After months of drought, monsoonal rains have encouraged an incredible bloom of summer annual wildflowers. Yellow carpets of aromatic chinchweed (Pectis papposa) can be seen at some elevations, alongside fringed amaranth (Amaranthus fimbriatus) and delicate native grasses like needle grama (Bouteloua aristidoides). Brittle creosote (Larrea tridentata) has grown back lush and green, and some cacti are having a second bloom. These wildflowers and grasses are providing much-needed forage for desert tortoise! You may also start to see native perennial seedlings such as catclaw (Senegalia greggii) and blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida). This summer growth demonstrates how resilient desert vegetation can be, bouncing back to full life within a month of rainfall! Discover more about this desert happening in our recent blog post by Madena Asbell, Director of Plant Conservation Programs: https://www.mdlt.org/after-the-summer-rains-new-growth. Link in bio. Photos: 1 Emmalyn Snead, 2-5 Madena Asbell.