Wildflowers in the Tucson Desert

A walk through the desert in bloom provides a startling experience like no other. Carpets of color stand in spectacular contrast to the normal desert landscape. Like temperamental artists whose performances depend on just the right conditions, our spring wildflower display varies from year to year, depending on late-autumn rains. Residents eagerly await the arrival of March and April-the best months to see the greatest variety of types and colors of blooms, when the hillsides and roadsides of Southern Arizona begin to burst with brilliant gold, vermillion, pink, lavender, purple, blue, red and more.

Look for African daisies, California and Mexican gold poppies, desert globe mallow, owl's clover, desert bluebells, paperflowers, desert marigold, penstemons, Indian blanket, and more. In town you can always visit Tohono Chul Park, Tucson Botanical Gardens and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for wildflower shows that are always in full glory in the spring. Picacho Peak State Park - northwest of Tucson on Interstate 10 boasts the best, biggest and most-varied spring display of native wildflowers in Southern Arizona. Other prime viewing spots include Kitt Peak and Saguaro National Park East and West, Sabino Canyon, Bear Canyon, Catalina State Park and Kings Canyon.

View the Wildflower Ranger Cam on the AZ State Parks website.

View photos and descriptions of the wildflowers of Tucson on www.fireflyforest.com/flowers.

Southern Arizona Wildflowers on the Desert Botanical Garden website.

Arizona Wildflower Hotline (602) 754-8134. 
 
Read the 2008 Wall Street Journal article about Tucson's wildflowers.