The Desert Blooms

     The Palm Springs locals told us the mountains have not been green for ten years.  The winter's record snowfalls and the spring's plentiful rains have germinated long dormant seeds. There is color everywhere.  We feel fortunate to have seen 2017's flower display.  It could be another decade until the desert blooms again.

Yellow is the predominant color.

Roadsides are lined with the cars of flower photographers.  Tour operators bring people out by the bus load. 

Besides the wild flowers, this area was covered with tall, spiky plants called octillo.  Most of the time they look like dead sticks.  Green leaves sprout along the full length of the stems when it rains, and red flowers bloom at the end of the stalks.

Octillo Flower

These are Desert Dandelions (Malocothryx glabrata).  Dandelions!  No wonder the predominant color is yellow.

This blue flower is a member of the Phacelia family.

The white flowers are White Pincushion.

So much green.