A wide variety of wildflowers bloom each spring in the Mojave Desert surrounding Las Vegas.
Each spring the desert areas surrounding Las Vegas, Nevada, come alive with pretty annuals, perennials and flowering shrubs in a rainbow of colors. Las Vegas is situated in southern Nevada and is surrounded by the Mojave Desert, the 25,000 square mile rain shadow desert that serves as the transition from the arid Sonoran Desert to the cooler Great Basin region. Flowers situated in the desert's lower elevations bloom first as the temperature warms, and as spring progresses the higher elevations become carpeted with different wildflowers. Does this Spark an idea?
Annuals
The Borage, Goosefoot, Sunflower and Waterleaf flower families are just some of the groups of annual wildflowers you can find each spring in the desert areas surrounding Las Vegas. Wingnut Cryptantha, also known as Forget-Me-Nots, is a tall annual flower of the Borage family that shows off small, bell-shaped white flowers as spring brings warmer temperatures to southern Nevada. Brown-Eyed and Golden Evening Primrose bloom to release a sweet fragrance during spring evenings, while several variations of sunflowers, including Desert Chicory, Star-thistle and Ghost Gravel open to greet the rising sun from spring through fall. Desert Marigolds are considered annuals or short-lived perennials, as their bright yellow flowers can be found in bloom from March through November.
Perennials
Perennial flower families frequently found in Las Vegas's surrounding desert during spring include Buttercup, Dogbane, Figwort and Milkweed. Western and Mancos Columbines are leafy, low-growing perennials that feature brightly colored blooms each spring, while Palmer's Penstemon features tall, erect stems that blossom with pink flowers with purple streaks. Golden-yellow Calylophus, related to evening primroses, is a perennial that opens in small clusters at sunset and remains in bloom until the heat of morning. Several variations of poppies, roses and thistles are also spring wildflowers commonly found in the deserts around Las Vegas.
Native Orchids
While Hawaii is commonly referred to as the Orchid Capital of the World, claiming only three native orchid species, Nevada is home to 14 native species. Three native orchid species naturally thrive in the hot deserts surrounding Las Vegas, where spring-time temperatures can lie anywhere in the range between nine degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to 119 in the summer. According to Carol Siegel of UNLV, the orchid species Epipactis gigantea, often found in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys, often viewed in Kyle Canyon, and the commonly found Platanthera sparsiflora need only trace amounts of water and slight shading to survive the spring-time conditions of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Tags: surrounding Vegas, orchid species, areas surrounding, areas surrounding Vegas, commonly found, desert areas
