Anza-Borrego Wildflowers

The Wildflower Guide of the Anza-Borrego Desert SP, Cuyamaca Rancho SP, Imperial Sand Dunes (Algodones Dunes), Jacumba, Laguna Mountain, Ocotillo Wells SVRA, Warner Springs , San Felipe Valley Wildlife Area, Volcan Mountain, Santa Ysabel and surrounding area.

This is a free guide to the basics of identifying over 100 (or over 1300) of the most common wildflowers, and how to tell look-alikes apart. Pictures show the characteristics you need including colors, flowers, leaves, stems, branches, and more.

The Anza-Borrego Desert is part of the Colorado Desert, which is a subdivision of the larger Sonoran Desert.

Like to know more:

This is a free advanced guide with descriptions, keys, scientific names and families for over 1300 wildflowers. Sort by common or scientific name. Select an individual family. Search options include partial name, scientific name, or family.
To add the full guide: Check the option in the settings, then download the full guide for free.

Is the guide complete?

The guide is as complete as we can make it at this time. We are constantly adding new flowers after our almost daily walks in the desert.

When is the flower season?

The annual wildflower season peaks from early February to late April. This is followed by a parade of perennials through the summer and fall and into the following year.
Rainfall can be very localized; it has to fall at just the right time and in just the right amount.

Is every wildflower season the same? No. Rainfall and temperatures vary from year to year and from place to place in the desert. Altitude is an important factor, too. Remember that the Anza-Borrego Desert region ranges from well below 1,000 feet to over 5,000 feet. The first flowers appear at the lower elevations and move higher in the spring.

Where can I find more information?
Our Facebook page and website are a good place to start, if you have any questions let us know.

Found something rare or interesting?
We are always interested, let us know A.S.A.P., on our Facebook page, or drop us an email.

Warning:

What will this guide do for you? We hope our guide will help you identify the wildflowers you see, by genus if not by species. It will not make you an expert overnight. Some species, varieties and subspecies are difficult to identify, even for an expert.

Never assume you have the right flower, always check if everything adds up, the most common mistake is to identify a flower just by appearance and end up with a wrong conclusion.

If in doubt, just post a request on our Facebook page and we or someone else will be happy to help you.

FAQ (fix problems):

The full guide must be downloaded from within the app.
To do this:
In the app, click on the icon in the top right corner and check Full Guide.
A new page will appear, press download and wait for all the data to be downloaded to your device.
Go back and check that the Full Guide option is actually checked. The Full Guide is ready to use.

Please contact us if you encounter any problems, we are happy to help and will always respond.