My co-explorer Justin and I didn't time our Las Vegas trip specifically with wildflowers in mind, but we were hoping we'd see some. And we were not disappointed. It wasn't a superbloom—there was too little rain in the fall and spring—but it was great to discover what's in bloom in an “average” year. (In case you were wondering, average annual rainfall is 4.5 inches in Las Vegas, 6.5 inches in Valley of Fire, and 11.6 inches in Red Rock Canyon.)
This post is a collection of wildflower photos, ranging from tall yuccas to tiny forbs. Many of the close-ups are Justin's. He excels at that type of photography, while I tend to take wider-angle shots.
I'm starting out this post with a Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia ssp. jaegeriana) even though they were done flowering. Many had plump fruits, which was an exciting sight in its own right. It's good to see species at risk showing healthy reproduction.
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| Eastern form of the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia ssp. jaegeriana) at Gold Butte National Monument |
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| Yucca brevifolia ssp. jaegeriana with unripe fruits |
Two yucca species were blooming, the banana yucca (Yucca baccata) and the Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera):
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| Banana yucca (Yucca baccata) on the bottom left and Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) in the center. Photo taken in Red Rock Canyon. |
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| Banana yucca (Yucca baccata) |
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| Banana yucca (Yucca baccata) |
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| Banana yucca (Yucca baccata) |
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| Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) in Lee Canyon |
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| Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) in Lee Canyon |
The photos below were taken in a variety of locations, including Red Rock Canyon west of Las Vegas, Valley of Fire to the northeast, Gold Butte to the east, and the Lake Mead area to the southeast. See the map below:
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| Map of locations where these photos were taken |
The photos are grouped by color, starting with blue:
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| Indigo bush (Psorothamnus fremontii) |
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| Indigo bush (Psorothamnus fremontii), another awesome member of the enormous pea family |
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| Purple sage (Salvia dorrii) |
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| Purple sage (Salvia dorrii) |
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| Purple sage (Salvia dorrii) |
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| Fremont phacelia (Phacelia fremontii) [Annual] |
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| Fremont phacelia (Phacelia fremontii) [Annual] |
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| Notch-leaf phacelia or scorpionweed (Phacelia crenulata) [Annual] |
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| Blue dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum) |
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| Blue dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum) |
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| Woolly blue star (Amsonia tomentosa) |
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| Strawberry hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) |
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| Strawberry hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) |
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| Strawberry hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) |
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| Desert paintbrush (Castilleja angustifolia) |
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| Desert paintbrush (Castilleja angustifolia) |
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| Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) |
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| Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) |
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| Mojave suncup (Chylismia brevipes) [annual] |
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| Mojave suncup (Chylismia brevipes) [annual] |
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| Dogweed (Thymophylla pentachaeta) |
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| Dogweed (Thymophylla pentachaeta) |
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| Dogweed (Thymophylla pentachaeta) and fishhook cactus (Mammillaria tetrancistra) |
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| Dogweed (Thymophylla pentachaeta) |
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| Desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) |
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| Desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) |
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| Desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) |
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| Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) |
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| Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) |
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| Strawberry hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) and Mojave goldenbush (Ericameria linearifolia) |
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Mormon tea (Ephedra viridis) growing at the base of a hanging chain cholla (Cylindropuntia fulgida)
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| Mormon tea (Ephedra viridis) |
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| Mormon tea (Ephedra viridis) |
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| Cliffrose (Purshia stansburyana) |
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| White tackstem (Calycoseris wrightii) [annual] |
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| Winding mariposa lily (Calochortus flexuosus) |
This web site has a comprehensive listing of desert wildflowers around Las Vegas. The columns can be sorted by a variety of criteria, including flower color (particularly useful for identification).
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The final photo in this post isn't of a flower but a rather alien-looking construct. On closer inspection, it turned out it was the “tent” of the
Western tent caterpillar. I have a bit of a phobia about creatures like caterpillars, worms, maggots, and the like so I didn't stick my nose in there. But it was mesmerizing sight even from a distance.
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| Western tent caterpillar (Malacosoma californicum) |
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I can almost see you with your camera, giddy with excitement. Thanks for the map, it's good to know where exactly you were adventuring. Now bring on the agaves!
ReplyDeleteYes, giddy! And Justin was the perfect companion because he was just as excited.
DeleteAbout your excellent and very helpful ID's, I'm wondering if you key out these plants, a skill I didn't know you possessed! I think I'd prefer to see a "normal" desert spring too, rather than the superbloom -- these plants are fascinating and tempting, like that Amsonia tomentosa and the Mormon tea, so many beauties.
ReplyDeleteI bought a small guide to wildflowers in Red Rock Canyon, which provided 90% of the IDs. This site (https://bit.ly/3OzSSrR) provided the rest of the IDs.
DeleteI have dogweed (Thymophylla pentachaeta) and desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) growing in my garden and love them.
More lovely photos. I find it amazing that those penstemons are desert plants. They’re so delicate looking. So much fun plant hunting in the ‘wild’! It’s been too long since my last road trip!
ReplyDeleteThe penstemons were amazing. You're right, they look delicate, but they're tough.
DeleteI love this post with all the wildflowers (with identifications!) So fantastic! Thanks, Gerhard!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I was able to ID all the wonderful plants we saw.
DeleteAmazing anything grows with only 4.5 inches of rain. What the plants lack in substance they make up for in beautiful blooms. I'm always a sucker for penstemon. FYI: I no longer seem to be receiving notification when you have made a post.
ReplyDelete