www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/natmon/afria.html (Posted Friday, 4/18/2008)
Now is probably the best time to go wildflower hunting on the Agua Fria National Monument, which is located about 45 minuets north of Phoenix off the I-17.
A must see is the area just east of the Sunset point rest area. This region of the Agua Fria National Monument is called Black Mesa. The southern portion of Black Mesa is covered in a blanket of yellow flowers and is absolutely breath-taking! Unfortunately, this beautiful show of “wildflowers” is due to an exotic invasive, black mustard. Black mustard is stunning when it is in flower, but after the plants die, this exotic invasive 
may provide fuel for fires, later in the summer.
Further north off I -17, is Bloody Basin road, which is not carpeted with flowers like Black Mesa, but if you look closely, you can see many plants at their prime. The Baja fairy duster is abundant and flowering, but what really catches the eye is the scattered display of desert mariposa lily, and globemallow. A few fleabane, groundsel, and thistle were also seen. The strawberry hedgehog cactus and flat-top buckwheat will be in full-bloom within days.
