Late monsoons result in a golden carpet of Chinchweed for the hi-desert

Whether running errands up and down the highway or hiking deep into Joshua Tree National Park, you’re likely enjoying an especially cheery spread of blooms across the Morongo Basin. What is that tiny yellow flower? That dazzling golden carpet currently unfurled across our desert floor is called Chinchweed, or Pectis papposa if you’re feeling formal.

The plant is compact – never higher than eight inches in height – and branches out along the desert floor. Travis Puglisi, owner and operator of Wandering Mojave Hiking Services, spends most days leading visitors in the park and says Chinchweed is a summer/autumn-specific plant, similar to a companion plant, the Fringed amaranth, also currently showing off its’ pink and green spiky flowers.

“The reason that we’re seeing the density that we are – in the places that we are -are primarily because of the later summer rains. September’s a little bit on the later side for monsoon cycle and we’re not just dealing with basic monsoon patterns but we’re also dealing with a tropical storm, Tropical Storm Mario. I think that was really moving through our region on Thursday, September 18^th,” said Puglisi.

Also, Puglisi noted that the storms that preceded Mario contributed to the Chinchweed explosion, one in early September and another in late August.

“The epicenter of the bloom is really the zone between the Pinto Wye and probably a quarter of the way down Wilson Canyon to the Pinto Wye was really the area where the current height of the bloom is occurring,” said Puglisi.

Additionally, a few other species are also blossoming a bit off schedule.

“I photographed, I think, eight blooming Mojave yuccas which are typically peaking sometime in late April after the Joshua Tree bloom – so they’re either really early or really late. I’ve found multiple species of cactus flowering right now – Mojave bear cactus, Beavertail cactus, and common Fish hook cactus. All of these things are typically spring-bloomers so what we’re seeing is this opportunistic reach by spring-flowering plants to bloom in the autumn,” said Puglisi.

At this point, blooms within the park are occurring within an elevation range of roughly 2,000-3,200 feet above sea level.

“So, it really is spectacular. If you’re a tourist and you’re visiting right now, you’re seeing something really hard to predict.”

Puglisi noted that even the ocotillos are in the mix with their spiky legs now covered in lush green petals and those signature red flag blooms likely to appear on many of them. And once we get that first cold snap, those leaves will transform into gold and red – our high desert version of the fall.

In addition to a lemony scent that a mass Chinchweed bloom often elicits, you may pick up another aroma.

“Everyone knows the smell of creosote out here because when the rain comes that’s what we smell is the creosote, primarily. But right now, the high desert smells like a Bangladeshi spice market because the Chinchweed contains outrageously high amounts of an organic compound called cuminaldehyde which is what makes cumin cumin. You can also find cuminaldehyde in eucalyptus and dill but not in the concentrations that you find in cumin and certainly not in the concentrations that you find in the Chinchweed which is a member of the sunflower family. And so, it is just so spicy! Like if you’re walking in the desert right now and you feel like you’re at Sam’s Indian restaurant, it’s because of the Chinchweed.”  

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