Echinocereus engelmannii  (atrawberry hedgehog) ( ) Cactaceae The reddish-purple or magenta flowers of hedgehogs rupture the skin of this cactus just above the areoles, the places where from two to six central spines cluster along the plant's ribs. The curved spines of this cactus are variable in color, from white or gold to black. Its cup-shaped flowers open for several consecutive days, attracting bees and beetles to their abundant pollen and nectar. Medium-sized bees alight on the stigma and probe into the masses of pollen below. As the bee collects one flower's pollen, it leaves behind other pollen, aiding cross-pollination. Hedgehog blooms often last only two weeks, beginning at the end of March or as late as mid-April. It grows on outwash fans, flats and, hillsides from sea level to 5,000 feet in grasslands.  "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988". 

  Calochortus kennedyi  (desert mariposa lily) ( ) Liliaceae This striking spring bloomer can be differentiated from other mariposas by its deep orange-red to yellow or vermilion velvety petals, each with a brownish purple spot at the base;. In some places, mariposas are beetle-pollinated. The desert mariposa has clusters of two to four flowers on a stalk rising from a bulb hidden beneath linear, basal leaves. In Arizona, its blossoming is largely limited to April, peaking in mid-month. It is found in many habitats, from desert to grassland and semi-arid woodland vegetation.  "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988". 

  Sphaeralcea ambigua  (globemallow) ( ) Malvaceae The large number of orange-colored flowers produced by this multi-stemmed mallow over a year provides a steady source of pollen and nectar to honeybees and mallow-specializing bees. Flower color variants occur, including ones with white, purple, red, or grenadine hues. A low-growing perennial herb, desert mallow has long panicles of flowers and roundish, shallow-lobed leaves. The leaves have star-shaped hairs on them that irritate the eyes if accidentally rubbed into them. From dry rocky slopes to washes and the banks of springs, this is one of the most adaptable of the mallow species, which seldom exhibit so much drought tolerance. Below 3,500 feet, this species blooms year around, although each plant has an individual bloom time.  "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988". 

  Simmondsia chinensis  (jojoba) (jojoba) Simmondsiaceae Although this desert shrub lacks showy flowers, its floral clusters and waxy fruit still intrigue many people. The plant shape guides wind-dispersed pollen toward female flowers, but bees also steal pollen from male plants. Jojoba prefers rocky slopes with coarse soils, above pockets of cold air drainage. The liquid wax extracted from its seeds is currently marketed as a key ingredient in many cosmetics. Jojoba has a long and variable flowering season. At one site, it has extended from mid-January to late-April in some years, but only February and early March in others.  "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988". 

  Lupinus sparsiflorus  (lupine) ( ) Fabaceae This annual lupine species has violet-blue, pea-like blooms with yellow spots on one petal that turns purplish-red when the flower is manipulated by bees. Lupines have finger-like leaflets which tilt to track the sun at a direct angle, thereby gaining additional solar radiation during the winter when such energy is at a premium. Some years, lupine begins to flower in January. Attractive to bumble bees and digger bees, these flowers peak in color and fragrance from mid-March through mid-April, on alluvial fans, washes, and canyons below 2,300 feet.  "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988".

  Larrea tridentata  (creosotebush) (gobernadora ) Zygophillaceae These strong-scented, resinous shrubs form extensive stands throughout the warm deserts of the Americas. Although the yellow, five-petalled flowers are small, they offer color where drought eliminates other hues. The 5, 000-500, 000 flowers produces by a single creosotebush in an average year attracts bees, wasps and flies. Petals twist 90 degrees if they've been pollinated. Sonoran Desert creosote blooms peak in March and April, and enlargement is triggered by a drenching rain following a drought, but flowering itself does not occur until the soil begins to dry out again. The bush is found on flats, bajadas, and hills below 4,500 feet.  "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988".

  Justicia californica  (Brown-eyed primrose) ( ) Acanthaceae This sprawling, pale-stemmed shrub produces enough red flowers early in the spring to cause territorial battles among Anna's, Costa's, and black-chinned hummingbirds. The tubular flowers bloom profusely, and tide most hummers over in the winter until other plants begin to bloom. Frequenting the sand and gravel washes skirting low desert mountain ranges, chuparosa always grows below 2,500 feet. Its bloom time extends from late August through June, depending upon the locality.  "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988".

    Chaenactis stevioides  (desert pincushion) ( ) Asteraceae This annual differs from the related Fremont's pincushion by its cream or yellow (rather than white) flowers and by having hairy, flattened leaves rather than glabrous, fleshy ones. It is a common component of wildflower mixtures on desert plains and broad washes, blooming from mid-February to the end of April. Its densities can vary fiftyfold on the same spot, between wet and dry years. Although short-statured, pincushion plants sprinkle much color into desert grassland and chaparral openings, peaking around early March in the low desert and later at higher elevations.  "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988". 

    Calliandra eriophylla  (fairyduster) ( ) Fabaceae This small shrub has clustered rose colored flowers with numerous stamens that protrude like brushes beyond the length of the blossoms themselves. The stamens hold packages of pollen called polyads, each with a sticky place for attaching onto pollinators. These flowers are set in lacy, acacia-like foliage, with five to 15 pairs of leaflets. Flowering from October through April and peaking near the end of March, fairydusters can be found from rocky hillsides and canyon walls to the banks of arroyos. Butterflies, bees, and perhaps some hummingbirds are its pollinators. They are often the only winter-blooming shrubs on the desert mountain slopes.  "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988"