What's Blooming in April?

Back in the San Francisco Bay Area, trees, shrubs, and trees continue to bloom as spring progresses. It rained throughout April, with periods of temperate and even hot weather. The plant world seems to have responded with many blossoms throughout April.

Rhododendron spp.

Our Rhododendron spp. (which I feared we would lose during the drought) put out its hot pink blooms in early April (photographs from past years show it blooming in early May). Are some plants blooming earlier this year? Seems like it.

Photinia spp.

Throughout the month I spotted Photinia spp. along the Interstate 580 freeway, and out in Dublin. I love their white blossoms and new red leaves. They are not native, but still a sign of spring in the Bay Area.

Cercis occidentalis

Cercis occidentalis (Western Redbud) also bloomed in April along the freeways, and in yards and gardens throughout the Bay Area. They are native, and a wonderful replacement for exotic flowering trees.

Some of the small flowers in our yard also put on a good show – the bluebells and Iris douglasiana (Douglas Iris) early in the month, followed by Lithodora diffusa (Stone Flower) and Heteromeles spp. (Toyon) later in the month. My coral and white Camellias are still blooming at the end of April. In the years before the drought, they typically bloomed from November to February, and now seem to bloom from January to April. Here is a case where plants seem to be blooming later in the year!

Blue bells	Iris douglasiana
Heteromeles spp.	Lithodora diffusa

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This is just a small sampling of what I have seen blooming in the Bay Area in April. Yards are full of flowering plants, bushes, and trees, so hard to keep up. The pace may be slowing down, but I’m looking forward to what blooms we’ll come across in May!

Desert Plant Wrapup – 2016

Each year my folks and I see a variety of blossoms, in different phases of development, in a range of ecosystems. Over the past several years, plants have been increasingly stressed due to the prolonged drought. This year they are in better condition due to the increased rainfall from El Niño. The desert received less rain than expected (or hoped for), but it was enough to revive the plants, trees, and shrubs for another year.

This year, we saw the tamarisk in bloom at Lake Skinner near Hemet, California. Most tamarisk species are exotic (brought in to control the sifting sand along the railroad tracks), and invasive. Still, I enjoyed seeing the lovely pink inflorescence of this hardy shrub. Here is this year's virtual album from our travels (see albums for 2014 and 2015).

Tamarisk (Lake Skinner)	Indian Paintbrush (Lake Skinner)
Desert Poppy (Joshua Tree National Park)	Purple Mat (Joshua Tree NP)
Pencil Cholla - more spine than blossom (Joshua Tree NP)	Teddy-bear Cholla (Joshua Tree NP)
Sand Blazing Star (Joshua Tree NP)	Yucca shidigera (chaparral)
Bladder Pod - photo by Al Harris (Whitewater Preserve)	Beavertail Cactus (Whitewater Preserve)

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Palm Springs to Whitewater Preserve

On our last full day together, my folks and I decided to make quick visits to a couple of our favorite destinations. We started in Palm Springs, and ended up in Whitewater Preserve – town and country in one day! The weather had started to change after several cool, damp days, so we were prepared for Palm Springs heat.

Our first stop was the Palm Springs Art Museum, located near North Palm Canyon Drive, close to the downtown area with its galleries, eateries, and unique shops. We enjoyed the Contemporary Glass exhibit, which includes End of Day #2, by Dale Chihuly, and a curtain of glass teardrops, each holding a separate secret message.

Dale Chihuly - End of Day #2 (1996), and the Contemporary Glass exhibit.

We saw photographs of Indians of North America by Edward S. Curtis (1868 – 1952). We saw a collection of Western scenes, by painters such as Paul Grimm (we’ve seen his work in the Irvine Art Museum, see California Impressionist Paintings); Sidney Laurence (who also painted landscapes in Alaska); and William Keith (his collection is at the Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art, see California Landscapes).

Paul Grimm - San Gorgonio Pass (1962). Looking west,
with Mt. San Jacinto on the left, and Mt. San Gorgonio on the right.

The Sculpture Garden is artfully placed outside the café on the lower level. The garden has plenty of shade, a reflecting pool, and many interesting plants and sculptures. It is an oasis from the heat!

Sculpture Garden at Palm Springs Art Museum (shady retreat in the Palm Springs heat).

Next, we replaced our town shoes with sturdy walking shoes, and headed for Whitewater Preserve via the Whitewater Cutoff. We made a quick hike out onto the desert floor, and were delighted to see quite a bit of water in the river, and some interesting plants and flowers. The Brittle Bush had already put on its show, but we saw a few stragglers. The Bladder Pod and willow looked lush.

Intrepid hikers at Whitewater Preserve

Whitewater River

The air was clean from recent rains, and the sky spectacular. Mom and I headed up the hill toward the Pacific Crest Trail, and found some beautiful Beavertail Cactus. A fellow hiker warned us of a snake sleeping by the side of the trail. Unfortunately, we were in a hurry to get back to the Preserve parking lot before closing, so missed seeing it!

Beetle feast on beavertail cactus

On the way home, we stopped at the new Hadley’s Fruit Orchard in Cabazon. I miss the charming fruit stand of many years, but change is inevitable. The new facility is beautiful, and is still a great place to stock up on staples like almonds and dates, and munchables like trail mix and caramel corn. Finally, we headed for Los Vaqueros Cantina and Grill for delicious Mexican food and warm conversation about our adventures. It was a great day – encompassing both art and wilderness in one afternoon!

Field Trip to Joshua Tree National Park

The National Park Service is celebrating its centennial year in 2016, and Joshua Tree National Park is one of its crown jewels. It is situated north of Interstate 10 freeway, and east of Palm Springs. The Colorado and Mohave Desert, and the Pacific and North America plates meet at the Park; multiple mountain ranges run through it; and the elevation ranges from 506 ft (154 m) to 5,814 ft (1,772 m). At this convergence is a treasure trove of plants representing all these regions, including the fantastical Joshua Tree, which looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss book!

A dusting of snow on Mount San Jacinto

The weather had been cool and wet in the days before my folks and I visited Joshua Tree, so it was not surprising to see snow on Mount San Jacinto on our approach. We entered the park from the south, and made a stop on the large wash between the Bajada Nature Trail and Cottonwood Visitor Center. We saw native tamarisk, poppy, chia, phacelia, desert lavender, cheese bush, purple mat, and the beautiful, shimmering sand blazing star.

Desert explorers

Flower display in the wash between the Bajada Nature Trail and Cottonwood Visitor Center

Sand blazing star, with its shimmering petals

Over the years we have been observing Palo Verde trees infected with mistletoe in this area. The Palo Verde trees no doubt became vulnerable during the drought. Many of the trees appear to be finally dead, along with their mistletoe parasites, but closer inspection reveals dormant mistletoe seeds that are available to be eaten and dispersed.

Palo Verde tree that has succumbed to mistletoe

The Visitor Center was hopping with people stopping in for the latest news. Many schools are on spring break this time of year, so this is a great time for families and students to visit the park, along with the flower lovers of all ages. We saw several Prince’s Plumes at the Center.

Bladder pods, full with moisture

Cholla spp.

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In the higher elevation near Cholla Cactus Garden, we hiked out on the desert floor. We saw bladder pod and Cholla cactus in bloom, and pencil Cholla ready to bloom. The desert lavender was buzzing with pollinators, and very fragrant. We saw male and female Jojoba plants (dioecious). The females had already bloomed and produced seeds. I find Jojoba very difficult to photograph, since its many vertical leaves catch the wind and are in constant motion. I have many blurry pictures to prove it!

Female and mail Jojoba

Phacelia spp.

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Near Skull Rock we enjoyed hiking around the distinctive “monzogranite” rocks and boulders. We saw Beavertail cactus and Yucca schidigera in bloom; Chuparosa that was on the verge of blooming; and the shimmering remnants of tent caterpillars. The boulders and rocks attract rock climbers of all ages and abilities. The sky and air always seem especially clear and beautiful in this area.

Distinctive Joshua trees, schidigera cactus, and monzogranite boulders

To finish off the day, we headed for The Rib Company in Twentynine Palms for delicious half-racks of ribs and all the trimmings. We enjoyed our dinner, and reviewed the events of the day, before heading for home into the sunset.

Palms-to-Pines via Bautista Canyon

My Dad suggested that we drive through Buatista Canyon in East Hemet to Anza Valley, meet up with the Pines-to-Palms Highway, and then drive south to Palm Springs area. Two years ago we followed a similar route, but drove north from Anza Valley through Idylwild (stopping at the old fashioned candy shop for ice cream) to Banning and Interstate 10 (see Drive through the Chaparral). The Bautista Canyon road is partially paved and partially graded, and passes through the dense vegetation of the chaparral.

Dense vegetation in the chaparral

Snow on the mountains near Palms-to-Pines Highway

I always enjoy seeing snow on the surrounding mountains. We stopped at the nearly deserted Pinyon Flat campground in early afternoon, to walk around and enjoy the blue sky with white puffy clouds racing overhead. The temperature was unseasonably cool, which is perfect weather for exploring the desert.

Intrepid explorers in Pinyon Flat campground

Further down the road, we stopped at the Cahuilla Tewanet Vista Point for its grand, sweeping views of the chaparral, surrounding mountain ranges, and valley below. We also hiked around the trails for alternate views, and access to interesting plants.

Short hike to the Cahuilla Tewanet Vista Point

Split selfie at the Cahuilla Tewanet Vista Point (or would that be a split groupie?)

Snag down the trail at the Cahuilla Tewanet Vista Point

The Pines-to-Palms Highway terminates about a block from The Galen art gallery in Palm Desert, so we popped in for a late afternoon tour of the "Baroque to Bling" exhibit, and a quick stroll through the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden. We visited the museum and garden last spring (see Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden).

The Galen in Palm Desert, California

Bling: a couch made of stuffed animals	Bling: tires used as the world's largest rubber stamps
Bling: detail of an embellished leather jacket	Bling: great display idea for interesting jewelry

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The Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden at The Galen

After all the beautiful scenery and modern art, we stopped at Maracas Cantina in Palm Springs for delicious Mexican food and conversation. After a chilly walk around Palm Springs downtown, we headed for home. A few miles out of Palm Springs, those fast moving clouds finally released their payload in a cold, pelting rain. It was a dramatic end to a wonderful day!

Delicious Mexican cuisine at Maracas Cantina in Palm Springs, California

Southern California Montane Botanical Garden

My folks and I recently completed our annual pilgrimage to the Southern California desert, in pursuit of beautiful wildflowers after El Niño rains. They flew in from Southeast Alaska and I flew in from the San Francisco Bay Area for a week of exploring, hiking, and wonderful companionship. We have our favorite places to visit, like Whitewater and Oak Glen Preserves, Skinner Lake, Palm Springs area, Joshua Tree National Park, and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. We like to compare conditions from year to year, and to try something new!

Apple orchard

Apple blossom

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This year we visited the Southern California Montane Botanical Garden, which is adjacent to Los Rios Rancho (a working apple orchard); and is part of the Oak Glen Preserve, which is managed by The Wildlands Conservancy. The Preserve is located in the San Bernadino Mountains, in a portion of the Transverse Range (oriented east-west, rather than north-south), with an elevation that ranges from 4,900 to 9,300 feet (or 1,493 to 2,835 m). It is a botanically diverse area with close to 1600 plant species.

Early spring visit to the Southern California Montane Botanic Garden

Hummingbird Hill

The botanical garden specializes in plants of the Transverse Range, including many that are endemic to Oak Glen. The garden includes a hummingbird garden, duck pond, pioneer garden with antique farming equipment, forests, and many hiking trails. We visited on a cold misty afternoon in late March (recall two years ago we experienced snow at Los Rios Rancho at this same time of year, see Snow Blossoms)!

Penstemon eatonii (Eaton's firecracker) - Oak Glen Native

Ribes malvaceum (Chaparral currant) - Oak Glen Native

The garden has excellent signage, so we learned about the many species of penstemon and currant species that thrive in the area, and provide nectar to a wide range of pollinators, including hummingbirds, native bees, wasps, and moths.

View of the duck pond

We also enjoyed strolling through the Pioneer garden, and around the duck pond, which is active with wildlife. And yes, we purchased apple turnovers and enjoyed them in the car with the heat cranked up!