I paddled the floodlands and found that red-osier dogwood (cornus stolonifera sp.) with its trunks under water was starting to flower.

In the next two weeks the floodlands will be full of flowering shrubs.

At the launch area, but on dry land,  prickly rose (rosa aciculara) was just starting to bloom.

Not far away prickly  pear cactus (opuntunia fragilis) had a number of blooms on dry, gritty exposed slopes.

The flowering season is short so go to a cactus patch while you can.   There are many along the north side of Ord Road.