Photograph of Ruth Barker with niece and nephew with desert wild flowers (San Verbena or Abronia), county highway between Indian Wells (near Point Happy) and Indio, California, 10 March 1920. She stands at center, behind a flowering plant, while the children stand at each side. "The flowers are the famous desert sand verboena or abronia. That year they were unusually abundant on account of so many showers that spring. There had been a fall rain to start the plants and enough showers to make them reach their prime in growth. The blooms come on the plants when they are quite small but a plant will grow long runners and keep blooming for a long time. I have seen the verboena blossom here at any time except summer but they are probably best in February, March or April according to the amount of rain keeping them going. The masses of pinkish lavender covered miles and acres of sand dunes that year. Their fragrance was wonderful and the sight of them with the desert foreground with snowcapped San Jacinto & Grayback Mountains in the distance was wonderful. [...] There was another flower in our bouquets. It is the Mexican primrose. They, too were wonderfully abundant that spring, growing among the sand verboenas. Their centers are pale yellow." -- letter from Ruth Barker to C.C. Pierce, Indio, California, 19 January 1922.
California Historical Society Collection, 1860-1960
