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DesertUSA -Wildflower Reports For Nevada & Utah 2008
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2008 Reports

Sept 25, 2008 Pat reports: On Monday and Tuesday, September 23, I was traveling in southeastern Utah. The large bushes with clumps of yellow flowers were more frequent and larger. They were primarily along the road, but with some in fields. These same bushes were frequent in the southern portion of Canyonlands. I also saw scattered small bushes with compound flowers with lilac ray flowers and yellow cone flowers. Unfortunately, I don't know the species in this area. The ranger in the visitor center said that they had a good crop of wildflowers this fall. In my experience, wildflowers are more common in August and September in northern Arizona in the higher altitudes, so I suspect the same holds true of southern Utah. The elevation in Canyonlands is well above a mile. The final picture was taken in Canyonlands.



July 3, 2008 Jim reports: May and late June 2008, west side Pyramid Lake: Lots of blue lupine, pink lupine, whitel lupine, blue sage, desert peach, lots of C. Applegate, phlox, Mule Ears, Hooker's Balsamroot, purple monkey flower, and more.

May and June, NE side Pyramid lake: fields of desert evening primrose, fields of Mentzelia laeviculmis; canyon springs with Mimulus guttatus, Veronica americana, Castilelja exilis, Purple milkweed--swarming with Orange-winged tarantula hawks (not aggressive, but alegedly the most painful sting of any insect), yellow evening primrose. These oases in the Lake Range on the east side of Pyramid are wonderful to explore.




June 29, 2008 Ron reports: The Utah sunflower is in full bloom. This picture is on the Utah Az border near Kanab, UT. Fields like this can be found over most of the Arizona Strip at elevations above 5000 ft. They will last a few weeks longer at 6000 ft in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Escalante steps will bloom well into mid July. The higher the better.I will be camping on the Aquarius plateau in a few days and there are simply tons of flowers up there at the 8000 ft level.


May 15, 2008 Peter reports: We have just returned from walking in central Nevada Escalante and Zion NP, your rating of flowers as only 3 or so is an underestimate in my opinion. Patches of the high desert in Nevada (on the way from Tonopah to Panaca) are very floriferous, with carpets. And Escalante full of many species. I counted 171 species in flowers on our whole journey, 72 species in Zion on one long walk, i mean easily distinguishable ones, so that is an underestimate!
I enjoy your site, keep it going.

May 15, 2008 Annie reports: Cactus in Hiko, Nevada in bloom.


May 12, 2008 Glady reports: Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas NV, The Indigo Bush is blooming all over the park in brilliant lavender, blue and magenta color. The desert rose is also in bloom.


May 12, 2008 Darrell reports: May 8-10 made a trip on Utah State Highway 12 from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef National Park. Recommend Red Canyon trail to Mossy Cave, Lower Calf Creek Falls trail, and the scenic drive from the Capitol Reef Visitor Center southeast all the way to the end of the gravel road. Saw among others greenleaf manzanita, spectacle pod, pentstemon, globe mallow, primrose, paint brush, and milk vetch.




May 9, 2008 Maury reports: May 8, 2008, we took an ATV ride to Virgin Peak, south of Mesquite, Nevada, and came into the most incredible valley/hillsides of the most gorgeous tall pink flowers we have ever seen! Can't identify as yet. (still searching on the internet) Literally thousands of acres of hillsides just covered with them. A fire a couple of years ago prepared the area for the flowers. You can easily access the area by ATV from the White Rock Road south of Mesquite, NV. Just before the end of the road (where there is an old picnic area with cement benches) there is an ATV trail, Hen Springs Trail, heading to the right and switchbacking up a hill. A small jeep could also make it. The valley of flowers is on the ATV trail about 2 miles, at the head of Hen Springs on the north side of Virgin Peak. If you go another couple of miles and turn right you go through an incredible slot canyon.



May 5, 2008 Marshall reports: Flowers along the roadside in St. George, Utah, near “Pioneer Park” in the “Red Cliffs Desert Reserve”.


April 30, 2008 Lisa reports: These photos were taken on Sunday, April 27th. at Red Rock Canyon in Nevada. The burn area, on the scenic drive, from the entrance to Sandstone Quarry, is now carpeted with Desert Globe Mallow and Desert Sunflowers. The area around First Creek trail entrance from Hwy. 159, is carpeted with Dune Evening Primrose. The Scenic Fire of 2005, as it was named, due to it's location within the scenic loop, and surrounding area, was sparked by lightning. It was fueled by an abundance of grasses, following a very good wildflower season. The area that used to be home to a lot of Joshua Trees, was reduced to a wide open scorched area with burned stubs. This burn area is now experiencing a rebirth, and more wildflowers than I have ever seen in the area! The temperature is supposed to be in the 80s this week. So, the bloom will probably still be good this next weekend. Once it gets hot, though, they won't last long.



April 28, 2008 Charles reports: Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas is still spectacular as of Saturday, April 26th. In the burned areas, particularly the first couple of miles of the loop road, there are carpets of desert globemallow. In the wash at the bottom of the descent into Pine Creek, hummingbird moths were having a feast on multiple four o’clocks at 6 p.m.. The small variety of prickly pear and hedge hogs are blooming around Pine Creek.



April 22, 2008 Lisa reports: I have been visiting your site for some time now. I wanted to send you some photos that I took yesterday, April 21st. at Red Rock Canyon in Nevada. I live in Las Vegas, and spend a lot of time at Red Rock. This year is exceptional for wildflowers! These are just a few of my pics. I still have film to be developed from yesterday, also. The area right off Hwy. 159, past the scenic loop, around First Creek trail, has an abundance of Dune Evening Primrose. These photos are of the Primrose, as well as Indian Paintbrush, Purple Sage, Straggling Mariposa Lilies, and Sego Lily. The scenic loop has a lot of Desert Mallow. The California Redbuds, Cliffrose, Blackbrush, and Mojave Goldenbush are just getting started.



April 21, 2008 AJ reports: Red Rock NCA in Nevada seems to have one of everything in bloom right now (I’m guessing 20+ species), with more cactus flower buds yet to open. Not the carpets of wildflowers we saw in California this year but the sheer variety of blooms and colors here is impressive right now, and well worth a hike to find them all. I walked a few of the trails north of the Calico Springs boardwalk today, April 20, and took these snapshots. High enjoyment factor for me and the kids today. With all the variety of flowers in bloom, I’d personally suggest raising the area index to at least a 5. Now I wish I took a lot of close-up photos to show you everything that’s blooming out here!



April 21, 2008 Charles reports: On Sunday, April 20th, in Red Rock Canyon outside of Vegas there were fields of globe mallow and various yellow flowers on the first couple of miles of the loop drive. The apache plume is just beginning to flower. If you look really carefully you can find a couple of beavertail and one hedgehog blooming along the trail above the rock quarry and mariposa scattered among the blackbrush. On the steep banks beside the trail, there are monkey flowers. Near the Pine Creek parking area there are mariposa and one hedgehog blooming ahead of the others.



April 20, 2008 Vince reports: These pictures were taken on Saturday 19 Apr 08, just off the road up to Lee Canyon outside of Las Vegas, NV (Mt Charleston area). About 10 miles from the US 95 exit Thing are still looking good for the variety of plants and flowers. Enjoy while you can. Photographed by Vincent Krell of Las Vegas.



April 10, 2008 William reports: Valley of Fire Beavertails are spectacular. Many plants are beyond peak but many others not blooming yet. The next several days will be very nice for photographers. There are so many beavertails not at peak that photographers should be happy if walk around and find individual plants. Check out Fire Canyon Road. Brittlebush also spectacular at this time at other places in valley of Fire. Yucca are sending up stalks for bloom in the future.


April 9, 2008 Karen reports: I took this photo at Whitney Pockets in Nevada, on Monday April 7.


April 5, 2008 William reports: - Red Rock Canyon, Nevada.
This photo was taken early on April 5. Beautiful yucca blooms are popping up all over Red Rock Canyon, 16 miles west of Las Vegas.


April 4, 2008 William reports: Valley of Fire - A trip on April 3 revealed that the beautiful yellow brittlebush are at their peak throughout the park. Also, the beavertail cactus are loaded with buds. Many are blooming and probably all will bloom within the next few days. This is the time to go.



March 31, 2008 Frankie reports: These were all taken 3/31/08 in Red Rock Canyon Las Vegas Nv. I am sorry don't know there names. The flowers are just starting to bloom here.



March 31, 2008 William reports: Red Rock Canyon, 16 miles west of Las Vegas. The Joshua Tree blooms are fantastic this year. They are getting bigger and more numerous each day. These pictures were taken March 30, along Route 159 between Red Rock Canyon and Spring Mountain Ranch State Park.


March 31, 2008 AJ reports: This were taken 3/30/08 in Red Rock NCA in Nevada. There’s nothing doing in this area; we had to seek out what you see in these photos. Not nearly the bountiful array of wildflowers we saw a few weeks ago at Amboy Crater. Even the sporadic Mohave NP was better a few weeks ago. Give Red Rock a couple more weeks I think.


March 30, 2008 Charles reports: On March 29th, the beavertails near the west entrance to Valley of Fire had lots of buds but few blooms. There were a few large beavertail blooming on the gravel road to Duck Rock half a mile before White Domes. On the Lake Mead Northshore Road between the Valley of Fire entrance and Rogers Springs, there was a good amount of bear-claw poppies and sunrays. There were blooming beavertail and brittle bush at several spots along Northshore Road.


March 29, 2008 William reports: These pictures were taken Thursday March 27 near Nelson, Nevada. Lots of beavertails are blooming and also lots of brittlebush although slightly beyond peak. Walking up the various hills through forests of Teddy Bear Cholla with the mountains and lake views makes this a very nice place to photograph wildflowers. Nelson is between Searchlight and Las Vegas on a side road from Route 95.



March 26, 2008 Marshall reports: (Joshua Bloom) were taken near Lytle Ranch Preserve in Utah on the Beaver Dam Slope.


March 20, 2008 William reports: The Joshua trees in Red Rock Canyon, 16 miles west of Las Vegas, are getting spectacular. Many trees are in bloom. Many more are just starting to bloom. It should be very photogenic for the next two weeks. Sunrise is gorgeous there.


March 20, 2008 Kristy reports: I've been watching for the wildflowers to bloom each week around Red Rock National Conservation Area in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Joshua Trees are just now starting to bloom. This picture was taken a few days ago on March 16, 2008 alongside the main highway just before turning into the park. This flower head was the size of a football!


March 18, 2008 Barbara reports: We were on an offroad trip in the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Forest and camped over night on the 15th. On Saturday we saw lots of Joshua Trees in bloom and woke up Sunday morning to about 3 inches of snow.



March 17, 2008 John reports: We were out in the area south and west of Sant Clara Ut on the road which goes to Littlefield AZ it is not much of a road but it is paved. This road can be taken from I-15 at the Littlefield exit. As you approach the border there is an extensive area of Joshua trees. They are blooming.

There is a road close to the border which is signed Wodbury Research area or some such and it will take you out among the Joshuas. This road is not paved but I saw both cars and pickup trucks on it.


March 10, 2008 Anna reports: I took a drive to Nelson's Landing, just outside Las Vegas and saw lots of Mexican Poppies, Phacelias and Yellow Desert Evening Primrose blooming very nicely...some areas have carpets of yellow and purple flowers. It was a very nice display...and It looks like is only the beginning.


March 8, 2008 Marshall reports: Taken in Nevada near “Whitney Pockets” East of Lake Mead National Recreation Area along the road to The Grand Wash Wilderness.


March 8, 2008 William reports: Nevada, Valley of Fire State Park, 50 miles north of Las Vegas. We took a trip March 7 to Valley of Fire State Park. One of the first flowers to bloom in abundance is the yellow brittlebush. Only a very few plants are now blooming but all the other plants have abundant buds coming up. The bloom should be very nice a week or two from now and into April. Here is one picture taken on the east side of the park.



March 6, 2008 DUSA reports: We are now getting some sighting of wildflowers in Nevada east of Las Vagas and around Lake Mead. No picture yet.

Feb 18, 2008 Charles & Marie report: On Sunday, February 18th these flowers were seen in the wash at Lake Mojave, Nelson’s Landing, NV. It appears we can expect lots more in the near future.






Jan 27, 2008 DUSA reports: We are getting some rain in southern Nevada which should make for an interesting wildflower season.


When will the wildflowers bloom in 2008? To 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.

We'd like to see your pictures too. Send your pictures and reports to Jim@desertusa.com. We will post them on the wildflower reports site so that everyone can enjoy the wildflowers. Please do not change the automatic generated subject line on your E-mail to us. We use this subject to make sure we are able to spot your E-mail.

In our wildflower guide we have added some new pictures. Some of the pictures are sized to work on the IPod and similar devices. With your IPod you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Click Here for more information.


Last year reports and pictures 2007

April 9, 2007 Henry Reports: Some picture below taken in the nevada desert near Las Vegas on Easter Sunday, 2007.







Mar 1, 2007 Gregg Reports: We gotta outta Las Vegas for a day and drove the northern route through Lake Mead National Rec. Area, eventually turning left at the Valley of Fire State Park and driving up to I-15 from there. There were some patches of flowers now and then along the road in Lake Mead: plenty of Sunrays, mostly still budding but a few with open blossoms; there were patches of phacelia (Death Valley phacelia ... P. vallis-mortae?) and an evening primrose species (C. brevipes?), more Desert sunflowers, a locoweed I've never seen before which, from what I found at the Cal. photos website, was A. preusii var. laxiflorus; Cryptantha species; a few Desert chicory; Wild rhubarb (which, now that I think about it, was on the way into Las Vegas); Bearpaw poppies, not blooming yet, but with lots of buds, near the turn to the Valley of Fire; and Fremont's phacelia along the road in the Valley of Fire (which I kept referring to, in song, as "the burning ring of fire").

There were a few other things here and there which I wasn't able to I.D., as well as the usual encelia suspects... It was by no means a hedonistic glut of color, but still it was a bit of an anti-depressant for my winter-weary spirits...

Feb 25, 2007 DUSA Reports: Not much rain this year, no report yet.

Jan 1, 2007 DUSA Reports: No report at this date.


Some pictures and slide shows from 2006 and 2005

We have made a slideshow of 45 pictures we received during the 2005 season. We have now added 2006 If you have a fast connection - Flash - click below to enjoy the show.

2006 Wildflower season. - Click here to play.

2005 Wildflower season. - Click here to play








Make your plans now to be in the desert during the wildflower season and take your digital camera with you. Send your pictures and reports to Jim@desertusa.com. He will post them on the wildflower reports site so that everyone can enjoy the wildflowers. Please do not change the automatically generated subject line on your E-mail to us. We use this subject to make sure we are able to spot your E-mail.


More wildflower reports


Other DesertUSA Resources
Desert Plants
Wildflower Information & Hotlines
When Will The Wildflowers Bloom?
Wildflower Intro. Packages
Books on Cacti, Wildflowers, & Other Flora