadside has some redbud showing some blossoms.

Feb 22 2012 John Reports: Visited North Table Mountain (DFG area) 7 miles north of Oroville yesterday. Few flowers at this time and with the dry conditions, this season may not be too spectacular. Some Padre's Shooting Stars, Bitter Root (buds only), a few sparse Douglas' Violets. No lupine, one poppy and some very small "stickyseeds". One has to look closely. The Cascade Onions appear to be budding also.

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.

Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...

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