http://azstateparks.com/Parks/PIPE/index.html (Posted, 5/1/2009)
Picacho is not experiencing a "flower year" this year. There is simply not much going on in the way of wildflowers. It looked like we might have some poppies, but the hot weather last week pretty much ended that. The poppies did not make it. Most of the prolific fiddleneck is now also dried up. We have some scattered lupine along the roadway, as well as some desert marigold. The most noticeable color right now is on the brittlebush and the creosote.
www.tucsonbotanical.org (no report)
http://www.nps.gov/sagu (Posted, 5/1/2009)
The Giant Saguaro, Arizona's State Flower,and the Park's namesake, has just begun its annual blooming at Saguaro East. Over the next two weeks more and more large, white trumpet blossoms will appear, with the usual peak around May 15 - 20.
With luck the saguaro show will be joined by the pale yellow blossoms of the Foothills Palo Verde, also just begining to appear. Still in flower this week are the yellow blossoms of the Prickly Pear Cactus and the red, orange, burgundy, or yellow flowers of Staghorn Cholla Cactus.
For the final report each year we do a windshield survey of all the flowers along the Cactus Forest Loop Drive. This year 40 species were seen without leaving the car: Ocotillo, Creosotebush, Paperflower, Catclaw and Whitethorn Acacia, Mesquite, Trixis, Odora, Rough Menodora, Wait-a-minute, Desert Tobacco, Crownbeard, Canyon Ragweed, Desert Fleabane, Wool Star, Dogweed, Purple Mat, Snakeweed, Desert Zinnia, Bahia, Brittlebush, Golden Aster, Desert Senna, Green Brittlebush, Desert Marigold, Globemallow, Wire Lettuce, Climbing Milkweed, Blue Palo Verde, Mormon Tea, Parry Penstemon, Indigobush, Teddy Bear Cholla, Rattlesnakeweed, Desert Vine, Turpentine Bush, Fairy Duster, plus those noted above!
For more information call the Visitor Center, open daily 9-5 MST, at (520) 733 - 5153.
http://www.nps.gov/sagu (Posted, 4/10/2009)
To the Tohono O'odham people who live in this area, April is uam massad, "yellow month." This is an apt description. With the brittlebush, creosote, and blue palo verdes in bloom, yellow is by far the prominent color around here. And soon the much more prolific foothill palo verdes, which cover nearly every hillside, will become covered with lemon-yellow blooms.
Temperatures this spring have generally been higher than normal and that, coupled with no rain for several months, has limited the wildflowers this year. The annuals are pretty much finished, although it is still possible to see a Mexican gold poppy here or a blue 
larkspur there. Most everything has had an accelerated season, and many things are blooming early. The Ocotillo are in full bloom now, about two weeks earlier than usual. Blue palo verde, buckhorn cholla, strawberry hedgehog cactus and desert mariposa lilies are appearing in blossom earlier than expected. Perennials such as Parry's penstemon are still in flower, along with trixis, and are common in washes.
The best flower sightings are still along the roads; water runoff from pavement makes roadsides the best watered areas in the desert. The drive over Gates Pass is still quite colorful, and the area around Box Canyon, below Contzen Pass, still offers a variety of lingering annuals and flowering perennials. King Canyon (the wash itself) has a good variety of flowers still in bloom, while the mariposa lilies are to be seen on the main trail (the old mining road).
There were no big displays of wildflowers this year, but it is still quite colorful around here. "Yellow month" is poised to live up to its name!
For more information call (520) 733-5158
www.tohonochulpark.org (5/1/2009)
At Tohono Chul Park this week, saguaros, Southwest coral beans, fern acacias, superstition spit balls, false indigo, gentry hedgehogs, Mexican sunflowers, Wright’s goldenrod, golden columbine and Indian mallow all seem to be sitting a little taller, showing their blooms to the heavens in anticipation of San Juan’s Day, June 24th – the traditional start of the monsoon. Keep your eye to the sky.
www.nps.gov/orpi (Posted, 5/1/2009)
Here at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, we have a very popular 21 mile loop named the Ajo Mountain Drive. Ocotillo is also starting to blaze up in the all the elevations. Also this week white flowers of the Saguaros are starting to bloom but only in the morning times so come early and come often. We have our buckhorn chollas blooming in very different colors from dusty orange to dark dusty red. Teddy Bear chollas with their apple colored blossoms are coming out, and Hedgehogs are very showy with their magenta pinks, and Prickly Pear yellow flowers are coming out as well - just lovely.
