Sea of Purple on the Plain of Carrizo
In 2005, dense stands of purple phacelia transformed this part of Carrizo Plain into an almost continuous field of color. Although phacelia is an annual wildflower, this particular location is known for the flowers reliably returning to the same area from season to season. The density and height of the bloom can vary considerably from year to year, but the recurring purple display has become a familiar feature of this part of the plain. In this photograph, the phacelia fills the foreground to the horizon beneath the open blue sky, while a distant clump of tumbleweeds interrupts the otherwise continuous sweep of purple.
The phacelia stood waist-high across parts of the valley floor. Nearby, matted-down flowers marked places where antelope had slept, a reminder that this remote landscape is also active wildlife habitat. Farther out, a clump of tumbleweeds had gathered near the distant center. Together, these details added another layer to the immense field of purple beyond the flowers themselves.
The complete panorama must be reduced considerably for online viewing, making some of the landscape’s finer details difficult to see. This enlarged section brings the individual purple phacelia into clearer view while also revealing the clump of tumbleweeds near the upper part of the image.
