2010 Ranger Cam

This is the Wildflower Ranger Cam for 2010. We'll keep you updated on wildflowers and cactus flowers and their peak blooming times around the state at many Arizona State Parks.

No Flowers Yet.

Check out the 2009 Ranger Cam
Check out the 2008 Ranger Cam

State Park Rangers use digital cameras to capture the weekly changes in the desert as the ground starts to warm and the flowers germinate.

To take your own photographs, rangers recommend a piece of black velvet for photo backgrounds. Wildflower books are available with brochures and maps in rural areas at all the State Parks. For more information on Arizona’s State Parks’ wildflowers call the hotline at (602) 542-4988 or track the blooms on the RANGER CAM at AZStateParks.com/rangercam.

Wildflower Hotline

Tips for Viewing Wildflowers

Research the areas you will be going before you leave to be sure the elevation is where the flowers are blooming. Different flowers bloom at different temperature and soil conditions. Flowers in sand dunes are much different than those in the mountains. Arizona Highways Magazine has an excellent "Desert Wildflower" book. This book also tells the rainfall patterns and temperatures that affect wildflower blooms.
Bring plenty of water and a picnic lunch.
Bring a camera and lots of film. A magnifying glass will let you see the flowers up close.
Don't touch or pick flowers, buds or seed plants. Don't step on the green plants.
Be in the desert on a sunny day between 10-3:00 if you want to see poppies when they are open and the most beautiful. On cold or windy the flowers will close.
Don't stop on the freeway or park on the side of roads to take pictures.
Never touch any type of cactus. The tiny spines you can't see embed themselves in your skin.
Watch for the wildflower pollinators: bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, ants, bats, and beetles.
People with allergies should be aware that the pollen could cause an allergic reaction.
Globemallow are pretty but also called "sore-eye poppies" because if you touch your eyes after touching the flower the star shaped hairs will irritate your eyes.

Rules & Regulations about Native Plants

The Native Plant laws that protect plants everywhere in Arizona require that you not harm the plants. This includes digging them up, shooting them, stealing skeletons, collecting the seeds or picking the flowers. About 30 different plants and almost all cacti are on the Native Plant protected lists. There are civil penalties and fines ranging up to $2500 and 6 months in jail for violating these laws. In State and National Parks the laws are even more specific. You can't collect plants, harm plants or animals, pick up any type of plant skeletons, collect wood, or pick up archaeological or historical objects or even take rocks from the Parks.

Check out the 2009 Ranger Cam
Check out the 2008 Ranger Cam

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