Desert Wildflowers

Today, my wife and I went out to see the wildflowers in the east vally. The best time to view the wildflowers is mid-February through mid-March. We have received the necessary rain to germinate the seeds and it looks like it will be a great wildflower season all over the state.

We drove up to Bulldog Canyon in the Tonto National Forest. This is located east of Apache Juntion just off the Apache Trail and past the ghost town. I have included some spectacular photos from this hike. The yellow flower is the Mexican Golden Poppy. The purple spikey flower is Arizona Lupine. The other purple flower is Sand Verbena.

These pictures also show an assortment of Sonoran Desert cactus. The tall, thick cactus with the arms is, of course, the Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea). The squat bushy looking cactus with the silvery glow is Teddy Bear Cholla (Opuntia bigelovii). It looks soft and cuddly from a distance. Not!

Mexican Poppies having a peak experience.

A Mexican Poppy family in all their splendor.

Poppies in forefront and a lichen crusted out

cropping in the background.

Fishhook Barrel Cactus.

A patch of poppies with Saguaro and Mesquite.

A river of Mexican Poppies.

Teddy Bear Cholla with Mexican Poppies.

Mexican Poppies and Sand Verbena.

Sand Verbena

Unbloomed Sand Verbena on the left.

Arizona Lupine to the right.

Attack of the Teddy Bear Cholla! The spines

of these critters were embedded in my left

thigh.

Dave won but was inflicted with grevious

wounds. The perils of getting just the

right camera angle.

The flagship of the Superstition Mountains.