Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers: Where and When to Look

Spring wildflowers near the Coyote Canyon jeep trail

People come to Anza-Borrego from all over the world to see the annual wildflowers, which can start blooming as early as mid-February.

Where to Look for Wildflowers in Anza-Borrego

See our latest report

See also our lists of Favorite Anza-Borrego Wildflowers, Cactus, and Tall Shrubs and Trees.

Suggested times for enjoying the flowers

Spring — But don't overlook the other seasons either: Summer, Fall, and Winter.
During or immediately after a rain — Get out and enjoy the air when it’s filled with the aroma of the Creosote Bush.
Two weeks after a rain — Watch for new green leaves on Ocotillo branches. Look for fields of yellow Chinchweed in the desert valleys and red Fringe Amaranth in mountain fields.

Plants to look for by location

In desert valleys: — In Spring, everybody's favorites include Dune Evening Primrose, Desert Chicory, and Desert Sand-Verbena. But don't overlook such plants as Ghost Flower, Desert Star, Rock Daisy, Thick-Leafed Groundcherry, and the many members of the Sunflower Family.
In mountain foothills and above: In general, plants in the higher elevations do not blossom until late spring or early summer. Desert Apricot, Desert Agave, Froebell's Four O'Clock, Chamise, Wolf's Cholla, and California Juniper are among the favorites.

Other Plants to look for

Fragrant plants — Indigo bush, Sweetbush, Dune Evening Primrose, Desert Sand Verbena, Desert Lily
Sahara Mustard (Brassica tournefortii) — Our most noxious plant, a non-native

The Desert in Bloom

Why does the desert bloom so sporadically? Most spring wildflowers in the desert are annuals-- they live out their brief lives in a matter of months, then die. They must be sown from seed anew each year like garden annuals. Seeds of desert annuals are quite particular in their requirements. If the soil is too dry because not enough rain has fallen, they won't germinate. If the soil is moist, but the winter has been too cold or too warm, they won't germinate either or may germinate only in low numbers.

During some years the combination of moisture and temperature is just right for certain wildflowers but not for others. In other years a small area will burst into gorgeous bloom while the surrounding countryside is relatively barren. But in the finest years, when the temperature and rainfall requirements of many species have (at long last) been fulfilled, entire counties seem a mass of bloom, and the air is filled with the buzzing of bees and the clicking of cameras.

It's said that such an ideal year comes once every five or ten years. Spring wildflowers have also adapted to the desert by growing only during the time of year when most of us love to be in the desert. Their brief lives are an adaptation to the harsh demands of survival in the desert.

Conservation

It is important to know that many plants in the Southwest are protected by law and may not be cut or dug up. All cacti, yuccas and agaves are protected, as are ocotillo and many wildflowers that grow from the bulbs. In parks and monuments, all plants are protected. Remember, no plant will thrive in your hands the way it will thrive in its native soil. Enjoy, but do not pick.