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California Travel Articles Joshua Tree National Park - Wildflowers The extent and timing of spring wildflower blooms in Joshua Tree National Park may vary from one year to the next. Fall and winter precipitation and spring temperatures are key environmental factors affecting the spring blooming period. Normally desert annuals germinate between September and December. Many need a good soaking rain to get started. In addition to rains at the right time, plants also require warm-enough temperatures before flower stalks will be produced. Green leaf rosettes may cover the ground in January; however, flower stalks wait until temperatures rise. Wildflowers may begin blooming in the lower elevations of the Pinto Basin and along the park’s south boundary in February and at higher elevations in March and April. Desert regions above 5000 feet may have plants blooming as late as June. Spring Blooming Periods Lower Elevations: 1000 – 3000 feetYuccas—March and April Annuals—February, March, and April Cacti—March, April, and May Higher Elevations: 3000 – 5000 feet Joshua trees—March and April Annuals—March, April, and May Cacti—April, May, and June Plants With 700 species of vascular plants, Joshua Tree is renowned for its plant diversity. No wonder that when the area was first proposed for preservation in the early 1930s, the name suggested was Desert Plants National Park. Plant communities, or what we call "associations," describe groupings of various plant species, and are often dependent upon latitude, soil characteristics, and elevation. Using these descriptions makes it easier to understand why certain plants only grow in certain places; it also helps to identify plants in unfamiliar terrain. Plant associations within the park are divided into tree-dominated, shrub-dominated, herbaceous-dominated, and sparse/non-vegetated. Each association is named after the most conspicuous plant in the landscape. Tree-dominated plant associations in the park include: California juniper, singleleaf pinyon, Joshua tree, desert willow, California fan palm, blue palo verde, smoketree, Gooding willow, Freemont cottonwood, and mesquite. Shrub-dominated associations are the most diverse group, numbering 35. California Mormon tea, creosote bush, creosote bush/white bursage, blackbrush, brittlebush, bigberry manzanita, cheesebush, Mojave yucca, teddy-bear cholla, and desert almond are just a few examples. Herbaceous-dominated associations are those communities that are mostly comprised of species like perennial bunch grasses or annual grasslands. The main associations are big galleta grass and cheatgrass. Sparse associations include non-vegetated areas (e.g. desert pavement, rock outcrops, dunes, playas, washes, and disturbed areas) and areas with less than two percent shrub cover. These areas may be dominated by annual wildflowers during moist years, but normally appear devoid of vegetation.Information provided by: National Park Service
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