{"id":2582,"date":"2013-02-28T22:19:07","date_gmt":"2013-02-28T22:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/titus-canyon-road-trip-copy\/"},"modified":"2022-09-14T04:34:14","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T04:34:14","slug":"mojave-desert-wildflowers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/mojave-desert-wildflowers\/","title":{"rendered":"Mojave Desert Wildflowers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We\u2019ve all heard the expression \u201cApril showers bring May flowers\u201d but that concept doesn\u2019t usually hold true here in our desert.<\/strong> By May, it\u2019s too hot for wildflowers!<\/p>

One of the many great reasons for exploring our Mojave Desert is to enjoy the dazzling springtime display of wildflowers.\u00a0 Many people have heard of these wildflower displays but most of them don\u2019t know when or where these displays are.\u00a0 And, when they do find them, people often wonder what type of flower they are looking at.\u00a0 Is that a daisy?\u00a0 Or is it an aster? It looks kind of like a sunflower but is it?<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Destination: Wildflowers<\/h3>

Although our post isn’t a trip to any one destination like our other posts, it will give you an idea of where to find wildflowers around the Mojave Desert.\u00a0 It will also give you not only information about wildflowers but also a brief introduction to the complex world of desert flora.\u00a0 So, before we talk about wildflowers, let\u2019s talk a little bit about plants in general.<\/p>

In addition to the wildflowers, the Mojave Desert is home to several hundred different types of plants, many of which produce showy and colorful blooms.\u00a0 Plants can range in size from tiny, ground-growing members of the Phlox plant family that are no more than two inches high to the tall, iconic Joshua Tree which is a type of yucca that belongs to the agave family.<\/p>

The Mojave Desert has one of the largest diversity of plants found in all of North America, second only to the Sonoran Desert.\u00a0 It is a little-known fact that, San Bernardino County\u2019s own remote Kingston Mountains, north of Baker, is the <\/em>most botanical diverse area in all of California with over 500 different plant species!<\/p>

Both the Mojave National Preserve, Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Park are great destinations if you are looking for a diversity of wildflowers as well as plants in general.\u00a0 Each park has a variety of soils, terrain and altitudes that create ideal growing conditions for many different types of plants.<\/p>

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Life Zones<\/h3>

The combination of soils, altitudes and other conditions, such as average rainfall and temperatures, create individual growing environments or zones that botanists call \u201clife zones\u201d.\u00a0 For example, in the \u201cDesert Wash\u201d life zone there is an increased amount of ground water available to plants.\u00a0 These zones are also typically in lower altitudes so there is more air for certain plants to breathe.\u00a0 In contrast, the \u201cJoshua Tree Woodland\u201d life zone is at a higher altitude where there is less water and less air available for plants. \u00a0 Each of these life zones grow very different types of plants because of their different environmental conditions.\u00a0 To see what the different life zones look like, be sure to watch our YouTube video located further down this post.<\/p>

When it comes to the question of \u201cwhen do wildflowers bloom\u201d, the answer is\u2026.it depends.\u00a0 In general, wildflowers tend to \u201cfollow the warmth\u201d. Plants growing at lower altitudes bloom earlier in the season, like February and March, because the desert warms up there first.\u00a0 As the days get warmer, you can watch as the wildflower blooms creep up the hillsides to higher elevations well into May and June.<\/p>

The Mojave Desert, because of its many types of terrain, has many different elevations making it an ideal place to find wildflowers no matter what springtime month you go.\u00a0 So, if you\u2019re heading out to look for wildflowers, we suggest that you plan ahead and consider the time of year and how warm it has been.\u00a0 Then head for an elevation that is appropriate and you\u2019ll increase your odds of finding those elusive wildflowers.<\/p>

More…<\/p>

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