Sonoran Desert Flowers

The Sonoran desert extends across southwestern Arizona and southeast California, providing 120,000 square miles of exotic desert fauna and flora. In addition to desert cacti and succulents, native flowers are particularly striking, especially during the desert wildflower season, when thousands of blooms open across the desert.

Types

• Some of the more common Sonoran desert flowers include the ocotillo, Mexican gold poppy, lantanas, desert honeysuckle, yucca and thistle. Many cacti also provide beautiful blooms, such as the prickly pear, cholla and hedgehog cactus.

Time Frame

• The best time to see the Sonoran desert in bloom is from March to May or late June to September. Both of these periods usually follow rainy seasons, which provide nourishment for emerging flowers. Wildflowers tend to also bloom in October and November.

Features

• To survive in the harsh desert climates, flowers must adapt to low water conditions, high temperatures and excessive aridity. Some plants go dormant during a certain portion of the year, while others have adapted by developing waxy coverings or water conservation techniques.

Expert Insight

• In 2009, researchers at the University of Arizona in Tucson discovered that global warming has actually increased the number of cold-adapted desert wildflowers, such as the popcorn flower and red filaree.