The flowers of desert phlox range in color from white to deep pink, with every shade in-between. NPS photo. There are nine reported species of lupine in Grand Canyon a common species of which is Palmer Lupine, pictured. NPS photo, courtesy Sunset Crater National Monument. Desert phlox (Phlox austromontana) can be found growing among shrubs in the sagebrush grassland habitats in Grand Canyon. With five-petaled flowers ranging in color from white to a deep pink, they grow in dense clusters and bloom on the North and South Rims from May to June and are commonly seen on the corridor trails within the canyon.