Southwest boundary, Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve SNR, Los Angeles County, CA, 4/8/2008
In spring of 2008 I spent several windy days photographing wildflowers at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve west of Lancaster, CA. Late one afternoon I spotted this lone desert oak at the southwest corner of the park, surrounded for miles by only dry short shrubs, dead grass, and poppies. Regarding the flora of this grassland area, this tree is the exception that proves the rule! With the strong side-lighting and poppy-covered knoll at center, I find the scene perfectly evocative of this desolate and arid region. The reserve is at an elevation ranging from 2,600 to 3,000 feet above sea level in the Mojave Desert climate zone.
