Travel/POI: Joshua Tree National Park, California USA -- Wildflowers

Joshua Tree National Park is named after the Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia), which are native to the Mojave Desert. The park includes parts of two desert ecosystems: the higher-elevation Mojave Desert (3,000–6,000 ft) and the lower-elevation Colorado Desert (below 3,000 ft). The dominant geologic features in the Mojave Desert are hills of bare rock, usually broken into loose boulders. These hills are popular among rock climbing and scrambling enthusiasts. The flatlands between these hills are sparsely forested with Joshua trees.

It is forecasted that by 2099, the park’s temperature will increase by 8 °F, making much of the national park unsuitable for Joshua tree growth. The Colorado Desert encompasses the eastern part of the park and features habitats such as creosote bush scrub, ocotillo, desert saltbush, and mixed scrub, including yucca and cholla cactus. The California fan palm, the only palm native to California, also occurs naturally in five oases within the park.

We entered the park from the south. While wildflowers weren’t as widespread and abundant as in 2019, there were still plenty of beautiful blooms—such as poppies, desert Canterbury bells, yellow cups, desert dandelions, and desert pincushions—visible between the Joshua Tree National Park marker and the Cottonwood Visitor Center. After passing the visitor center, we didn’t see any flowers until we reached the Cholla Cactus Garden.

約書亞樹國家公園以原產於莫哈韋沙漠的約書亞樹（學名：Yucca brevifolia）命名。公園涵蓋兩個沙漠生態系統的部分地區：海拔較高的莫哈韋沙漠（海拔 3000 至 6000 英尺）和海拔較低的科羅拉多沙漠（海拔 3000 英尺以下）。莫哈韋沙漠的主要地質特徵是光秃秃的岩石山丘，通常破碎成鬆散的巨石。這些山丘深受攀岩和攀岩愛好者的喜愛。山丘之間的平地上稀疏地生長著約書亞樹。

據預測，到 2099 年，公園的氣溫將上升華氏 8 度（約攝氏 2.5 度），使國家公園的大部分地區不再適合約書亞樹的生長。科羅拉多沙漠圍繞著公園的東部，其中生長著木餾油灌木、福桂樹、沙漠濱藜及混合灌木叢，其中包括絲蘭和仙人掌。加州扇形棕櫚絲葵是加州唯一的原生棕櫚樹，也自然生長在公園內的五個綠洲中。

我們從南邊進入公園。雖然野花不像 2019 年那樣繁茂茂盛，但在約書亞樹國家公園標誌和棉白楊遊客中心之間，仍然可以看到許多美麗的花朵——比如罌粟花、沙漠風鈴草、黄杯花、沙漠蒲公英和沙漠針墊花。穿過遊客中心後，直到到達仙人掌花園，我們才看到一些花。

Photo Date: 2023.03.17