|
Wildflower show now playing in Death Valley |
|
|
Wednesday, 08 April 2009 |
 Some of the flowers sight-seers can expect to find along Death Valley roadsides and alluvial fans are the Desert Star that opens in the morning and closes at dark, and the Desert Five-spot that likes sandy washes. There’s been enough rain for blooms, but the plants are a little small, so get out of the car and look around. Photos by Walter Feller By Mike Bodine
Register Staff
4-7-2009 Spring has arrived in the Owens Valley, fruit trees are flowering and lawns are turning green after months of being cold and brown.
The valley floor is starting to come alive as well, with wildflowers already beginning to blanket areas of the Volcanic Tablelands north of Bishop. Large swaths of yellow can be seen west of U.S. 395 around Black Rock Springs and the Sawmill Pass trailhead between Big Pine and Independence.
Arguably, the best place to see wildflowers this time of year is Death Valley. Maybe it’s the contrast between the bright hues of the blooms and foliage against a backdrop of the seeming wasteland of the desert that makes the valley so attractive. Or, maybe it’s the fact that there are more than 1,000 different plant species in the park.
Whatever the reason, Death Valley has become a popular destination for wildflower viewing, when conditions are right. Rain fall is minute in the park, but if there are rains throughout the winter, or even early spring showers such as the case this year, the wildflowers can be stunning. This year may not result in the stunning display of 2005, when so much water fell in the park that people were canoeing at Badwater, and reports indicate this year will not be one to miss.
Charlie Callagan, ranger and naturalist at the park, is reporting that the blooms at the lower elevations are at its peak, with alluvial fans alive with Desert Gold, Gravel Ghost, Desert Fivespot and several varieties of Evening Primrose.
Callagan is also reporting that Beavertail cacti is in bloom along Scotty’s Castle Road and Mojave Coreopsis and Goldfields are in full display along the Greenwater Valley Road and in Gold Valley, accessible by four-wheel drive.
Terry Baldino, public relations officer for the park, said Monday he expects the Scotty’s Castle and Ubehebe Crater area, farther north, is “ready to explode” with flowers as the area is green and the weather pleasantly warm.
Baldino added that there has not been rain throughout the winter this year, but there has been sufficient moisture to have flowers blooming everywhere in the park.
He said due to that lack of moisture, many of the blooms are low to the ground and may be hard to see from a fast-moving vehicle. He suggested that to get the best view, people venture outside their cars and get out amongst the predominate Desert Gold, and look closely at the desert playa to find the other flowers, stunted but still alive.
Panamint Springs Resort is reporting that the flower show is just starting at its elevation, as there are patches of color here and there in Panamint Valley, but the predominance of flowers is being reported at higher-elevation canyons.
The Death Valley National Park Web site, www.nps.gov.deva, provides weekly wildflower, weather and event updates and there are also selected hikes and maps of wildflower viewing hotspots available on the Bureau of Land Management Web site.
|
|
Last Updated ( Friday, 10 July 2009 )
|
