Spiny Senna

You may find yourself going past or through an otherwise unremarkable stretch of desert plants when all of a sudden, the bright yellow blossoms of a spiny senna, maybe 3 or 4 feet tall and perhaps a little wider, will catch your eye. You may at first take it for a brittlebush, except that the yellow is more of a golden amber yellow than brittlebush, which is a member of the sunflower family, and the flowers are more numerous.

In the east central part of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the Mescal Bajada area off Highway 78 is always good, especially around the entrances to Mine Wash and Pinyon Wash. Don’t be surprised if you see spiny senna along Borrego Valley Road either.