Many are spectacular. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona is part of the Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran is the lushest of the North American deserts, rich in large cacti, trees, and wildlife. This is due to a very active summer thunderstorm season.
All American deserts experience mild winter rains.
This wildflower outbreak has a special impact on the desert due to its open and relatively sparse terrain. The American deserts will generally have a good wildflower bloom every five or six years. The spring of 1979 was also the time of my first desert hiking trip, and I knew nothing about wildflower seasons, monsoons, or any of it. Photography does not adequately portray it. Washes are usually dry except during heavy thunderstorms.