66. Phacelia

Known also as “scorpionweed” and “wild heliotrope,” phacelia is a handsome plant with coarse foliage, somewhat hairy and sticky. Among other plants it often grows to a height of 18 inches, but on dry, open desert flats is usually much shorter. Flowers, which may be found from February to June, are sweet scented, but the foliage has a disagreeable odor. Crenulata, which is one of many species, grows from New Mexico and southern Utah throughout Arizona to Lower California. It is conspicuous among the spring-blooming flowers of the desert. The curling flower heads which bear some resemblance to the erect tail of a scorpion are responsible for the name “scorpionweed.”

67. Nama

In favorable years these ground-hugging plants form broad, colorful mats, but in dry seasons these annuals may be tiny, each with a single flower almost as large as the rest of the plant. Flowering from February to May, bloom is heaviest in March and April. This species, also called “purplemat,” is common on flat, sandy, open desert soils from southeastern California and Baja California to southeastern Arizona at elevations below 3,500 feet. Because of its low-growing habit, nama requires that you lie prone to examine it closely, hence is one of the many small desert herbs called “bellyflowers.”

68. Buffalobur

Believed to be the original host of the Colorado potato beetle, this annual is a pest on rangelands because of its spine-covered stems and fruits. Spines are long, straight, sharp, and straw-colored. It is common on desert plains and mesas at elevations from 1,000 up to 7,000 feet, blooming from June to August. The leaves and unripe fruits of this and several other species are reportedly poisonous, as they contain an alkaloid, solanin.

69. Silverleaf nightshade

Also known as “white horse-nettle,” “bull-nettle” and “trompillo,” silverleaf nightshade is a showy plant when in blossom May to October along roadsides and in open fields at elevations from 1,000 to 5,500 feet from Kansas and Colorado to Arizona, California, and south to tropical America. It is an agricultural pest in irrigated areas, difficult to eradicate. Pima Indians used the crushed fruits as an additive to milk in making cheese. A close relative, Solanum jamesii is known as wild-potato as it produces small tubers eaten by desert Indians.

70. Sacred datura

One of the really striking flowers of the deserts and mesas, the large, showy, trumpet-shaped blossoms and broad, dark green leaves of the datura or “western jimson” arouse the curiosity of persons seeing them for the first time. Quite common along roadsides below 6,000 feet from California to Texas and Mexico, the white blossoms remain open at night but close and droop soon after sunrise. The summer-blooming plants often grow in large clumps with buds, flowers, and maturing fruits all present at the same time. Indians used the plants for various medicinal purposes, a dangerous practice, since all parts of the plant contain various alkaloids, including atropine. Roots are narcotic and were sometimes eaten by Indians to induce visions.

71. Tree tobacco

Sometimes growing to a height of 10 or 12 feet, the graceful swaying branches of tree tobacco bear at their ends clusters of tubular, greenish-yellow blossoms 2 to 3 inches long. The leaves contain the alkaloid anabasine, which is poisonous to livestock. Leaves of the closely related and much smaller desert tobacco, Nicotiana trigonophylla, contain nicotine and have long been smoked by desert Indians. The plant is still so used on ceremonial occasions. Nicotiana was named for Jean Nicot, French ambassador to Portugal, who introduced tobacco to France about 1560.

72. Ceniza

Although restricted in its range to the Chihuahuan Desert, ceniza, sometimes called silverleaf, is so spectacular when in blossom that it invariably attracts attention and arouses interest. The small, abundant, ash-gray leaves give this 3- to 4-foot shrub a distinguished appearance throughout the year, but when it suddenly bursts into bloom, usually in September, it becomes a thing of rare beauty. It is so sensitive to moisture that it may blossom a few hours after a soaking rain, which gives rise to the popular belief that it can forecast wet weather and in consequence it is sometimes called “barometer bush.”

73. Desert beardtongue

Penstemons, or “beard-tongues,” of various species are numerous on the desert as well as throughout the higher, moister parts of the Southwest. This one blooms in spring and early summer below 6,000 feet from southwestern New Mexico to southern California. It, and the similar Parry Penstemon, are among the more noticeable desert species because of their showy flowers covering the clumps of erect stems two to four feet tall. Both are fairly common on mesa slopes and mountain canyons with individuals well scattered, hence not contributing to the mass flower displays of the desert springtime.

74. Palmer penstemon

Known in southern California as “scented penstemon” because of its fragrance, this regal “beardtongue” comes to the height of bloom in May. However, it may be found in flower from March to September. When the tall, flower-covered stems grow in abundance, as often occurs in gravelly washes at elevations between 3,500 and 6,500 feet, the sight is remarkable. This species prefers limestone soils in both the Mojave-Colorado and Sonoran Deserts. The sweet nectar attracts bees.

75. Paintbrush

Paintedcups, or “Indian paintbrushes” as they are more widely known, are found from desert lowlands to snow-capped mountain tops. Castilleja linariaefolia is the State flower of Wyoming. The northwestern paintbrush, known in southern California as “desert paintbrush,” has an extremely wide range. The flash of red among other desert plants is actually due to the brightly colored floral bracts, as the flowers themselves are small and inconspicuous. This species blossoms in early spring in rocky or gravelly locations between 2,000 and 7,000 feet, on dry plains and hillsides.

76. Owl-clover

Owl-clover is one of the short-stemmed desert spring annuals which, in favorable seasons, carpet the desert floor with a beautiful, colorful mass display. Sometimes growing in pure stands, at others mixed with goldpoppies, lupines, or other spring flowers, it is found throughout southern Arizona, southern California, and Baja California, at elevations between 1,500 and 4,500 feet, blossoming from March to May. Cattle and sheep graze it extensively. The Spanish name escobita means “little broom.” Individual flowers are not conspicuous, but their clusters intermixed with the colorful bracts produce a pretty, feathery effect.

77. Desert-willow

More properly called “desert catalpa,” this tall shrub or small tree, 6 to 15 feet high, has willow-like leaves, spreading branches, and a short, crooked, black-barked trunk. The violet-scented flowers usually appear from April to August, often after the start of summer rains. They are replaced by long, slender seed pods that remain dangling from the branches for months. Mexicans make from the dried flowers a tea that they believe has considerable medicinal value. Desert-willow is usually found along desert washes below 4,000 feet from west Texas to southern California and northern Mexico. It is frequently cultivated as an ornamental because of its attractive orchid-like flowers.

78. Trumpet-bush

A glossy-leafed shrub with golden, trumpet-shaped flowers, the trumpet-bush blooms from May to October on dry, rocky hillsides between elevations of 3,000 and 5,000 feet. It is not common, but occurs from western Texas through southern New Mexico and Arizona southward into tropical America. Trumpet-bush is cultivated as an ornamental in southern parts of the United States and in Mexico. The roots are used medicinally and in making a beverage. Stems and leaves contain small quantities of rubber. The shrubs, which occasionally reach a height of 6 feet, are browsed by bighorn sheep and probably by deer.

79. Louisiana broomrape

Lacking chlorophyll and parasitic on the roots of bur-sage and other desert composites, broomrape is so unusual in appearance as to attract immediate attention. Although fairly common in low-elevation deserts from west Texas and Mexico to southern California, it is occasionally found as far north as southern Utah and Nevada and at elevations up to 7,000 feet. The rather inconspicuous flowers appear from February to September. Navajo Indians made a decoction of the plant as a treatment for sores. Desert Indians ate the tender stems in springtime.

80. Coyote-melon

Restricted to western Arizona, southern California, and Lower California, palmata has similar-appearing relatives with much wider distribution. Their large leaves and vine-like growth attract attention along roadsides at elevations up to 7,000 feet. Most widespread of these strikingly coarse perennials is Cucurbita foetidissima, the buffalo-gourd or calabazilla. This rank-growing, ill-smelling vine-like plant may have prostrate stems up to 20 feet long. The globular fruits, of tennis ball size, were cooked by Indians or dried for winter consumption. Seeds were boiled to form a pasty mush. California pioneers used the crushed roots as a cleansing agent in washing clothes, but found that particles clinging to the cloth were a skin irritant.

81. Snake-weed

Common throughout the Southwest, particularly on overgrazed rangelands and deserted clearings, this plant, also called “matchweed” or “turpentine-weed,” often occurs in almost pure stands. The resinous stems burn readily, throwing off black smoke. Most abundant on dry hills and mesas, 3,000 to 6,000 feet elevation, this perennial is found from 1,000 to 7,000 feet, blossoming from June to October. Bees obtain nectar and pollen from the small but densely crowded, yellow flower clusters. The many stiff, upright branches cause some plants to appear almost globular in shape and a foot to 2 feet in diameter. Plants of this genus are reported as poisonous to sheep and goats if eaten in quantity, but are apparently unpalatable, as they are rarely grazed.

82. Desertstar

Also known as “desert daisy” and “rock daisy,” this dwarf winter annual grows on sandy or stony mesas at elevations below 3,500 feet, blossoming from February through April. The short stems spread to form a mat or rosette, 5 or 6 inches across, growing flat on the sand, and ornamented with many small flowers, each set off by a small cluster of leaves. Desertstar grows principally in southern Arizona and southern California, but has been recorded from southern Utah and Sonora, Mexico.

83. Mohave aster

Varying in color from violet and lavender to almost white, flower heads of the Mohave aster are numerous, sometimes as many as 20 simultaneously in bloom on one plant. This ornamental perennial prefers dry, rocky slopes below 6,000 feet in southern Utah, Nevada, western Arizona, and southeastern California. Characterized by silvery foliage and large flower heads, the Mohave aster is well worthy of cultivation and does well in hot, dry locations. Flowers appear from March to May, but with the coming of summer heat the stems and leaves become twisted, brown, and unattractive.

84. Fleabane

By no means limited to the deserts, fleabane is common throughout the Southwest, including parts of Mexico. In some localities it is known as “wild-daisy.” Six to 15 inches tall, with attractive circular flowers, fleabane often forms noticeable patches along road shoulders and on dry open slopes, blossoming from February to October. Flowers may be an inch in diameter in springtime, but those in summer are usually smaller. The name arises from an ancient belief that the odor of some species repelled fleas.

85. Broom baccharis

Locally called “desert-broom,” or “Mexican broom,” this species of baccharis is an erect, coarse, evergreen shrub 3 to 6 feet high, frequently encountered on hillsides and bottomlands at elevations between 1,000 and 5,500 feet from southwestern New Mexico to southern and Baja California and northern Mexico. Greening up following summer rains, the shrubs blossom from September to February. Flowers are inconspicuous, but the fruits develop as masses of spectacular cottony threads, giving the shrubs a snow-covered appearance. Among some Indian tribes the twigs are chewed to relieve toothache. In Mexico the shrub is called hierba del pasmo.

86. Desert zinnia

From 3 inches to a foot high, desert zinnia is a dwarf shrub with small, stiff, dull green leaves and attractive, four-petaled flowers that are present from April to October. Preferring clayey or rocky, arid soils at elevations 2,500 to 5,000 feet, this species is found from west Texas to southern Arizona and Mexico. Although related to the garden zinnia, which is a native of Mexico, only the large flowered desert species, Zinnia grandiflora, is considered worthy of cultivation.

87. Brittle-bush

Sometimes blossoming as early as November and often lingering until May, brittle-bush is a dome-shaped, winter-flowering bush that brings delight to desert dwellers in Nevada, Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico. Stems of the low-growing, silvery-leaved shrub exude a gum which was chewed by desert Indians and burned as incense by priests in mission churches, giving the plant the local name, incienso. Strictly a desert shrub, about 3 feet high, brittle-bush prefers rocky hillsides below 3,000 feet. Growing in masses it often covers entire slopes with a mass of golden bloom, contributing to the early spring flower display. Bighorn sheep are reported to rely on this species for browse.

88. Silverleaf enceliopsis

Restricted in its range to the region in which Utah, Arizona, and Nevada meet, the “giant sunray,” as it is sometimes called, is spectacular rather than beautiful. Coarse and weedy, the large clusters of silvery leaves and long stemmed, sunflower-like blossoms that appear from April to June invariably attract attention and stimulate curiosity. An even larger species, Enceliopsis covillei, with blossoms up to 6 inches in diameter, is found in canyons on the west side of the Panamint Mountains in California.

89. Crown-beard

Although it is reported from elevations up to 7,000 feet, golden crown-beard is usually found at much lower levels from Kansas south to Texas, California, and northern Mexico. Sometimes growing in clusters, single plants are also common as a weed of roadsides and waste ground. The all-yellow, sunflower-like blossoms are widespread in the desert from April to November. Desert Indians and early pioneers are said to have used the plant to treat boils and skin diseases. The Hopis soaked the plants in water in which they bathed, to relieve the pain of insect bites.

90. Douglas coreopsis

Also called “tickseed,” wild coreopsis is closely related to cultivated ornamentals of the same name. The desert species inhabits open locations at elevations between 1,500 and 2,500 feet in southern Arizona, southern California, and Baja California. Plants usually bloom between February and May. The closely related Coreopsis bigelovii is a southern California annual having somewhat larger flowers, up to 2 inches in diameter, with orange centers. Flower stems are naked, with the leaves clustered at their bases.

91. Paperflower

At its best in sandy desert soil, paperflower is a compact, shrubby plant about 1 foot high, with tangled branches. When fully developed it is symmetrically globular in outline. It prefers mesas and desert plains at elevations between 2,000 and 5,000 feet from western New Mexico to southern California and northern Mexico, flowering throughout the year but most abundantly in springtime. Sometimes called “paper-daisy,” the flowers are persistent, fading to straw color and turning papery with age. They may remain on the stems for weeks.

92. Desert baileya

Commonly called “desert marigold,” baileya blossoms in all seasons, most heavily from March to November, and is one of the better known flowers of the Southwest. Each circular blossom occupies the tip of a foot-high stem. Plants usually have a thrifty, garden-variety appearance. They are common along roadsides and on well-drained, gravelly slopes up to 5,000 feet from west Texas to southeastern California and Chihuahua. The large flower heads are showy and the species is cultivated in California. Cases are on record of sheep and goats on overgrazed ranges being poisoned by eating this plant.

93. Goldfields

Covering vast stretches of open desert with a carpet of yellow bloom following wet winters, goldfields is an appropriately named spring flower found at elevations below 4,500 feet. The low-growing plant produces small but attractive blossoms on mesas and plains, March to May, from central and southern Arizona to California, and Baja California. Horses graze Baeria avidly, but are annoyed by a small fly that frequents the fragrant blossoms, giving the plant the name “fly flower” in some localities.

94. Chaenactis

Probably because it is one of the attractive white desert flowers, chaenactis is popularly called “morning bride.” A larger, yellow-flowered species, Chaenactis lanosa, found on the California deserts, is called “golden girls.” Both are spring flowering annuals and, in common with other members of the genus, sometimes called “pincushion plants.” “Morning bride” is often found growing about the bases of creosotebushes, thriving at elevations between 1,000 and 3,500 feet in southern Nevada, western Arizona, and southeastern California.

95. Douglas groundsel

Rarely considered beautiful, the groundsels are common and widespread, and are readily recognized by the untidy appearance of the large flowers which are sometimes almost 2 inches in diameter. The rather delicate, stringy foliage is sometimes covered with cottony threads. One species is called “ragwort.” Douglas groundsel is a shrubby plant sometimes as much as 3 feet high, common in sandy washes and on dry foothill slopes. It occurs from southern Utah and Arizona to California and Mexico, between 1,000 and 6,000 feet. At lower elevations these plants bloom at almost any time of year.

96. New Mexico thistle

Everyone recognizes the thistles with their prickly leaves and stems, and large flowers ranging in color from white to lavender, pink and purple. Several species grow in the deserts, the New Mexico species being widespread at elevations from 1,000 to 6,000 feet in Colorado and Nevada south through New Mexico and Arizona to California, blossoming from March to September. Navajo and Hopi Indians are reported to use thistles medicinally. The nectar of some species is eagerly sought by hummingbirds.

97. Desert dandelion

A very attractive plant, desert dandelion has several flower stalks from a few inches to a foot tall. Some of the blossoms may be nearly 2 inches in diameter. This annual is common in open, sandy basins, where it is a conspicuous contributor to the spring flower spread, blooming from March through May in the creosotebush belt of Arizona and southern California. It has been reported from as far north as Idaho and Oregon. Sometimes a single plant has 10 or 12 flower heads in blossom at the same time.

98. Malacothryx

There are many species of malacothryx native to the western and southwestern United States. Some are locally called “desert dandelion,” “snake’s head,” “yellow saucers,” and “cliff aster.” Fendleri is one of the smaller species, with stems only 4 or 5 inches long, rising from a rosette of bluish-green leaves. Blooming from March to June, this delicate relative of the common dandelion covers with its pale yellow flowers rocky slopes and sandy plains and mesas, at elevations between 2,000 and 5,000 feet from West Texas to western Arizona.

99. White cupfruit

Also called “tackstem” because of the numerous dark-colored, tack-shaped glands protruding from the stem, this white-flowered, branching annual blossoms from March to May at elevations of 500 to 4,000 feet. It is a conspicuous item of the spring flower display from west Texas to southern California and northern Mexico. A similar species with yellow flowers, Calycoseris parryi, common at elevations around 3,000 feet, blooms in March and April. It is found in southwestern Utah, Arizona, and southern California.

100. Prickly sowthistle

Naturalized from Europe and generally considered a weed, sowthistle is found in waste grounds and along roadsides from near sea level to 8,000 feet. It blossoms from February to August, the flowers becoming cottony seed heads as conspicuous as the blooms. A close relative, Sonchus oleraceus, which blossoms from March to September, produces a gum from the drying of the sap, reportedly a powerful cathartic. It has also been used as a treatment for persons suffering from the habitual use of opium derivatives.

Suggestions for Additional Reading

Armstrong, Margaret, Field Book of Western Wild Flowers, C. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1915.

Benson, Lyman, The Cacti of Arizona, University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1950.

Benson, Lyman, and Darrow, Robert, The Trees and Shrubs of the Southwestern Deserts, University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, N.M., 1954.

Dodge, Natt, Flowers of the Southwest Deserts, Southwestern Monuments Association, Globe, Arizona, 1951.

Hornaday, W. T., Camp-fires on Desert and Lava, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1909.

Jaeger, Edmund C., Desert Wild Flowers, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 1956.

Jaeger, Edmund C., The North American Deserts, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 1957.

Lemmon, Robert S., and Johnson, Charles C., Wildflowers of North America in Full Color, Hanover House, Garden City, N.Y., 1961.

Leopold, A. Starker, The Desert, (Life Nature Library) Time Inc., New York, 1961.

McDougall, W. B., and Sperry, Omer E., Plants of Big Bend National Park, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1951.

Shreve, Forrest, and Wiggins, Ira L., Vegetation and Flora of the Sonora Desert, Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication No. 591, Vol. 1, Washington, D.C., 1951.

Vines, Robert A., Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of the Southwest, University of Texas Press, Austin, 1960.

Index