Blooming Wildflowers at Death Valley 

Sweet fragances, sweet memories. This month's image is dedicated to a very intense time we had at Death Valley National Park back in February/March 2016. Purple desert sand verbena (abronia villosa) were blooming at the remote Ibex Dunes and we were surrounded by an incredible sweet fragrance and a lot of buzzing insects (bees and butterflies). And for a short moment, the sunset added some color to the skies above us. What an evening!

Currently the arid landscapes in California and across the American Southwest are experiencing again a wildflower superbloom. It all started back in October 2022. That's when the first flowers showed up on the sand dunes at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. And as unbelievable as it may seem, the blooming in that park hasn't stopped yet! 
And orange-colored California Poppies were covering the hills surrounding LA in early February - Chino Hills, Anaheim Hills, Walker Canyon and even famous Griffith Park near the Greek Theatre. By the end of February there were also golden fields covering the hills and the coastline at Montana de Oro State Park and at Point Buchon (you need a permit for that area) as well as near Phoenix/Arizona. Probably a lot more to come - wish we were there!

This month's image is also featured in our Western US calendar 2023.

Image data: March 10th 2016; 1 s at f/14, ISO 200; Canon EF 16-35mm 1:2.8 L II USM at 31 mm with Metabones adapter at the Sony alpha R7II

Related Links: More images from the Death Valley