Wildflower seekers typically must wait until February or March to see blankets of color in Borrego Springs but, thanks to the early autumn rain, the blooms are arriving early. Last weekend, visitors walking through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and nearby areas found tall, bright sunflowers, deep pink desert sand-verbena, basket evening primrose and even elusive desert lilies, which thrilled photographers like myself.
I headed out there Sunday morning with a friend. The go-to location for seeing wildflowers in the area is Henderson Canyon Road, just northeast of the town of Borrego Springs, and it did not disappoint. Both sides of the road were full of colorful blooms.
Some may wonder if this December mini explosion means we’ll see a superbloom this coming spring, the rare phenomenon in which large areas bloom en masse. Jennifer Koles, a nature enthusiast and former docent at Irvine Ranch Conservancy and Orange County Parks, said it’s not a guarantee but that folks can see it as “an early delight in the desert.”
She added, “It all comes down to precipitation.”
After enjoying the variety of flowers and colors on Henderson Canyon Road, my friend and I went looking for the desert lily (Hesperocallis undulata), a perennial herb native to the southwestern deserts. It’s known for its large, white, trumpet-shaped flowers with a green stripe that bloom from late winter to spring in sandy soils. Also called the ajo lily, it grows from a deep bulb, has long, wavy-edged leaves and is pollinated by sphinx moths.
We did see some desert lilies off Henderson Canyon Road, but none in bloom, so we headed farther east. We spotted them beginning to sprout along a dry creek wash.
Then we saw one person crouching down on a small steep hill, and we immediately stopped and asked if the desert lilies were blooming. The answer was yes, and so we immediately hopped out of the vehicle and ran with excitement. While most plants only had one flower with many buds yet to open up, some were in full bloom with the sweet fragrant scent only the lily can provide.
After clicking away with our cameras, we were thankful to have experienced a sight that many search for in vain. I’ve seen chocolate lilies in the wild, but I had never seen a desert lily. Check off one more flower from my list. After that, we visited the newly installed Ricardo Breceda rattlesnake and roadrunner metal sculptures. All in all, it was a perfect day for wildflowers in the cool desert in wintertime.
If you visit the area, remember to leave no trace, never step on the wildflowers and do not collect anything — flowers, rocks or artifacts. Also do not drive off-road unless it is a designated dirt road, and make sure you read warning signs because some of the dirt roads can be sandy, and two-wheel drive cars and even some AWD vehicles may get stuck. Enjoy the day and the flowers, and take lots of photos.
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