By Jürgen Schrenk
After yet another week of waiting for the temps to go down watching our Monarch production and limiting our walks to local parks, I was worried that I might completely miss the monsoonal “spring” in the desert. So, I went on a quick drive along S-2 to check (without Ruth, who for unknown reasons refuses to join me at triple digit temperatures!). My first stop at Cool Canyon had no flowers but the ocotillos were green.
Things became more colorful in Blair Valley with Hog Potato (Hoffmannseggia glauca) in full bloom (below).
There were also a few pretty weeds, including silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), below.
but most flowers were natives, such as Parish goldeneye (Bahiopsis parishii) shown below, and...
from inconspicuous plants like California caltrop (Kallstroemia californica) below,
to ‘impossible to miss’ manybristle chinchweed (Pectis papposa) below.
The biggest surprise, however, was was Oriflamme Canyon Road, with masses of flowering desert willows (Chilopsis linearis).
The Mason Valley Cactus Gardens looked healthy with pink teddy-bear cholla (Cylindropuntia fosbergii), as did the surrounding desert…
and my favorite cactus species in Canyon 41, jumping cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii), below.