Bloom Reports from the Anza-Borrego Desert: 2026-2027
Table of Contents
Latest Summary of Bloom Status
Bloom Reports from Individual Hikes This Season
Links to Other Webpages on Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Blooms
Background Information for Bloom Reports from the Anza-Borrego Desert
Older Bloom Reports from 2009 to present
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| Fig. 1. Left: Chilopsis linearis, desert willow, photographed by Henrik Kibak in Carrizo Canyon near Rockhouse Canyon on 15 October 2026.
Right: Pectis papposa, chinchweed, photographed by Birgit Knorr along S2 west of Vallecito County Park on 2 October 2026. Click on the pix to go to the original iNat observations. | |
Latest Summary of Bloom Status
Summary as of 18 October 2026
The 2026-2027 bloom season is off to a good start, with widespread rain of 0.93" or more recorded in the western desert floor rain gauges, and up to 2" or more in the mountains to the west of the desert, received on 10 to 12 October 2026, thanks to the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel. See map showing rainfall totals across San Diego County, and map for western Riverside County.
October rainfall of 1.0" is generally enough to germinate our native winter / spring annuals, so there should soon be germination of native annuals in the western part of the Borrego Desert floor. Higher elevations are of course cooler, which often delays native germination.
However, due to the lack of rain gauges in the eastern part of the Borrego Desert, we don't know how much rainfall fell there. But we'll soon find out by looking for germination.
There were also a number of scattered monsoonal thunderstorms prior to 10 October, with 0.44" received in Canebrake on 10 August, and lesser amounts that hit rain gauges on 28 August, and on 7 and 27 September. Other thunderstorms were observed on 4 and 24 September, but went unrecorded by any rain gauge.
These monsoonal thunderstorms have resulted in scattered germination of monsoonal annuals such as Pectis papposa, chinchweed. As of 17 October 2026, there have been 23 observations of (mostly) blooming Pectis posted at iNat since 3 September 2026 from seven different locations, and five observations of Amaranthus fimbriatus. There are probably more locations with these blooming plants that have gone unrecorded at iNat, since it has mostly been too hot for much of the desert to be surveyed.
One notable monsoonal perennial now in bloom is desert unicorn plant, aka Devils Claw, Proboscidea althaeifolia. Fred Melgert and Carla Hoegen posted its first bloom on 17 October 2026.
This good rainfall from monsoonal thunderstorms and from Tropical Storm Rachel is enough to stimulate some of our shrubs to bloom early as well. As of 18 October 2026, there have been 99 observations of 49 species marked as being in bloom at iNat in the last month, since 18 September 2026! The most frequently observed bloomers are Fouquieria splendens, ocotillo (11 observations); and Pectis papposa, chinchweed (8 observations). But this is far from a widespread bloom; 30 of those species have only a single observation marked as being in bloom, with most of the rest having just two or three observations marked as being in bloom. In many places in the Borrego Desert, you'd be lucky to even spot a single species in bloom.
This good rainfall has even stimulated some off-season blooms. Henrik Kibak photographed a bloom on a Cylindropuntia ramosissima on 14 October 2026. This species normally blooms in April to June! But with the right rains, it can also bloom in October. We expect more such off-season blooms from other species in the near future.
See also previous versions of this page.
Bloom Reports from Individual Hikes This Season
The latest bloom reports are given first (i.e., the reports are in inverse order of time). As detailed immediately above, you can see a map of where the hikes were from any linked iNat post of the species in bloom. For many more bloom reports, see Anza-Borrego Wildflowers Bloom Report by Fred Melgert and Carla Hoegen.
13 October 2026: Henrik Kibak reports from the Blair Valley area that ocotillo plants are generally in leaf with an occasional bloom, and that perennials are looking flush with water and new growth is starting.
18 August 2026: On a very hot car trip from the San Felipe Valley to Canebrake, with temperatures ranging from 100 deg at Scissors Crossing to 109 deg at Canebrake, Tom Chester found monsoonal annual germination in one spot along S2 in the San Felipe Valley, and the spot near the entrance to Blair Valley Campground. Leafed-out ocotillos were scattered in spots. The best spot for leafy ocotillos was once again at the bottom of Campbell Grade from Mason Valley to Vallecito Valley. The highlight by far was seeing flowers on Mammillaria tetrancistra.
Links to Other Webpages on Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Blooms
Anza-Borrego Wildflowers Bloom Report by Fred Melgert and Carla Hoegen, often with daily wildflower updates.
All iNaturalist observations in the Borrego Desert since 17 September 2026, 591 observations of 167 species (numbers are as of 17 October 2026; click on "Filters" to change the dates).
Wildflower Updates from the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park official site, with wildflower information on it. When they start producing current wildflower reports, click on the link near the top with the word Update, which might be updated weekly.
DesertUSA Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflower Reports
Anza-Borrego Foundation and Institute Wildflowers and their Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflower Hotline: (760)767-4684. "Information on this recording is updated regularly."
Theodore Payne Wildflower Hotline (Reports begin the first Friday in March)