Big Bear, CA
I quiet mountain community full of back country adventure.
Desert Primrose (Oenothera deltoides)
Classification (Taxonomy)
Oenothera deltoides belongs to the evening primrose family and is classified as follows (using a combination of traditional Linnaean ranks and modern phylogenetic clades):
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Tracheophytes (vascular plants)
- Clade: Angiosperms (flowering plants)
- Clade: Eudicots
- Clade: Rosids
- Order: Myrtales
- Family: Onagraceae Juss. (Evening Primrose family)
- Genus: Oenothera L.
- Species: Oenothera deltoides Torr. & Frém. (described in 1845 by John Torrey and John C. Frémont)
The species includes several subspecies (e.g., O. d. subsp. howellii, which is federally endangered in California, and others such as subsp. deltoides, subsp. piperi, subsp. ambigua, subsp. cognata, and subsp. julpunensis). The overall species is considered secure.
Description
Oenothera deltoides, commonly known as the Desert Primrose, is a bushy or mounded annual (sometimes short-lived perennial) herb in the Evening Primrose family. It typically grows 2–18 inches (5–46 cm) tall but can reach up to 3 feet (about 1 m) in favorable conditions, with a spread up to 40 inches (1 m) wide. The plant often forms a dense basal rosette with a central erect stem and several decumbent to ascending leafy branches. The herbage is grayish-green to pale green and may be hairy or glandular.
Leaves: Primarily basal and sparse along the stems; deltoid (triangular) to obovate or oblanceolate in shape, up to 4 inches (10 cm) long. Margins are often toothed, lobed, grooved, or cleft, giving a distinctive triangular appearance (reflected in the species epithet deltoides).
Flowers: Large, showy, and fragrant, measuring 1.5–3 inches (4–8 cm) wide with four white petals forming a saucer or cup shape (sometimes turning yellowish toward the center). They open in the early evening (around sunset) and close by mid-morning, a classic evening-primrose trait. The flowers are solitary in the upper leaf axils and fade to pinkish with age. They are pollinated primarily by nocturnal moths (such as the white-lined sphinx moth) and native bees.
Fruit: A woody capsule that persists after flowering.
Distinctive Feature: After the plant dies (typically after setting seed), the stems curl upward and inward, forming a hollow, cage- or basket-like structure. This gives rise to many of its common names and allows the dried plant to tumble in the wind, dispersing seeds.
The plant is highly adapted to arid conditions and often carpets sandy desert floors with white “tissue-paper-like” blooms following abundant winter rains.
Range and Distribution
Oenothera deltoides is native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its range includes the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, extending into parts of the Great Basin and coastal sandy areas. It occurs in the following U.S. states: Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Nevada (NV), Oregon (OR), and Utah (UT). In Mexico, it is found in northern Baja California and northwestern regions.
Habitat: Dry, open sandy soils, dunes, desert washes, rocky cliffs, hillsides, and occasionally beaches or coastal dunes. Elevations are generally below 2,500–5,500 feet (760–1,680 m), depending on the region. It thrives in full sun and is most abundant in the Mojave, Sonoran, and adjacent desert regions after wet winters.
Flowering season is primarily January–May (varying slightly by location and rainfall), with peak blooms often in February–April.
List of Other Common Names
In addition to Desert Primrose (or Dune Primrose), the species is known by many evocative names that reference its flowers, fragrance, or post-death “cage” structure:
- Birdcage evening primrose
- Basket evening primrose
- Birdcage primrose
- Dune evening primrose
- Lion in a cage (or Lion-in-a-cage)
- Devil’s lantern (or Desert lantern)
- Fragrant primrose
- Desert evening-primrose
- Hairy evening primrose (occasional reference)
These names vary regionally but consistently highlight the plant’s striking appearance and unique dried form.
Oenothera deltoides is a beautiful and ecologically important desert wildflower, providing nectar for pollinators and contributing to the spectacular spring displays of the American Southwest. It is widely available for native plant gardening in arid regions and requires well-drained sandy soil with minimal irrigation once established.
Darwin Falls
The waterfalls of Darwin are located on the western edge of Death Valley National Park near the settlement of Panamint Springs, California. Although there exists a similarly named Darwin Falls Wilderness adjacent to the waterfall, the waterfalls themselves are located in and administered by Death Valley National Park and the National Park Service.
There are several falls, but they are mainly divided into the upper and lower with a small grotto in between. At a combined 80 feet (24 m), it is the highest waterfall in the park.
The hike into Darwin falls is rather short and easy terrain to reach the shallow pools which form under the water fall. There are, however, multiple creek The narrow canyon does contain Cottonwood trees and willows and offers some shade from the sun as you approach the waterfalls. The creek and pools in the area, like almost every other water source in the desert form an oasis of life in the desert. Birds and amphibians are common.
My trip on the early spring found no other hikers on the trail and a serene place to visit. It is easy to image that even this rather easy hike could be quite rough when the summer sun scorches the landscape and temperatures climb.
There is no swimming at Darwin Falls and the creek is a source of drinking water.
Owl’s Clover (Castilleja exserta)
Owls Clover (Castilleja exserta) is a small flowering plant which can grow about 1 foot tall. The Owl’s Clover is a native plant to California, Arizona, New Mexico and the Northwestern areas of Mexico. Like other Castilleja plants, which also includes the Indian Paintbrushes, the Owl’s Clover is hemiparasitic which means that it obtains its nutrients from the roots of other plants.
The Owls Cover blooms from March to May and may be found at elevations from 2000 ft to 3000 ft. The plant ranges in height from 4 to 18 inches in height. The underdeveloped, hairy stemmed leaves are threaded in appearance because they are not needed for nutrients or photosynthesis. Rather, the roots of this plant will growth into the root structures of other plants around it, stealing the nutrients from it.
The thin, erect bracts are usually tipped in the same color. This will give the flower a dual tone color and the appearance a paintbrush dipped in paint. This is the source of the the paintbrush common name of other plants in this genus.
The seeds of the Owl’s clover were harvested and utilized as a food source by the indigenous peoples of California.
Lower Antelope Canyon
Lower Antelope Canyon one of two slot canyons located off the highway 98 just outside of Page, Arizona near the Utah border.
Slot Canyons are formed in usually arid regions, where a little bit of rain falls, and fulls the dry rivers of the desert southwest. The water can flash flood, which picks up speed and debris and scours the landscape. Overtime, the water forces itself into cracks in the rock and widens the deepens the crack into a deep narrow canyon. Lower Antelope is a commonly overlooked when compared the Upper Antelope Canyon, although does seem to be gaining in popularity.
Hasdestwazi, or “spiral rock arches ” as it is known to the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation, Lower Antelope slowly exposes itself to you as a small crack in the rock which grows slightly in width, and dramatically in depth as you climb down into the slot canyon.
Unlike Upper Antelope Canyon which is an easy walk, Lower Antelope Canyon is a steep and deep trail as the passage plunges deeper into the rock. The Navajo Nation is kind enough to maintain metal stairs to aid the trek, however on my last visit the stars where covered in mud, silt and debris from a recent storm which further sculpts the rock. Upper Antelope pulls you eyes up into the colorful light above, however there is no real sense of depth. Lower Antelope Canyon constantly reminds you how deep you really are beneath the surface.
Just like Upper Antelope Canyon, a narrow opening at the top of the canyon only allows a little light the enter the canyon. This light bounces off the canyon walls, and throughout the day, a light show of glowing rock, shadows and textured water sculpted rock offer a wonderful visuals to the visitors.
The sculpted rock and light offer beauty, texture and scenic photographic opportunities, however this beauty hides a danger. An August 12, 1997 a group of eleven tourists where killed inside the canyon when a flash flood filled the canyon in seconds. A sole tour guide survived the tragedy.
As I follow the canyon down towards Lake Powell in the distance, I would constantly find my self touching the smooth canyon rock walls, all the while knowing that a summer monsoon miles aware could end my time on this planet. However, although always a bit uneasy, it is an amazing place and well worth the trip and the remote risk.
The Green Gopher
Growing up in the 70’s I learned and spent a lot of time camping, hiking, being outdoors and active. Every spring summer and fall, my parents and I would load up the truck, and later the trailer and head out. Typically preparations would start the week before departure, and the loading process would start on Thursday afternoon with my brother and I hauling all the gear into the yard, while my mom packed the vehicles. Friday could not come soon enough and when it did, my dad would come home from work, change is clothes, wrangle up two kids, maybe a dog, adjust the mirrors, and exclaim “We’re off” as we drove out of the driveway in The Green Gopher. For the most part, for my family nothing much has changed much from my dad. It is however the details that matter.
In 1972, I was one year old and to celebrate my dad bought a new truck. Details of the vehicle back then are scarce. From my point of view, my dad previously owned a 1964 International Scout. He drive this car for years all over the desert south west in the late 1960s. When my dad married my mom, my mom made him sell the Scout because the breaks were horrible, and at least three times they failed completely. It was a wise decision considering the stakes for the family at the time, but the loss of his beloved Scout was difficult and for decades despite its faults the Scout cast a long shadow in our family.
Returning to 1972, my dad decided to purchase his truck. He chose a Sea Foam Green 1972 Ford F-100 pickup sporting a 302 inch V-8 sporting with a 3.2:1 gear ratio, two fuel tanks, and a four speed manual transmission which included a “Granny Gear”. The extra costs of a four wheel drive were not an option for my dad at that time. So, the truck became the “ultimate compromise”. He opted for 2 wheel drive, but to offer improved traction he chose a four speed with granny gear. The differential was geared up to offer improve gas mileage, but the little 200 HP V-8 could not pull a grade at any sort of highway speeds. A camper shell, home built bed, pass-through rear window and the “green gopher” was complete for the initial incarnation.
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