Sonoran Desert in Bloom

Photos from 2001 (Banner Year)  When Flowers Bloom 

Where Flowers Bloom (drives & hikes)

March 9, 2003

Photos from 2001

Friends receives many emails asking about Arizona, Scottsdale, Sonoran plants and animals, and trip plans. In late March, 2001 someone sent a message saying they were coming to Arizona in May and were anxious to see the Sonoran Desert.

Although the Sonoran Desert is worth seeing anytime of the year, it's unfortunate the visitor could not be here in late March, 2001 to see the desert flowers. Because of an unusually cool and wet winter, the flowers are very special that year.  In fact, it was a banner year!

The pictures were taken that March near Bartlett Lake, located about 25 miles northeast of north Scottsdale in the Tonto National Forest. We hope you enjoy them. Click on the pictures to enlarge them. 

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When and Where 

The following information is excerpted from an article that appeared in the March 9, 2003 edition of the Arizona Republic. 

To find out more about this year's bloom, contact the Desert Botanical Garden wildflower hotline (480) 481-8134. It operates in March and April and is updated weekly. Another source of information is the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum: (520) 689-2811.

When Flowers Bloom

In the best bloom years late-autumn rains trigger seeds to sprout. Additional rains then fall during the winter months, nourishing the seedlings. The days become longer in March and the additional sunlight causes the seedlings to shoot up and bloom.  Usually, it warms up in April causing the blossoms to dry up and die. 

Where Flowers Bloom

Driving

  • U.S. 60 between Phoenix and Globe: Mexican gold poppy, globe mallow, brittlebush and desert marigold
  • Arizona 87 between Phoenix and Payson: Desert marigold, globe mallow, Mexican gold poppy and colonies of lupine
  • I 10 between Phoenix and Blythe: Mexican gold poppy, brittlebush, sand verbens and evening primrose
  • Saguaro NP, just west of Tucson: In the spring, herbaceous wildflowers color the desert floor. In May, the cactuses bloom
  • Organ Pipe NP, near border with Mexico off AZ 87: Owl clover, Mexican gold poppy, blanderpod. In May and June, the saguaro bloom and organ pipe cactuses produce flowers

Hiking

  • Harquahala Pack Trail in the Harquahala Mountain Wilderness:  The initial 1.5 miles of the trail consists of a slight grade over the desert floor which has thick covers of owl clover, lupine and brittlebush. The flowers end when the trail begins its steep 3.5-mile climb to the solar observatory.  From north Scottsdale take Carefree Highway (AZ 74) and U.S. 60 to Wickenburg, continuing on U.S. 60 through Aquila to just past Mile Marker 69 and turn left onto an unmarked road; drive 2.1 miles to the trailhead. The hike is rated as easy to difficult.
  • Whitford Canyon in the Superstition Mountains: The 1.5-mile trail enters a canyon where a stream run during wet weather. Lupine, ocotillo, brittlebush, Mexican gold poppies grow on the canyon floor and climb up the slopes. The hike is rated as easy.  From Scottsdale, drive south on the 101 and then take U.S. 60 toward Superior. Just past Mile Marker 222, not far from the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, turn north onto Hewitt Station Road. Immediately turn east on Forest Road 8; drive 1.7 miles to a fork, then veer left onto FR 650; drive 2.8 miles to the trail entrance. (Look for a brown sign on the left side of the road)
  • Sweetwater Trail in Saguaro NP: The 3.4-mile trail goes from the lowlands and a octotillo-jojoba community through washes and gorges and up ridgelines.  Along the trail their are a variety of wildflowers: Coulter's lupine, Mexican gold poppy, desert rose mallow, larkspur, mariposa lily and desert onion. The trail is rated as moderate.  Take the I 10 south to Tucson and exit at Ina Road. Take Ina Road for .9 miles to Silverbell Road and turn south; drive 3.8 miles to Camino del Cerro and turn west; drive 4.6 miles to the trailhead.
  • Pine Creek Loop in the Mazatzal Mountains: This is a 3-mile loop trail that climbs a granite mountain slope. Flowers are dense in and around the drainages and accompany paloverde trees, saguaro and other cactuses. The trial is rated as moderate. From Scottsdale, drive east on Shea Boulevard to Arizona 87; turn north and drive 20.4 miles to the signed turnoff for the Ballantine Trail; turn east and park.
  • Estes Canyon Trail in Organ Pipe National Monument: This 2.25-mile trail shows the hiker an unusual mix of plants. Beginning in a mixed-shrub community, it climbs to a a shaded microclimate where higher-elevation flowers can be seen. The hike is rated as moderate. Drive west on I-10, then south on AZ 85 for about 42 miles to Ajo. From Ajo drive 32 miles to the signed turnoff for Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Visitor Center; turn east onto the Ajo Mountain Scenic Drive; drive 10.3 miles to the signed trailhead. There is a $5 admission fee, which is good for one week.