The Desert is in Full Bloom at Borrego Springs!

We drove out to Borrego Springs to view the wildflowers and then to Julian for some fresh apple pie.  The desert was just awash in flowers!  Here are a few of the flowers (before I got really tired of hunting for flower and bug IDs).

Arizona Lupine, Lupinus arizonicus, after taking a serious drubbing from the caterpillar invasion.  It appears that the thorny hairs were not enough to totally dissuade the caterpillars from their meal.

Whispering bells, Emenanthe penduliflora var penduliflora

Miniature Lupine species, unknown ID

Desert chicory, Rafinesquia neomexicana

Bearded Cryptantha, Cryptantha barbigera

Beetle pollinating a desert dandelion

Brown-eyed evening primrose and Sand Verbena

Brown-Eyed Evening Primrose, Camissonia claviformis

Caterpillar for the White-lined sphinx moth, Hyles lineata.  These were EVERYWHERE!  Apparently, there are hawks that migrate in every year and eat these voracious little buggers.

Desert grasshopper, unknown ID, blending into the sand

Desert Lily, Hesperocallis undulata

 Desert sunflower, Geraea canescens

 Dune Evening Primrose, Oenothera deltoides

Purple Phacelia, Phacelia distans

Sand Verbena, Abronia villosa aurita

Smooth Desert Dandelion, Malacothrix glabrata

Furry caterpillar, Unknown ID

Dune Sunflower, Helianthus niveus

Sand Verbena

Sand Verbena, Abronia villosa aurita, Torrey Pines Reserve State Park. I have seen this beautiful species out in the Anza Borrego desert in the Spring. Imagine my surprise when I found it blooming along the seashore at Torrey Pines Reserve! Apparently, this species grows in both environments with variety aurita being found along the Southern California coast in sandy coastal scrub.

Awash in Spring Color

The desert is alive in wildflowers right now. We've had an extremely wet Winter/Spring and everything is blooming. Wow. Miles of sand was just covered with purple, yellow and white flowers. It's a few weeks of glory and then it all disappears but what a sight! Shown here is Coyote Canyon near Anza Borrego. The flowers were growing all along the road and extended up to the hills. Coyote Canyon has one of the few springs that is active all year round and hosts a herd of Big Horn Sheep as well. In the foreground is Dune Evening Primrose, Oenothera deltoides and Sand Verbena, Abronia villosa (purple).

Torrey Pines

Four of us went hiking today at Torrey Pines State Park. While the weather report said it was going to be rainy and the sky, just a few miles inland, was dark and overcast, the weather on the coast was bright and sunny with a light breeze. Going with the Spring theme, I included a picture of the sand verbena that was blooming in patches in the soft sandy soil along the tops of the seaside cliffs.