Desert Wildflowers Southern California

We'd like to see your pictures too. E-mail your digtial photos and reports to Jim@desertusa.com. Use Wildflower Report as the subject of your e-mail. Let us know where you took the photo and the date

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Jan 23, 2012 DUSA reports: Its raining in southern California today and a few wildfowers are blooming west of the mountains.

Oct 5, 2011 Jim B reports: Rain in the forecast for this week.

May 25, 2011 Stephen reports: On May 14th and 15th I hiked a section of the Pacific Crest Trail From Scissors Crossing to Warner Springs. Saw a plethora of wildlife including Striped Racers, Roadrunners, Coyotes, and Turkeys. The flower display is still phenomenal. These flower photos were taken between 2250' and 3000' of elevation. And of course there is always the indomitable Eagle Rock. Seasonal streams were flowing full.

Eagle Rock

May 15, 2011 Jim B reports: Southern California, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve This place is smack dab in the middle of beautiful downtown Mongo Valley. For directions go to www.bigmorongo.org. Although most of the wildlflowers have dried-up, like Joshua Tree National Park, the desert shrubs have really started to bloom. There's quite a lot of indigo bush in bloom right now. What was nice is that we saw some bushes in bloom that we've never seen anywhere else before. But, watch where you walking because we ran across a couple of snakes on the trail. No rattlesnakes, but they've got to be out there too. I was taking a picture of one snake, when I caught another one out of the corner of my eye just a few feet away from where I was standing. Luckily, it was just a striped racer. So, before you bend down to take a picture of that pretty flower, look around first! Later on my wife saw a "black ringed snake". But it hid under a bush before I could get a photo of it. It's amazing how much more interested I am in taking pictures of snakes when they don't have a triangular shaped head and a rattle.

When will the desert wildflowers bloom? We start our report in January, plan your visit to coincide with the peak of the bloom - keep up to date with DesertUSA's Wildflower Reports. Be sure to bookmark this page for weekly updates.

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Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...

We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone. iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.

Photos tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.

THE DESERT ENVIRONMENT
The North American Deserts
Chihuahuan Desert	Great Basin Desert	Mojave Desert	Sonoran Desert
Glossary of Desert & Geological Term

Mojave Desert Wildflowers book

Past Wildflower Season - Videos
click on link below

2009 Wildflowers video

2006 Wildflower season. -
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2005 Wildflower Season -
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Mojave Desert Wildflowers book
200 color photos

Wildflower field guide - find the flowers by color

Purple & Blue Flowers

Pink, Red, & Orange Flowers

Yellow & Gold Flowers

White Flowers | Guide

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