We look forward to spring and summer in the desert all year. It’s a wonderful time of year when the pool is the perfect temperature for swimming, the evenings are still cool enough to dine al fresco, and the cacti are blooming! If you’re thinking of making a desert trip, it’s a great time to visit. Unlike winter annual wildflowers, cactus will flower consistently regardless of winter rains (because they can store water).
While the Spring wildflowers mostly dry up as the desert heats up, some cacti species will continue flower well into the summer.
Starting in March you’re likely to spot some cacti blooming at lower elevations in both Joshua Tree and Tucson. By April Prickly Pears will start flowering. May is the prime of the season for Prickly Pear cactus blooms, and you’ll also find Cholla blooming along with many other species that time of year.
In Tucson, the Saguaros usually bloom in May or June. Also, the bloom season stretches even longer in Tucson with a new round of blooms appearing during the summer monsoon rains (including the always adorable Pin Cushion with their pink flower crowns)!
Here’s a monthly guide to finding late Spring cactus blooms in Joshua Tree and Tucson:
- March: it’s possible to spot some earlier blooming cacti such as Hedgehogs & Beavertail.
- April: often when Prickly Pears begin blooming.
- May: peak cacti flowering season, this is when the Saguaro bloom usually peaks as well.
- June: some cacti (including Saguaro) are generally still in bloom.
- July/ August: monsoon season in Tucson can bring a whole other round of blooms (and Prickly Pear fruit!).
- August/ September: Barrel cacti bloom.
Commonly Encountered Cacti
Prickly Pear
Prickly Pear Cactus (also known as Opuntia or Nopal), are a common type of cactus to find in both Tucson and Joshua Tree. Recognizable by their paddle shapes, these cacti produce lots of brilliant yellow blooms throughout the Spring and early Summer. Each bud only blooms for a day, but each plant has lots of buds so the bloom season stretches; sometimes for months. One of our favorite things to observe about Prickly Pears is that throughout the course of the day, their blooms fade from yellow to the most perfect pale peach color. Once the blooms wither, the fruit (or tuna) ripens in the late summer. We are already getting excited about Prickly Pear margaritas to come (and Prickly Pear lemonade, and Prickly Pear syrup, and Prickly Pear wine, etc. etc.)
Saguaro
While Saguaro cactus are occasionally grown ornamentally in Joshua Tree, you’ll have to head East to the Sonoran desert to encounter these majestic cacti in their home range.
In Tucson, Saguaros bloom throughout May and June. Each bud flowers for less than a day. They open overnight and blooms fade by mid day the next day. It’s worth waking up early to spot them!
We have recently discovered a couple of rare crested or cristate Saguaros on and near our grounds. We used a drone to capture this one in bloom!
Cholla
Teddy Bear (or Jumping) Cholla are probably the most well known species of Cholla cactus (you’ll find these in the Cholla Garden of Joshua Tree National Park). Teddy Bears are infamous for looking cute and fuzzy, but don’t let their innocent look fool you. If you so much as lightly brush up against them, you’ll likely to get a painful surprise.
There are over 40 species of Cholla found throughout the Southwestern US and Mexico. Our inn’s property in Tucson is covered in Chain-fruit Cholla, Buckhorn and Staghorn Chollas—their flowers vary in color from dusty pinks and reds to yellows and greens, and most bloom between April and June. A very fun thing about the Staghorns and Buckhorns is that it’s impossible to know which color each plant will bloom until it opens. These plants create rainbows of color across the desert throughout spring.
If you’d like to come see the desert in bloom, we’d love to host you! Book a stay with us at our inn in Tucson or our individual homes in Joshua Tree.
