Don't miss the wildflower blooms

Lin Piest, an Arizona Game and Fish Department biologist stationed in the Yuma area, says there are a lot of sand verbena and primrose blooming in sandy areas around Yuma now.

"The best areas are on the Yuma Mesa on the south and east edges of the city, and south towards San Luis. In the foothill areas of the Gila Mountains, there is a lot of blooming brittlebush, lupine, and scorpionweed. About 10 days ago, there were poppies beginning to bloom in the Kofa Mountains," Piest says.

Randy Babb, a Game and Fish Department biologist based in the Mesa region, says the wildflower bloom in central and southeastern Arizona will likely peak in late February to early March. This green-up is key to bringing many species of wildlife into breeding condition. "Deer, bighorn sheep, and elk rely on winter annuals to put on the fat they will need to produce offspring. The annuals also provide the nutrition the young animals need for the first few months of their lives," says Babb.

The green-up also provides another species, homo sapiens, with the opportunity for some colorful adventures. "In late February as the soil and air temperatures heat up, the winter annuals undergo an impressive growth spurt, sometimes more than doubling or even tripling their size in a matter of weeks. By early to mid-March, the Sonoran Desert will be a riot of color-every nature enthusiast's dream," says Babb in an article soon to appear in the March-April edition of "Arizona Wildlife Views" magazine, which is produced by the Game and Fish Department.

Babb says flower species that have long lain dormant will show blossoms of every conceivable color. "Plants can be found that may not have been seen for a decade. Every trip afield brings unparalleled joy brought on by the olfactory and visual delights of nature combined with unbelievable frustration at not being able to recall the names of things so seldom encountered-causing a condition known as naturalist's schizophrenia," Babb says.

The sandy country of western Arizona from Parker to Yuma will furnish excellent viewing opportunities for primrose and verbena. Wildflowers to enjoy in sand-dune country include ajo lilies and wild sunflowers, as well as the seldom seen purple dune lily and sand food.

The rocky valleys, foothills, and mountain slopes of western, central, and southern Arizona will supply an entirely different set of offerings. Babb says that wildflower watchers might encounter hordes of migrating hummingbirds careening recklessly through rocky canyons choked with scarlet-flowered justica. "Indigo and white larkspur blooms will likely emerge just above the wash bottoms. Vast fields of butterscotch-colored poppies will cover mountain slopes and basins, punctuated by splashes of owl-clover pink and lupine blue. Two kinds of hibiscus blossom among the rocks, one with pale yellow flowers and the other with delicate purple, along with diminutive white rock daisies. With a little good fortune, a wildflower watcher might encounter stunning orange mariposa lilies or pale purple sego lilies nestled among the competition," Babb says.

Consider a visit to recently burned desert areas. "These spots can be particularly productive, as the nutrients released by the fire and lack of competition provide perfect conditions for winter annuals," says Babb.

According to Paul Wolterbeek at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Globe, people can expect to find good wildflower displays this year within an easy one-hour or less drive from Phoenix and Tucson. He says that because the arboretum collections benefit from regular irrigation and a healthy stock of both perennial and annual species, the wildflower displays can be spectacular for a wide range of flowers, such as phacelia, yellow scorpionweed, purple bladderpod, blue dicks, firecracker penstemon, lupines, poppies and globe mallow.

Wolterbek also has tips for people looking for wildflower drives. "Poppies are almost always strong near Florence Junction on Highway 60 from late February through March," he says, adding that pink and white variants of globe mallow can be seen along Highway 79 from Florence.

Another area to consider is Queen Creek Canyon, where deer vetch, penstemons and tree tobacco sometimes bloom as early as late January.

Wolterbek advises that those driving east on Highway 60 from late February through April are likely to see Mexican gold poppies, lupine and phacelia at Florence Junction, possibly near mile marker 209. Species such as fairy duster, desert marigold, globe mallow and golden brittlebrush become more prominent as the road gains elevation and as you ascent up and through Gonzales Pass (mile markers 219-218).

Driving west on Highway 60, expect to find flowering mazanita producing pink and white blossoms along the roadsides west of Miami. "As you gain elevation toward the Top-of-the-World community and then past the Oak Flat Campground, look for native manzanita chaparral mixed with fragrant Ceanothus (buck brush) and fluffy white blossoms that can resemble a mantle of snow covering the plants," says Wolterbek.

As the road descends into Queen Creek Canyon and you approach the tunnel, says Wolterbek, stay alert for bright patches of firecracker penstemon and deer vetch (yellow and red) on the north side of the road at the base of the cliffs. "Look for the waterfall just east of the Queen Creek Tunnel. Spring rains can leave that wonderful flume splashing for weeks near mile marker 229."

For the more regimented wildflower watcher, a good identification book is essential. "Be advised, however, any identification book is merely a compromise and sure to omit the one flower you simply must identify. That is why many of us become beasts of burden on our forays, toting every book that might conceivably have something we are looking for. I envy those who enjoy the show merely for the delight it brings to eye and soul," says Babb.