Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers: Bloom report



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Data are collected following the hiked path shown below and includes the immediate area.
One fertile flower (male or female), is all it takes to count a species in bloom.

We try to visit a lot of different areas, but areas with a better bloom may be visited more often.
It makes a huge difference if the bloom count is from a very dry badlands area, or from a place with a good rainfall or along a creek.

The data in the graph are averaged out over a couple of days, to show the actual daily bloom count in the graph, click on the legend on the right until only one is active (black).
With only one selected bars will pop up representing the daily bloom count.


Tom Chester made a couple of great pages with more specific data: Tom Chester bloom reports

The 2024-2025 bloom report:

October 2024 Bloom prediction

We have had some isolated thunderstorms that may result in isolated end of year blooms.
The tremendous heat of 110+ degrees, even at higher elevations, will make this a very short end of year bloom.
Flowering will be along water, such as recently or still flowing streams.

More info on Tom Chester 2025 bloom report.

October/7/2024 Espinosa Pine Valley Creek Loop

The goal was to find new plants before the heat toasted them.
We left Borrego Springs very early at 6:30 a.m., arrived just before 8 a.m., and hiked counterclockwise to get some shade on the last part of the hike.

The bloom was much worse than expected and a far cry from the good spring bloom.
This is certainly the year to see Erythranthe cardinalis | Scarlet Monkeyflower, here we found the largest population so far, covering the creek almost endlessly.

We were happy to record at least one new plant Xanthisma junceum | Rush like Bristleweed, with a good number of flowering plants.
Normally the creek is much too wide to cross, but now it was dry and we could hike cross country to Espinosa Creek. There was some water here, but not enough for anything new.

Temperature: 69(8am)-94, sunny, almost no wind.

Bloom: Low.


Hike details, click on the photo's above


All our plants from this date on iNaturalist
Please wait, it can take a while for the page to load.
iNat observations may be posted later-on, as our time is limited.

October/6/2024 Boiling Spring Escondido Ravine Loop

This could be the warmest day of the month, with 112 degrees predicted. So we choose early and high.

The goal today was to check out Eriogonum umbellatum munzi | Munz's sulphur flower, there is a recent observation at the voucher location.
We were worried about the timing and the heat this year, but we found several plants and some in reasonably good bloom.

For this occasion we made a new loop along the target plant. The rocky Escondido Ravine drainage is a nice place in a wetter year, we didn't find any significant water along our route.
Best flowering plant along the route: Epilobium canum latifolium | California Fuchsia.

Temperature: 70(9am)-93, sunny, almost no wind.

Bloom: Low.


Hike details, click on the photo's above


All our plants from this date on iNaturalist
Please wait, it can take a while for the page to load.
iNat observations may be posted later-on, as our time is limited.

October/5/2024 Green Valley Falls - Sweetwater Loop

It's over 110 degrees in Borrego Springs and even here it's pretty hot.
We shortened our loop and did a partial Oakzanita Peak loop at the end, totaling about 3 hours.

The plant action is along the rivers and creeks, with good numbers of flowering Euthamia occidentalis | Western Goldenrod, Erythranthe cardinalis | Scarlet Monkeyflower and Oenothera elata hirsutissima | Hooker's Evening Primrose.
The goal today was to find Helenium puberulum, we had several good GPS locations, but we did not find any.

Let's hope for cooler weather.

Temperature: 54(8am)-86, sunny, almost no wind.

Bloom: Low, probably just over 20 blooming plants.


Hike details, click on the photo's above


All our plants from this date on iNaturalist
Please wait, it can take a while for the page to load.
iNat observations may be posted later-on, as our time is limited.

Reports from previous seasons

Season: 2023-2024 Season: 2022-2023 Season: 2021-2022 Season: 2020-2021 Season: 2019-2020 Season: 2018-2019 Season: 2017-2018 Season: 2016-2017