Punta San Marcial
One typically thinks of deserts as places devoid of life; hot and dusty, brown and sere. Our afternoon hike up an arroyo on the Baja California peninsula demonstrated how amazingly lush this desert can be when you add even a little water. Abundant rainfall towards the end of last year encouraged growth of vines, annuals, and euphorbs that carpet the desert pavement. The numerous small trees found in the Sonoran desert ~ palo blanco, palo verde, ironwood ~ are all in full leaf and blooming. A leisurely meander along this arroyo revealed numerous perennials in bloom, including this member of the Acanthus family, locally known as rama parda.
