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Vol.3, No 4, April 2010 |
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If you are having problems viewing this page or the graphics please Click Here to view it in your browser or to visit our Blog Click Here. To view my Galleries of Geo-referenced photos from around the world Click Here. To view additional galleries Click Here. |
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Blue Lupine along the I-215 in Murrieta, California |
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Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve |
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For my gallery of photos of the California Wildflowers please click here. When viewing the images in the gallery you will notice a hyperlink shown in red text beneath the caption. By clicking on the text you will open a Google map showing the exact location (green arrow) where the photos was taken. All the photos were geo-tagged with a GPS unit attached to my Nikon D700 or D300 |
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There are 7 miles of hiking trails within the 1,800 acre Poppy Reserve. |
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Goldfields, Poppies and Rabbit Bush near Lancaster Road and 170th Street SW |
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Brittlebush in the median of I-10 at Box Springs Road. |
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Entrance to Joshua Tree National Park on Cottonwood Spring Road. Looking north on Cottonwood Spring Road |
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I have added an archive of all past editions of the Aperture. You can access this archive by clicking here. |
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Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) in bloom along El Dorado Mine Road. |
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Beautiful Canterbury Bells (Phacelia campanularia) in Cottonwood Spring Canyon. |
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Experts and experienced wildflowers observers claim this is the best year for Southern California wildflower viewing in the past ten years. After visiting Anza Borrego State Park, Joshua Tree National Park and the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve I have to agree with them. There are even patches of poppies and blue lupine populating the freeways in my area. I have been driving the I-215 from my home in Menifee to Temecula several times each week for the past five years and I have never seen such a profusion of these flowers.
There are so many Southern California and desert wildflowers that I could use the remaining space in this newsletter to list them. The most prolific wildflowers, however, are the California Poppies, Blue and Desert Lupine, Brittlebush, Blue Phacelia (sometimes known as Wild Heliotrope), Sand Verbena, Palo Verde, Desert Sunflower, Ocotillo, and many types of cactus. You will find most of these flowers in the desert regions of Southern California. To find fields of California Poppies you will have to go where there are hills with plenty of sunshine. |
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Anza Borrego State Park is located about 60 miles southeasterly of Temecula California on State Hwy. 79 in San Diego County. The nearest city is Borrego Springs. The state park has a very modern visitor’s center where you can get maps, books on wildflowers and directions to where the best wildflower blooms are located. There are trails around the visitor’s center lined with many examples of the wildflowers and cacti with each being marked with a plaque that will assist you in identifying the species. Here you can see some good examples of cacti, Ocotillos, Brittlebush, Blue Phacelia and other desert foliage. It’s best to spend about an hour walking about the grounds of the visitor’s center getting to know the flowers and foliage before venturing out into the surrounding canyons. If you ask one of the volunteers working at the center they will sell you a map of the area for one dollar and mark the areas where the best blooms can be seen. This is well worth the time and money as it will save you a great deal of time wondering about on the desert roads looking for areas with the best displays of wildflowers . |
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The day we were there we visited two selected areas with a proliferation of wildflowers; the end of the pavement on DiGiorgio Road and Henderson Canyon. Both of these locations are accessible with your vehicle. If you wonder off the paved roads you need to very careful of the soft sand and an all wheel or four wheel drive SUV or pickup truck is recommended. If you decide to do some hiking be sure to wear good hiking boots, a hat and sunscreen. Take along bottled water as you can dehydrate rather quickly in the dry desert air. Also keep a sharp eye out for rattlesnakes, especially sidewinders. They can blend well with the desert camouflage and can strike quickly There are many gopher and rabbit holes so watch were you walk so you don’t twist an ankle.
At the DiGiorgio Road site we found Desert Sand Verbena, Desert Dandelions and Desert Lilies. The Desert Lilies are rare and are not in bloom every year as they need the rain and warm weather to come out. The Sand Verbenas were in profusion. At the Henderson Canyon site we found more Sand Verbena, Dune Evening Primrose and Desert Sunflowers. We did not see many blooming cacti on this trip with the exception of a few Barrel Cacti with their brilliant yellow flowers. This meant we would take another trip out to Borrego Springs in a few weeks which we did. Anza Borrego State Park is a great place to view desert wildflowers up close and take photos. The best time to visit the park is in late March and all through April. The skies are clear and the temperature ranges between the mid 70s and 80s. The only problem you will have for taking close up or macro photos is the wind. There is always a breeze in the desert and as the day progresses the breeze picks up. Get there as early in the morning as possible and take along something to block some of the breeze from moving delicate flowers and creating a blurred photo. Use a shutter speed of least 1/250 of a second and try to keep the aperture at f8.0 to get some depth of field in your photo. As you get closer to your subject the depth of field dramatically decreases and all you might have in sharp focus is a part of the flower. You also need to watch the white and yellow flowers as when photographed in direct sunlight they have a tendency to blow out the exposure. You either have to underexpose your shot by ½ stop or use something to diffuse and soften the light. A tripod is strongly recommended.
Before venturing out to Anza Borrego State Park or Joshua Tree National Park it is advisable to Desert USA for the conditions, locations and proliferation of the wildflowers. |
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The Blue Phacelia (Phacelia distans) at Anza Borrego Desert State Park |
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The delicate yellow flower of the Barrel Cactus. |
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Sand Verbena (Abronia villosa) |
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The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is located about 100 miles northeast of Riverside, California. Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve comes alive with the seasonal surprises of the Mojave Desert Grassland habitat. The duration and intensity of colors and scents vary from year to year. Although the wildflower season generally lasts from as early as mid-February through mid-May. The web site states that the park is open year round, but with recent budget cuts the park is only open during the blooming season or from March 1st through May 31st. You will be able to walk the 7 miles of trails, but the visitor center will be closed and there will be no parking or restroom facilities available.
The California Poppy was named the State Flower in 1903. Prior to that time great fields of Poppies were found throughout the State. Today, while Poppies grow in many areas, the only large fields left are in the western Antelope Valley.
La Sabanilla de San Pasqual (The Alter-cloth of St Pascal) is the name Spanish sailors gave the glorious fields of poppies that blanketed the California shores in the late 1700’s. They were referring to the shepherd saint who tended his flock far from his church and village and knelt in fields of wildflowers to commune with God. It seems' to be no coincidence that the area in which the most spectacular fields of poppies grew came to be known as Ranch San Pasqual which is now known as Pasadena and Sierra Madre. Spanish sailors described these fields as rivers of gold that flowed some 25 miles toward the Pacific Ocean.
Other names for the California Poppy have been Copa de Ora (Cup of Gold), Amapola and Dormidera (meaning the sleepy one, for the flowers close up at night and when it is cloudy or when the cold wind blows). The botanical name Eschscholtzia was given to the plant by the poet-naturalist Adelbert Von Chamisso of the Russian scientific expedition which visited California in 1816. The name honored his lifelong friend and surgeon to the ship Dr. Johann Eschscholtz.
The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve was established to protect and perpetuate outstanding displays of native wildflowers, particularly the California Poppy, (Eschscholtzia californica), the state flower. The 1,800 acre State Reserve, nestled in the Antelope Buttes 15 miles west of Lancaster, California, is located on California' most consistent poppy-bearing land. Other wildflowers: Owl's Clover, Lupine, Goldfields, Fiddleneck, and Redstem Filaree, to name a few, share the desert grass land to produce a mosaic of color and fragrance each spring. As unpredictable as nature - the intensity and duration of the wildflower bloom varies each year. Seven miles of trails, including a paved section for wheelchair access, wind through the gentle rolling wildflower fields. The broad views of this landscape provide eyefuls of brilliant wildflower colors. Whether you most enjoy expansive fields of wildflower color and fragrance or the close-up study of a single flower, this is the place to visit. These spectacular floral displays are maintained for the enjoyment, inspiration, and education of the people for all time to come.
I had been daily checking the Desert USA Blog for reports on wildflowers in Southern California. This is a good site check on the status of wildflowers in the Southern California at such locations as the Anza Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park and the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. The blog is a compellation of reports from contributors, who have recently visited these sites, where they inform you as to the status of the wildflower blooms. This is a good way schedule your visits to these locations so you will not be disappointed when you get there. Last year when we stopped by the Poppy Reserve towards the end of April on our way to Sacramento we found very few poppies left. It was a big disappointment for us.
This year I wised up and used the Desert USA Blog to my advantage. As we approached the Poppy Reserve, (April 8, 2010), we noticed lush fields of poppies, lupines and goldfields along Lancaster Road. It looked like we had timed our visit perfectly. By the time we reached the Poppy Reserve we knew this would be a great day for viewing the poppies along with the other wildflowers in the reserve. After paying our $8.00 parking fee and finding a good place to park I got my camera gear ready. I would be carrying two Nikon DSLR bodies: A Nikon D300 and a Nikon D700 full frame DSLR. I was using a Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR on the D300. On the D700 I was switching between three lenses; a Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 VR, a Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 wide angle lens and a Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 Macro lens. I also carried a tripod and a Lastolite Tri-Grip diffusion panel to soften the light and act as a wind breaker.
Kathy and I spent about three hours wandering the seven miles of gently rolling trails in the reserve. Wisely we purchased A Flower-Watcher’s Guide at the Jane S. Pinherio Interpretive Center for $17.00 so we could identify the flowers we were viewing, The Poppies and Lupines were easily recognized but we needed help with the Goldfields, Fiddleneck and the Redstem Filaree.
The experts claim that this was not the best year for poppies as the weather had been cool and the rains not as heavy as in the good years. No matter what the experts said it was a good year for us to visit the Poppy Reserve.
After hiking in the Poppy Reserve we drove about two miles west to Lancaster road and 170th Street West where we found another field of wildflowers. While not as rich in poppies as the Poppy Reserve there were plenty of goldfields and other wildflowers. After spending another hour or so hiking these fields it was time to head for home with a stop along the way to photograph the California Aqueduct. California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and valleys of Northern and Central California to Southern California. When viewing the aqueduct it is difficult to realize that is has a concrete-lined channel 40 feet at the base and an average water depth of about 30 ft. This was one to largest and most controversial projects in the history of California. I doubt as though we could build it today with the pressures from the environmental groups and its costs. |
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California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) with Blue Lupine |
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Looking westerly over the fields of poppies at the California Poppy Reserve |
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Goldfields and one lonely Redstem Filaree |
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The Jane S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center where you can purchase books an posters of poppies |
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The third location for our wildflower tour was Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California. The park is located just north of Interstate 10 about 24 miles east of Indio, California and about a 45 minute drive from San Bernardino. To reach the park you exit I-10 at Box Canyon Road make a left turn onto Cottonwood Spring Road and drive north about a mile to the park entrance. This is a very easy park to visit as you don’t even have to leave your car as you drive about 36 miles along Cottonwood Spring road and Pinto Basin Road to the north boundary of the park at Twenty Nine Palms.
One of the most frequently asked questions of the park rangers is “What is the difference between a National Park and a National Monument?” Simply put a National Park is established by an act of Congress and a National Monument can be designated by a presidential proclamation. Joshua Tree became a national monument in 1936 and on October 31, 1994 when President Clinton signed the landmark California Desert Protection Act, abolishing the old Joshua Tree National Monument and replacing it with a brand new 794,000 acre Joshua Tree National Park. The park was eventually expanded to 1,028,000 acres.
Humans have occupied the area encompassed by Joshua Tree National Park's nearly 800,000 acres for at least 5,000 years. The first group known to inhabit the area was the Pinto Culture, followed by the Serrano, the Chemehuevi, and the Cahuilla.
In the 1800s cattlemen drove their cows into the area for the ample grass available at the time and built water impoundments for them. Miners dug tunnels through the earth looking for gold and made tracks across the desert with their trucks. Homesteaders began filing claims in the 1900s. They built cabins, dug wells, and planted crops. |
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Each group left its mark upon the land and contributed to the rich cultural history of Joshua Tree National Park. The park protects 501 archeological sites, 88 historic structures, 19 cultural landscapes, and houses 123,253 items in its museum collection.
After the area became a national monument in 1936, local and regional residents were the primary park visitors. As Southern California grew so did park visitation; Joshua Tree now lies within a three-hour drive of more than 18 million people. Since Joshua Tree was elevated from national monument to national park status in 1994 however, greater numbers of visitors from around the nation and the world come to experience Joshua Tree National Park.
Joshua Tree National Park is named after the California Joshua Tree, a tree that is very distinct to the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of Southern California. The Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) is a plant species belonging to the genus Yucca in the family Agavaceae. It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names: Joshua tree and Yucca palm and Tree yucca and Palm tree yucca. This monocotyledonous tree is native to southwestern North America in the states of California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, where it is confined mostly to the Mojave Desert between 2,000-6,000 feet. It thrives in the open grasslands of Queen Valley and Lost Horse Valley in Joshua Tree National Park.
The name Joshua Tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer. Ranchers and miners who were contemporary with the Mormon immigrants also took advantage of the Joshua tree, using the trunks and branches as fencing and for fuel for ore-processing steam engines.
Joshua trees are fast growers for the desert; new seedlings may grow at an average rate of 3.0 inches per year in their first ten years, then only grow about 1.5 inches per year thereafter. The trunk of a Joshua tree is made of thousands of small fibers and lacks annual growth rings, making it difficult to determine the tree's age. The tree has a top-heavy branch system, but also has what has been described as a "deep and extensive" root system, with roots possibly reaching up to 36 feet away. If it survives the rigors of the desert it can live for hundreds of years with some specimens surviving up to a thousand years. The tallest trees reach about 45 feet tall. New plants can grow from seed, but in some populations, new stems grow from underground rhizomes that spread out around the Joshua tree.
The flowers are produced in spring from February to late April, in panicles 11-21 inches tall and 11-15 inches broad, the individual flowers erect, 2-3 inches tall, with six creamy white to green tepals. The tepals are lanceolate and are fused to the middle. The fused pistils are 1 inch tall and the stigma cavity is surrounded by lobes. The fruit that is produced is green-brown, elliptical, and contains many flat seeds. Joshua trees usually do not branch until after they bloom (though branching may also occur if the growing tip is destroyed by the yucca-boring weevil), and they do not bloom every year. Like most desert plants, their blooming is dependent on rainfall at the proper time. They also need a winter freeze before they will bloom.
Once they bloom, the trees are pollinated by the yucca moth, which spreads pollen while laying her eggs inside the flower. The moth larvae feed on the seeds of the tree, but enough seeds are left behind to produce more trees. The Joshua tree is also able to actively abort ovaries in which too many eggs have been laid.
On the day we visited Joshua Tree National Park we spent some time hiking the canyon below Cottonwood Spring in the south of the park. There is a 3.4 mile hiking trail her with gentle grades and relatively easy walking. Of course one way is all downhill and the return hike is uphill. We observed a great selection of wildflowers including Canterbury Bells, Apricot Mallow, Blue Phacelia, Chia, Desert Mistletoe, and Mojave Asters. We even spotted a lizard making his way across our path. We spent about 90 minutes hiking the canyon and it was well worth the effort. Ehen taking these side hikes don’t forget to wear good hiking shoes, wear a hat and take water. Even on cooler days you will dehydrate rapidly in this dry desert climate. It was in the mid 70s during our little hike.
On our drive through the park we viewed vast fields of yellow Desert Dandelions, Brittlebush and Creosote Bushes. We stopped for our mid-day snack at the Ocotillo Patch where there are some great examples of Ocotillo trees. |
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Joshua Tree in bloom |
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When you visit Joshua Tree National Park plan to arrive as early as possible and stay for the day. There are many exhibit areas along the road with informational plaques. There are also some side roads you can take if you have a good SUV. Remember the best time for desert photography is from one hour after sunrise to three hours after sunrise, that’s when the light is magical and the details of the desert will stand out in your photographs. Take a tripod for those flower close ups and something to block the breeze that blows those delicate flowers. For a complete gallery of my desert wildflower photographs please click here. Full resolution images are available for download and prints are available. |