Blooms in the Desert

This is a Ghost Flower (Mohavea confertiflora) distinguished by the brick red center. We found it along the road about twelve miles into the gravel and dirt road at the Mile 55 entrance to the southern part of the KOFA National Wildlife Refuge.

The next two pictures are of the Desert Lily (Hesperocallis undulata), sometimes called the ajo lily. This is one that my flower books say doesn't always bloom every year and may actually lie dormant for several years during droughts. Its bulb was used by Native Americans for food. A cluster of the lilies was blooming along the road near where the pavement turned into gravel and rock.

We saw lots of prickly pear cacti either in bloom or loaded with buds and about to burst into glorious bloom.

Monday was a good day for wildflower hunting. We were fortunate enough to spot many of the early spring blooming flowers. The KOFA WLR area is rich in plant life with lots of ocotillos, saguaros and cholla cacti, mesquite and manzanita. I'll continue to share some of the pictures we took over the next couple of days.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!