Desert Wildflowers In Bloom

By Mike Empey

The rugged outdoors, strenuous hiking, backcountry, wild animals and flowers. Flowers? As an ex-SWAT team leader, retired chief of police and avid outdoors guy, I suppose I’m brave enough to make a public admission: I like flowers. At least wildflowers.

Southern Utah is well known for colorful rock, dramatic scenery, arches, spires and slot canyons. Southern Utah deserts are less well known for the amazing variety and color of wildflowers. Bright red Utah penstemon, yellow desert marigold, lavender wild heliotrope, orange globemallow and white evening primrose are just a few of the hundreds of flowers that can be found.

Whether driving a backroad or hiking a remote trail in the springtime, visitors to the desert who take the time to slow down and look around may be rewarded with one of Mother Nature’s truly spectacular displays – wildflowers. Deserts are often considered barren, inhospitable places. If you choose to hike in the middle of the day in mid-summer, that may be your experience. However, if your timing is right, in the cooler spring months the wildflowers may be one of the most memorable aspects of your visit.

So when is the right time to visit to see wildflowers? The answer to that question is a bit tricky. Various species of desert wildflowers have adapted to the harsh environment by blooming only when moisture and temperature conditions are just right. This gives the plant the best chance to mature before it dries up in the hot summer sun and to produce the seed necessary for future generations. What this means to the person who wants to see wildflowers is that in the dry years there might be few blooms and other years, when there has been enough moisture, the desert might be literally carpeted with flowers. In the spring of 2001, for example, Fremont phacelia bloomed at Zion National Park in numbers that longtime observers had not seen for 20 years.

So how to plan a visit to view desert wildflowers? Like many outdoor activities, it might take a little faith, luck and observation of weather conditions. Here are some general guidelines that may be helpful. If there has been a period of spring rain and then daytime temperatures begin to reach into the 70s for a week or two, some wildflowers are going to bloom. At the lower elevations, (2,000 to 3,000 feet) this might occur as early as mid February through early April. Places to visit during this time might include the very southwest corner of Utah near the Lytle Ranch Preserve. Watch for the golden yellow Mexican poppy and in a good year you might see the off-white flowers of the giant Joshua among dozens of other blooms. Other low-elevation places to visit should include the Warner Valley area southeast of St. George and Snow Canyon State Park, as well as many other trails and canyons around Utah’s Dixie.

From early April to early June, desert wildflowers may be found at elevations from 3,000 to 5,000 feet. This includes much of the redrock country of southern Utah. Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and areas in between can put on a real wildflower show in good years. In Zion National Park, one special place is the Riverside Walk trail. This easy trail, which is accessible to most visitors, passes areas of "hanging gardens" where springs and seeps provide dependable water. Watch for Zion shooting star, monkey flower and columbine among other blooms.

As you begin to observe wildflowers, it is only natural to want to learn the names and peculiarities of each species. There are several good wildflower guidebooks available. Bookstores that offer books of local interest are good places to look. The national park visitor center bookstores also usually have these kinds of books. When selecting a guidebook, look for one that has color photos or professionally illustrated color drawings. It is frustrating to purchase a book and then not be sure the plant you are viewing is the same as the one in the book. Also, be sure the guidebook is fairly specific to the area you are visiting or has maps of the areas where the species is found. Again, it is frustrating to think you have identified a flower in Utah and then find it only occurs in Mexico. Most guidebooks list the most commonly found species and the best guides do not claim to include every one of the hundreds of flowers you might see. As you view wildflowers you will begin to be able to name flowers by sight; but always remember it is not necessary to know the name to enjoy looking at "that big white flower."

There are a few practical considerations to keep in mind as you venture into the desert. Springtime weather can be variable: hot one day, cold and stormy the next. Be prepared for changes. Drink plenty of water, even in cool weather. Your body needs it in this dry environment.

It is forbidden to pick flowers in national parks and is not a good idea elsewhere. Remember, the seed that flower is producing is needed for future wildflower blooms. Besides, a photo will last much longer than a picked flower. With a little practice learning the focal length of you camera lens and an awareness of lighting, you will be surprised at what good wildflower photos you can produce, even with an inexpensive camera. Some of the most beautiful blooms are on prickly cactus and other thorny plants, so use a little common sense in how close you get to the plant. An extra word of caution: young children and dogs that have not been around cactus are especially vulnerable to desert thorns.

As you visit wildflower areas please respect the fragile desert environment. Because it is so dry, plants grow slowly and take a long time to replace themselves. Litter can take forever to decompose and vehicle tracks and even footprints can take years to disappear. Of special concern is the fragile crust that covers many desert soils. This cryptobiotic crust is composed of living organisms. If you break through and destroy that fragile surface, soils erode and other plants, including wildflowers, will disappear. The safest bet is to always stay on established roads and trails.

Perhaps, after that springtime visit to the desert, even after you have found a hidden arch, glimpsed a bighorn sheep or found some mysterious petroglyphs, even then that claret cup cactus you saw in full bloom might be a favorite part of your visit. m