It has been weeks since we have had any rain here in Tucson. June is usually dry and very hot here in the Sonoran Desert. The washes around Tucson are dry, as are most of the washes in the lower mountain foothills, like this one in Molino Basin Campground.

The annual, spring wildflowers are dead and dry, but their seeds are alive and waiting for next winter's rains. Their seeds will not sprout when the summer monsoon rains come in July because they require cool temperatures for germination. However, many summer wildflowers are waiting for the rains of July to sprout. Some have already sprouted, and the challenge for them is to survive June. If they can, then they will have the competitive advantage over their later-sprouting rivals.