For those still planning desert wildflower trips, here is some information that Leo Martin of Phoenix, Arizona posted on the Bulbs Yahoo Group. BTW, it just rained some more there (and in Tucson and Yuma and Blythe) this weekend. This week we will finally be getting some temperatures consistently in the 70s F (20s C) for the entire week here in the greater Los Angeles area. So I imagine that many things will start to burst into bloom soon all over southern California, Arizona, and Baja California. (Some things are already doing so in my garden.) --Lee Poulsen Pasadena area, California, USDA Zone 9-10 Begin forwarded message: > From: "Leo Martin" <leo1010@attglobal.net> > Date: March 5, 2005 9:59:03 AM PST > To: BULBS@yahoogroups.com > > This started out as a private response to Pavel O. and Don W. but so > many people have asked me for spring wildflower information I thought > I'd post this to some groups. > > We are having one of the best wildflower years ever in Arizona. Many > places in the low desert are now in full bloom. > > The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix has a wildflower information > Web page and telephone hotline each year with recorded information: > > http://www.dbg.org/ > > Go to the main site and look down the right for Wildflower InfoSite. > There is extensive information on their wildfower page, including > detailed local reports from park rangers, visitors, and others at > parks and wildflower sites throughout Arizona. > > Rain has been widespread and steady in Arizona this season. Some years > some portions of the state are almost entirely bypassed by storms, and > the wildflower show is patchy. > > If there was good rain, the wildflowers bloom until they dry up after > about 2 weeks of hot spring weather (in the 90s or higher during the > day.) It can get really hot and dry anytime between mid March and late > May depending on the year. > > The state rises in elevation roughly south to north, and the high > country around Flagstaff has flowers several weeks later than Phoenix. > So if you are willing to drive a few hours you have a better chance of > seeing something. Flagstaff (about 7000 feet) is roughly 4 1/2 hours > drive north of Phoenix (1100 feet.) Tucson (2200 feet though 110 miles > south of Phoenix) averages twice the rain in Phoenix (14 inches per > year vs 8 inches), so early displays there are better, and late > displays around Flagstaff are better. That said, Phoenix just since > January 1 has had almost 8 inches of rain. > > Those of you interested in palms: note that the display is fantastic > at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, south of Quartzite, just inside the > western Arizona border. This is the site of native Arizona > Washingtonia filifera. One can see palms from the trail up Palm > Canyon, and with some strenuous and steep hiking and scrambling one > can visit the palms. Hint: Once you see the main stand of palms in the > side canyon on the north of the main canyon, don't take the obvious > route to the palms; this side canyon has a steep cliff near the base > and you won't be able to get up this cliff. Take the tiny slot > upstream from the cliff. Be careful where you walk and remember the > palms and seedlings are protected. > > You can read more about Arizona parks at the official state tourism > site. Go to the sitemap to find what's actually available: > > http://www.arizonaguide.com/sitemap.asp > > Tourism Office has had a wildlife hotline in the past, listed on the > home page, but it's not there now. > > Good luck, > > Leo > -- > Leo A. Martin > Phoenix, Arizona, USA > > Some must watch while some must sleep-so runs the world away. > Shakespeare > >> Hi Leo, >> >> When is the best time to see the spring bloom? Year ago, I used to >> visit around April 1 and enjoyed visiting the Boyce Thompson >> Arboretum. >> >> Thanks, >