We had an unusually rainy February in the valley, so the wildflower season has been gorgeous. (I say this as a newcomer, but even the veterans are impressed with the display this year.)
I have been taking pictures on some of my hikes at places like Cave Creek, the White Tanks, and Piestewa Peak. I have been able to identify the following wildflowers (and this is an incomplete list!):
Brittle Bush
Canyon Ragweed
Desert Senna
Desert Globemallow
Orange Fiddle-neck
Compass Barrel Cactus
Englemann's Hedgehog Cactus (a.k.a. Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus)
Mexican Gold Poppy
Arroyo (Desert) Lupine
Blue Phacelia (a.k.a. Baby Blue Eyes, Wild Heliotrope, Scorpionweed)
Fairy Duster
Owl's Clover
Desert Chicory
Wow! The Sonoran Desert is so beautiful in spring! Already the wildflowers are past their prime, though. I went to Thunderbird Park today, and the sparse clusters of lupines were fading, the fiddle-necks were getting dry. Nothing stops the brittle bushes, though. They're still going strong, as are the creosote bush, ocotillo, and foothill palo verde trees. I spotted dainty phacelia on the south side of the mountain, along with large yellow compass barrel cactus buds ready to open soon. The north side of the mountain had more flowers; that's where I spotted the lupines and fiddle-necks. The brittle-bushes are everywhere, as well as creosote, of course. And wheat-like wild grasses are abundant.
I will have to find out how to post pictures on my blog!
