The Hairy Sand Verbena (or Desert Sand Verbena, Abronia villosa) was among the first desert wildflowers that I photographed, way back in 2015, a plant portrait is perhaps overdue?
Physalis crassifolia
Common name: Yellow Nightshade Groundcherry, Thick-leaf Ground-Cherry
What’s flowering yellow, has thick leaves, a cherry-like fruit, grows close to the ground, and is in the nightshade family? The yellow thick-leaf nightshade ground-cherry. Well, if we’d combine this nice perennial desert herb’s common names into one, that is. xD
Palafoxia arida var. arida
Common name: Desert Needle, Desert Palafox
The Desert Needle (Palafoxia arida var. arida) is a beautiful annual that, until 2022, I’ve only seen as relatively small individual flowers. In December 2022, thanks to the intensive summer monsoons and some early storms, I’ve seen it as a beautiful and surprisingly big shrub — reason enough to create a plant portrait for it!
Toxicoscordion fremontii
Common name: Fremont's Deathcamas, Chaparral Zygadene, Common Star Lily
Photographic plant portrait & etymology for Toxicoscordion fremontii, the pretty but toxic Star Lily that grows in the chaparral and sage scrub.
Thermopsis californica var. semota
Common name: Velvety False Lupine, California Goldenbanner
Photographic plant portrait for Thermopsis californica var. semota, commonly known as Velvety False Lupine. This is rare perennial herb in the Fabaceae family — it only grows in San Diego County, California.
Sidalcea sparsifolia
Common name: Southern Checkerbloom
Photographic plant portrait for the lovely Southern Checkerbloom (Sidalcea sparsifolia), a perennial herb in the Malvacaea family with beautiful pink flowers.