DesertUSADesert Plants & Wildflowers


How Do Plants Survive the Desert? -- Desert plants have adapted to the extremes of heat and aridity by using both physical and behavioral mechanisms, much like desert animals. The ingenuity and variety of these many adaptations are explored in Desert Plant Survival and the Desert Food Chain

Wildflowers | Cactus & Succulents | Trees, Shrubs, Grasses
Wildflower Articles | Related Information | 2008 Wildflower Season Reports

Video available on this subject. indicates video available on this subject. Video available on this subject.
Videos require Flash and a fast connection.

The Saguaro The Saguaro often begins life in the shelter of a "nurse" tree or shrub which can provide a shaded, moister habitat for the germination of life. The Saguaro grows very slowly -- perhaps an inch a year -- but to a great height, 15 to 50 feet.

The Desert Food ChainThe Desert Food Chain
A food chain constitutes a complex network of organisms, from plants to animals, through which energy, derived from the sun, flows in the form of organic matter and dissipates in the form of waste heat.


Wildflower Field Guide

For more information on a plant or a wildflower click on the links below.

What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports

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CACTUS & SUCCULENTS

Barrel Cactus

Beavertail Cactus

Chain Fruit Cholla

Cholla Cactus

Claret Cup Cactus

Desert Christmas Cactus

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TREES, SHRUBS, GRASSES

Bastard Toadflax

Crucifixion Thorn

California Fan Palm

Cocklebur

Cottonwood

Creosote Bush

Desert Willow

Elephant Tree

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WILDFLOWER ARTICLES

When Will the Wildflowers Bloom?

Favorite Desert Wildflowers

4 Drives into the Heart of the Desert

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RELATED ARTICLES

Desert Food Chain Video available on this subject.

Plant Classifications

Desert Landscapes

Indian Uses of Desert Plants

Indian Uses of Desert Plants (book)

Desert Medicinal Plants

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Videos on the food chain, requires Flash and a broadband connection.

Video - Prickly pear cactus are found in all of the deserts of the American Southwest. Most prickly pears have large spines on their stems and vary in height from less than a foot to 6 or 7 feet. Click to see Video

The Desert Food ChainThe Desert Food Chain A food chain constitutes a complex network of organisms, from plants to animals, through which energy, derived from the sun, flows in the form of organic matter and dissipates in the form of waste heat.


We have made a slideshow of 45 pictures we received during the 2005 season. If you have a fast connection - QuickTime or Flash - click below to enjoy the show.

Flash Click Here ----------------------QuickTime Click Here.