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 2026-2027 bloom report:

© borregowildflowers.org

2026/2027 Bloom

October 7: It's warm and very dry Plants that are blooming above average include: Datura wrightii, Jimson weed and Heterotheca grandiflora, Telegraph weed, which are both perennials.

Click on the blue cloud above to head to our detailed rain data page.

More info on Tom Chester 2027 bloom report.

October/6/2026 Santa Ysabel West

The goal was to find Datura stramonium, Common jimson weed, which is a common plant in the Netherlands.
Even though the creek was no longer flowing, one Datura stramonium was in bloom.

One of the best blooming plants: Croton setiger (Dove weed) and Ambrosia psilostachya, Western ragweed.
Trichostema lanceolatum, vinegar weed, while the bloom is below-average, there are still many in good bloom.
Many Persicaria punctata, dotted smartweed, are in good bloom.
Buckwheat is in good bloom.

A field of Symphyotrichum defoliatum, San Bernardino aster, was seen, and it was surprising that it was only a few centimeters high, probably having been grazed and now growing back very small.

While hiking, we used more water than on previous days. When we arrived at the car, the reason was obvious: It was 95 degrees at 11 a.m.

Temperature: 75-95 Mostly sunny.
Bloom: Looking very dry away from the lake, around the lake green.


Hike details, click on the photo's above


All our plants from this date on iNaturalist
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iNat observations may be posted later-on, as our time is limited.

October/4/2026 Lake Henshaw

There is always something new to be found here. Most of the new plants we find are non-native.
Today's new plant is the Amaranthus blitum, Purple Amaranth.

There are hundreds of Nama stenocarpa, Mud Nama, many of which are in bloom.
Another target plant is Cyperus michelianus, which forms a ring around the lake and resembles grass.
Sporobolus schoenoides, Swamp pricklegrass, is also present in large numbers.
We were very puzzled by not finding Malvella leprosa, Alkali Mallow, in bloom, despite it being one of the most common plants out here.

Many of these plants are salt plants, so we wondered how salty the lake water is that is ultimately used for drinking.

Temperature: 68-86 Sunny.
Bloom: Looking very dry away from the lake, around the lake green.


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/3/2026 Johnson Canyon

We wanted to follow up on a monkey flower that we found a couple of years ago, but it was too dry.
The Lessingia glandulifera glandulifera (Sticky lessingia) and Senecio flaccidus monoensis (Mono groundsel) are doing fine.

We followed horse trails to create an almost complete loop and shortened the hike by taking a shortcut.
There was a lot of hiking up and down, and it was warm and sunny.

Temperature: -84 sometimes a breeze, Sunny.
Bloom: Looking very dry.


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/2/2026 Cuyamaca Lake Trail

Today, our goal was to find Jacobaea vulgaris vulgaris, common ragwort a non-native plant, which is a very common plant in the Netherlands.
Jacobaea vulgaris vulgaris typically blooms for an extended period, and even after months, we still found a few plants that were in full bloom.
Another unexpected find for us was a non-native plant: Helenium amarum, or bitterweed.

We don't remember it being this dry out here; even the creeks at the start of the hike were completely dry.
Nevertheless, we found a good number of different plants in bloom, though most were in low numbers.

Temperature: 70-80 with a breeze, Sunny.
Bloom: 30+, with only Euthamia occidentalis , Western goldenrod in good bloom.


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: 2025-2026 Season: 2024-2025 Season: 2023-2024 Season: 2022-2023 Season: 2021-2022 Season: 2020-2021 Season: 2019-2020 Season: 2018-2019 Season: 2017-2018 Season: 2016-2017