For those who think the desert is a place void of vegetation, especially flowering plants, you need only take a slow walk across the true desert in the spring.
Vibrant colors emerge from almost every spot along the trail.
These plants and herbs were building their rich reserves of beneficial components, soon to be used by the people who lived among them, the Papago, Pima, Apache, Yavapai, and Yaqui. Along the flat land of the desert, there is no more prolific plant covering almost every square meter. You have to be on that spring walk to even see the color produced by the flowers, a small yellow composite. Gather a few leaves in your hand, squeeze them a little and then sniff. It should remind you of the smell after a rain on the desert.