Now that we are cautiously anticipating a decent wildflower season, I'm starting to get more email inquiries about our unusual desert flowers. I received one recently from Cindi:

I tried doing a search to find the name of a cactus, but didn't have a lot of luck in that regard. However, you have a photo of the cactus on your about.com:Phoenix site. The cactus I'm interested in learning the name of is photo # 7 at this page. I would appreciate it greatly if you could tell me the name, just the "generic" name will do, of this particular cactus.

Arrgh! Cindi, about two years ago I got the same question; I remember doing that research and finding that name, but this time I couldn't dig up my notes. So what's a person to do? Those wonderful people at the Desert Botanical Garden have come to my rescue and identified it for you. It is an Argentine Giant Cactus, Echinopsis candicans

Here's another email I received about wildflowers:

My name is Carla and I live in Iowa. My Uncle moved to Tempe and we would like to visit him when the desert is in bloom, but don't know when this is going to happen. We were told maybe Feb maybe March, depends on how much rain you get. I understand this for I grew up on a farm. Is there a way to find out a few weeks before, so we can plan on coming out there?

When the desert is in bloom, the best time to see wildflowers is late February through early April. This article explains it. My recommendation for easy desert wildflower enjoyment is the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Once the season starts, you usually have a few weeks to enjoy it, so that would be all the notice you'll get. You can bookmark the DesertUSA site and start looking for wildflower updates in late February.

In anticipation of what might be a decent wildflower season in 2008, the City of Phoenix recommends four spots for wildflower activity that are right in the city:

1. South Mountain Park
   Large areas of wildflower blooms can be found in the western part of the park along San Juan Road. The Bajada Trail and the sections of the National Trail that run through the western end of the park offer viewing on foot. San Juan Road will be open for limited hours Saturdays and Sundays from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Feb. 23 to March 30 to allow vehicle access to these areas. The road will remain closed on weekdays and close again full time on March 31. The area surrounding the roadway leading to the Gila Valley overlook also is a good viewing area. Visitors can access these areas through the main preserve entrance at Central Avenue south of Dobbins Road. Staff is available for questions about wildflower viewing Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South Mountain Environmental Education Center, located to the south of the main road before the main entrance gate. The north-facing slopes accessible from the Pima Canyon and Beverly Canyon entrances of the park also are a great spot for wildflowers.
2. Piestewa Peak Area
   Trail 8, the Quartz Ridge Trail, typically runs through impressive blooms. The trailhead is at 40th Street south of Shea Boulevard. Several trails around Piestewa Peak that are accessible from the Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area also are good spots for wildflower viewing.
3. Dreamy Draw
   Hillsides and washes surrounding Trail 100 out of the Dreamy Draw trailhead at Northern Avenue and Highway 51 often are covered in blooms.
4. Camelback Mountain
   Both the Cholla Trail and the Echo Canyon area are good spots for wildflower displays. These trails are generally more strenuous than the others listed here with significant elevation gain. Parking is very limited, especially for the Echo Canyon area, where waits for parking spots routinely exceed 30 minutes.