Bloom Reports from the Anza-Borrego Desert: Featured Photographs Vs. Time
The Bloom Report Page typically features one or two photographs that are updated roughly once per month. When that page was updated, those photographs were no longer linked online. This page presents those photographs in time order from all years that have bloom pages with photographs. Few photographs are from the peak bloom part of the season since too many things are happening to update the photographs.
All pictures by Tom Chester unless other indicated.
Photographs were added to the Bloom Report Page beginning on 24 February 2009; earlier Pages had no photographs.
2008-2009 | |
24 February 2009 | |
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| Picture of a small field of hairy sand verbena, Abronia villosa; and both the white and yellow versions of brown-eyed primrose, Camissonia claviformis ssp. peirsonii; taken in Coachwhip Canyon on 24 February 2009 at dusk; see also larger version. | |
2 March 2009 | |
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| Picture of a field of hairy desert-sunflower, Geraea canescens, along the eastern portion of Henderson Canyon Road, taken on 2 March 2009; see also larger version which shows how patchy this bloom is. This used to be a stunning field of sunflower before the Sahara mustard, Brassica tournefortii, took over this area. See how carpets of flowers have been diminished by the mustard. | |
7 March 2009 | |
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| Both pictures taken on 7 March 2009 at the base of Coyote Mountain, just north of Henderson Canyon Road and just west of the Pegleg Monument. | |
4 April 2009 | |
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| Both pictures taken on 4 April 2009 in Henderson Canyon. | |
2009-2010 | |
15 November 2009 | |
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| Both pictures taken on 15 November 2009 in Lower Willows, Coyote Canyon. | |
1 December 2009 | |
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| Both pictures taken on 1 December 2009 in the Elephant Tree Area just south of Ocotillo Wells. | |
24 January 2010 | |
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| Both pictures taken on 24 January 2010 in Hellhole Canyon (one canyon south of Borrego Palm Canyon immediately west of Borrego Springs) by Mike Crouse. | |
23 February 2010 | |
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| Picture taken on 23 February 2010 a few hundred feet past the end of the pavement of DiGiorgio Road, from immediately alongside the road. See also the larger picture showing the evil non-native Asian mustard, Brassica tournefortii, about to put an end to future displays like this here. As recently as 15 years ago, there was no Asian mustard here, and the native wildflower displays were much more extensive. | |
2010-2011 | |
17 December 2010 | |
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| Pictures taken on 17 December 2010 along the Villager Peak Trail. The yellow-head flower is larger than life size; it is only ~1 cm (1/2 inch) tall. | |
19 January 2011 | |
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| Pictures of two annual plants taken on 19 January 2011 in Harper Canyon. The Mimulus plant is about the size of your hand; the Nemacladus flower is only a few mm (0.1 inch) across (note the pen tip for scale) | |
2011-2012 | |
7 November 2011 | |
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| Pictures taken on 7 November 2011 in lowermost Culp Valley along S22.
The Chamaesyce flower is minute, about one tenth the width of your thumbnail, on a plant the size of your hand usually filled with hundreds of such little smiling faces. The Eriogonum plant is 2-3 feet high. S22 in Culp Valley is lined with Eriogonum elongatum plants in bloom. | |
6 January 2012 | |
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| Pictures taken on 6 January 2012 on the PCT above Scissors Crossing, in San Felipe Valley north of SR78. The Mirabilis bigelovii flower is the size of your thumbnail. The Matelea parvifolia flower is the size of one fourth of your thumbnail. Those are fingers holding the Matelea flower for the photo. | |
9 February 2012 | |
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| Pictures taken on 9 February 2012 in Bisnaga Alta Wash between the Vallecito and Carrizo Valleys. Both species are often ten times larger in better rainfall years, with many more flowers (note the even smaller cryptantha at the lower left of the picture that will probably have even fewer blooms). Without further rainfall, these are essentially all the flowers these plants are going to produce. Tom walked right by 20 plants of this purple mat that were in bloom without even noticing them.
The cryptantha was found immediately beside S2, which had germination from the extra water that ran off the road. The purple mat was found in only two small spots in a survey of several miles of the wash, in spots where water was probably more plentiful. In poor rainfall years like this, the best place to look for annuals is in such wetter spots. | |
2012-2013 | |
10 October 2012 | |
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| Pictures taken on 10 October 2012. A single plant of desert unicorn-plant, aka yellow-flowered Devil's Claw, Proboscidea althaeifolia, was still in bloom in the Smuggler Canyon area; the rest were entirely in fruit, showing their unripe unicorn fruit and their ripe devil's claws. Six plants of catchfly prairie-gentian, Eustoma exaltatum, were on their last flowers at Agua Caliente County Park. Both flowers are fairly large, about the size of your thumb. | |
2 December 2012 | |
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| Pictures taken on 2 December 2012 in Horse Canyon, above the Turkey Track of Upper Coyote Canyon. | |
2 January 2013 | |
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| Pictures taken on 2 January 2013 in Plum Canyon. | |
