Spring Wildflower Season

Issue #005 - The California Desert in Spring

The spring wildflower season starts in February on the lower deserts of Southern California. The low deserts of Anza—Borrego State Park, almost on the Mexican border, are usually the first places to see the arrival of spring color. I prefer the greater variety in the desert environments to be found further north, especially at Joshua Tree National Monument, only a few miles east of Palm Springs, California. Joshua Tree can be a great place to photograph blankets of poppies, clover, lupine, mallows and small desert sunflowers covering the sandy, dry washes and the rocky hillsides. Even if wildflowers do not appear in great masses, there are many other things to discover in Joshua Tree. The geology is fascinating. There are old mines to explore, and the Joshua trees, yuccas, and many varieties of cactus to be photographed make this trip worthwhile.