| FAQs | More Info |
The most common questions are
variations of these: When will the flowers
bloom?When will peak
bloom take place?When is the best time
to see flowers?Guesses and predictions can be made about what what we think will happen this year or any year, and when we think it will happen, but the best and most honest response is that we just don't have detailed answers to these questions until we draw very close to the time itself. There are subtle natural cues calling the shots, and nature often lets us know exactly what will happen only when we see it happen. That said, looking back over many decades, the most likely period for catching a wildflower bloom in Borrego Springs falls between mid-February and mid-March. It can be a short bloom or a long bloom depending on how hot it gets when the flowers are here. Late rain, if it comes in February, can play a huge role in boosting a wildflower display. It all comes down to this: Wildflower seeds will lie in the desert soil for years, to be awakened when the right combination of water and temperature say it's time to grow. The whole purpose of those seeds is to produce plants, which produce new seeds in their flowers, which then go back into the soil to wait for the right time to do it all over again, to keep the species alive from one generation to the next. It's that brief span of time when the plants are green and growing and the desert is dotted in purple, yellow, pink, red, and white, that nature has taken a chance, making the daring bet that the time to make a move has arrived, the time for one generation to step forward and pave the way for the next. People come to see the spring wildflowers because it's a time when life in the desert comes out of hiding and makes itself known. It's a bold display of life and color made possible by water. Water might not return for years, and the seeds from one bloom will need to endure the searing heat and dryness that always lies ahead, until some uncertain time in the future when water once again presents itself. The cycle of life, that's the beauty of a desert bloom, that's what the story is all about. That's what the color is telling us; it's life moving on! |
Online Flower Identification
www.BorregoWildflowers.com This is a very useful site for identifying desert flowers online.  Maps If you are traveling in the back country, especially if you are not familiar with it, there is no substitute for a good printed map or GPS system. You can pick up printed maps in town, but for planning purposes, both of these state parks list maps online. California State Park Maps Anza-Borrego Desert SP Ocotillo Wells SVRA |
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This website is a project of the Anza-Borrego
Desert Natural History Association A 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA 92004 760-767-3052 Email: abdnhaprograms@gmail.com |
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