Spring Wildflowers - Part VIII

Here are some images of the scenery around Death Valley that we love.

The view looking down towards Titus Canyon from Red Pass along the Titus Canyon Road.

20 Mule Team Road

Artist's Palette

Here is a very colorful Side-Blotched Lizard that we came across.

And now a few more Death Valley area flowers.

Purple Mat

(Nama demissum)

)

Shredding Evening Primrose
(Camissonia boothii)

Turtleback, Velvet Rosette, or Desert Velvet
(Psathyrotes ramosissima)

Desert Mallow, Apricot Mallow or Desert Hollyhock

(Sphaeralcea ambigua)

Desert Rock Nettle

(Eucnide urens)

These are the extremely small flowers of the strange Desert Trumpet Plant or Native American Pipeweed

(Eriogonum inflatum)

Spring Wildflowers - Part VII

Some more images from Death Valley National Park.

This Chuckwalla lizard was spotted near Willow Spring at the end of the road into Gold Valley.  It was probably about 18 inches from nose to end of tail..

There were many coreopsis flowers blooming in the fields and brush along the road into Gold Valley.

These little flowers are called Evening Snow.  The flowers are only open near dawn and dusk.  We didn't notice any driving into Gold Valley, but it was late afternoon when we drove out and we saw many of them.  These are just starting to open.

(Licanthus dichotomus)

This is the Lesser Mohavea, related to snapdragons.

(Mojavea breviflora)

Bigelow's Monkeyflower.

(Mimulus bigelovei)

Notch-Leaved Phacelia

(Phacelia crenulata)

This is the Lilac Sunbonnet.  I had been hoping to find these, since I had never seen one in person.  They turned out to be much smaller than I was imagining.

(Langloisia setosissima)

This unusual plant is called Rigid Spiny Herb or Devil's Spineflower.

(Chorizanthe rigida)

These were ruins at an old talc mine near Ibex Spring.

Spring Wildflowers - Part VI

 A few more wildflowers from Death Valley National Park.

Caltha Leafed Phacelia

(Phacelia calthifolia)

Desert Gold highlighting the Death Valley landscape.

Desert Five-Spot in various stages of blooming.

(Eremalche rotundifolia)

Golden Evening Primrose or Yellow Cups

(Camissonia brevipes)

 Humble Gilia, Desert Linanthus, or Desert Snow

(Linanthus demissus)  

Fremont's Phacelia
(Phacelia fremontii)

Fremont's Gold

(Syntrichopappus fremontii)

Chia
(Salvia columbariae)

Spring Wildflowers - Part V

After visiting the Carrizo Plain, we headed over to Death Valley National Park where they were reporting a better than average wildflower bloom.

The weather was overcast and threatening when we arrived in Furnace Creek.  The Furnace Creek Inn appeared to be the "treasure" at the end of the rainbow.

This little plant is found only in Death Valley, only in certain areas, and only in wet years.
Goldcarpet

(Gilmania luteola)

Gravel Ghost or Parachute Plant

(Atrichoseris platyphylla)

Desert Gold or Desert Sunflower

(Geraea canescens)

Lots of Desert Gold at the southern end of the park.

Desert Sand Verbena

(Abronia villosa)

Desert Five-Spot

(Eremalche rotundifolia)

Mix of Desert Gold and Desert Sand Verbena.

Spring Wildflowers - Part IV

Another place that is known for spring wildflowers is the Carrizo Plain National Monument in California.  After visiting Cottonwood Canyon, we drove into the Carrizo Plains and camped for two nights.

Large areas of the floor of the valley were veritable "seas" of flowers.

There are relics of past farming and ranching left behind.

To really see everything, it helps to get off the main roads and explore the dirt back roads.

The Temblor Range viewed from Hurricane Road looked like a gigantic artist's palette.

Spring Wildflowers - Part III

Cottonwood Canyon off of California Highway 166 in the Cuyama Valley is known for often having good spring wildflowers displays.  This spring Cottonwood canyon put on an especially great display.  We were able to stop and visit on March 28th.

Here is a stitched panorama from Cottonwood Canyon.

(warning: fairly large!)

This hillside was just covered in large patches of different flowers.

This path was very inviting.

Spring Wildflowers - Part II

On Friday March 26th, we traveled with a small group back up to Figueroa Mountain.  Below are a few of the images taken during that visit.

Lupine with a few Poppies in the background

Blue Dicks or Wild Hyacinth

(Dichelostemma capitatum)

California Four O'clock or Wishbone Bush

(Mirabilis californica)

The mountains were incredibly  green this spring.

Globe Gilia

(Gilia capitata)

Chocolate Lily

(Fritillaria biflora)

California Poppy

(Eschscholzia californica)

Another Lupine.

Our favorite hillside near the Catway Road turnoff was again beautifully covered with a mass of Poppies and Lupines.

More Lupines.

More  California Poppies.

Yet another Lupine.

Blue Eyed Grass

(Sisyrinchium bellum)