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

Joshua Tree National Park is named after the Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) native to the Mojave Desert. The park includes parts of two desert ecosystems, the higher elevation (3000-6000 ft) Mojave Desert and the lower elevation (below 3000 ft) Colorado Desert. The dominant geologic features at Mojave Desert are hills of bare rock, usually broken up into loose boulders. These hills are popular among rock climbing and scrambling enthusiasts. The flatland between these hills is sparsely forested with Joshua trees. It is forecasted that by 2099, the park will increase in temperature by 8 °F. This would make most of the national park unsuitable for Joshua tree growth. The Colorado Desert encompasses the eastern part of the park and features habitats of creosote bush scrub, ocotillo, desert saltbush, and mixed scrub including yucca and cholla cactus. You can also see the California fan palm, the only palm native to California, occurs naturally in five oases.

約書亞樹國家公園以原產於莫哈韋沙漠(Mojave Desert)的約書亞樹(Joshua tree)命名。它包括了兩個沙漠生態系統的一部分，海拔較高(3000-6000英尺)的莫哈韋沙漠和海拔較低(3000英尺以下)的科羅拉多沙漠。莫哈韋沙漠的主要地質特徵是光秃秃的岩石山丘，常碎成分散的大巨石。這些山丘很受攀岩愛好者的喜愛。而在這些山丘之間的平地長有稀疏的約書亞樹森林。據預測到2099年，公園的溫度將升高華氏 8°，這將使國家公園大部分的地區不適合約書亞樹的生長。科羅拉多沙漠圍繞著公園的東部，生長著木餾油灌木、福桂樹、沙漠濱藜和包括絲蘭和cholla仙人掌在內的混合灌木叢。您還可以看到絲葵(California fan palm)，它是唯一一種原產於加利福尼亞州的棕櫚樹，自然生長在五個綠洲中。

We entered the park from the south. While wildflowers weren’t as widespread and abundant as in 2019, there were still plenty of beautiful wildflowers (such as Poppy, Desert Canterbury Bells, Yellow cups, Desert dandelion, Desert pincushion) to be seen between the Joshua Tree National Park marker and the Cottonwood visitor center. After passing the visitor center, we didn't see any flowers until Cholla Garden.

我們從南邊進入公園。雖然野花不像2019年那樣多種類和茂密，但在約書亞樹國家公園標誌和棉白楊遊客中心(Cottonwood visitor center)之間仍可以看到許多美麗的野花(例如Poppy, Desert Canterbury Bells, Yellow cups, Desert dandelion, Desert pincushion)。過了遊客中心後，一直沒看到花，直到Cholla Garden。

Photo Date: 2023.03.17