Celebrating Autumn Blooms in the Sonoran Desert

If you are new to the beautiful and lush environment of the Sonoran Desert, then it’s common to mistake it for having only two seasons: winter and summer. We all know the Summer can be unbearably hot while the Winter can be mostly clear, ranging from cool to warm; with occasional cold rains coming from the northwest. However, the longer you stay here the more you will discover the unique nature of the seasons. The springs offer warmer days and occasionally, depending on the amount and timing of the winter rains, an offering of beautiful spring blooms – often called a super bloom, when it is particularly robust.

The Fall in the Desert
However, the season which often is glazed over often is the amazing and glorious Autumn. The days start to cool down from the heat of the summer, with daytime lows in the mid 70’s, meaning it’s a great time to get out and explore the outdoors. After the end of the monsoon season leaves behind a freshly watered desert, full of fresh green growth, cacti rich with fruit, and a surprising show of wildflowers adding unexpected accents of color across a usually brown and red rocky landscape.

Blooms of the Sonoran Autumn
While the fall in the east means cool weather and breaking out your long-forgotten sweaters, autumn in the Sonoran is time to strap on your hiking boots and go searching for these beautiful and temporary blooms.
Many of the blooms of fall have already been blooming all summer, however, due to the heat, this time of a year is a chance to witness them before they hibernate for the winter. Here are some of the most iconic blooms of the fall in the Sonoran Desert:

Desert Mallows
This breath-taking native bloom across a wide swath of the Southwest mallow often grows wild along roadsides and in abandoned fields with abundant yellows, and glorious oranges – even an impressive lavender every now and then.

In the mallow family is the Desert hibiscus, often hard to identify when not in bloom as they grow among other shrubs for support. They tend to grow 3 ft with fantastic flowers often yellow with a purple spot on each of the 5 petals. They are often a surprise bloom as they bloom in response to the rain.

Fringed Amaranth
This robust red flower in a sort of peak is a showstopper of the autumn. You can often find these amazing flowers growing on sandy, gravelly slopes and washes amongst the rich smell of creosote bush scrub and sagebrush.

Helianthus petiolaris – Prairie Sunflower
These large, showy flower sunflowers of the desert bloom in summer and often hang on thru fall. With their glorious showing of yellow speckled with dark red-brown centers and green, to often bluish green in color, stems. They enjoy the sandy expanses of the desert and full sun.

Lobelia cardinalis- Cardinal Flower
This spectacular flower is for those searching for red blooms, attracting a wide array of pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. this flower native to this rolling and dramatic desert can be found in rare moisture rich streams, springs, and seeps and in wet meadows in upper desert and upland areas. These individual flowers are tubular, with 2 slender lobes on the upper lip and 3 larger lobes on the lower lip.

Native Americans used this plant for a variety of medicinal purposes and as ceremonial tobacco.

So Much to See!
These are just some of the most impressive blooms you may find in the desert this time of year. Among the blooms you will find that the desert feels wonderfully alive in autumn. Amongst the wildflowers look out for the rare and spectacular sighting of mule deer preparing for mating season as well as coyotes on the hunt, javelinas, bobcats, and desert bighorns sheep. Look up to the sky to see an increasing population of migratory birds, arriving from the north, to enjoy our significantly warmer fall and winter. Look out for Ruby-crowned Kinglets and yellow-rumped warblers. For a spectacular showing of wild raptors, look out for northern harriers, rough-legged hawks, kestrels, and prairie falcons. At your home feeder you may find an endless parade of hummingbirds and butterflies also from the north looking for the warmer weather.

CC Sunscreens
To enjoy it all from the comfort of your home, you are going to still want to have sun protection. Investing in CC Sunscreen patio screens can help protect you from 90% of harmful UV rays while you spend your time, celebrating our beautiful desert from the comfort of your own backyard. To find out more, contact us today.