After five years of exceptional drought, desert landscapes across southern California exploded with “superblooms” of wildflowers this March following ample winter precipitation. According to local news reports, it’s the most spectacular display some locations have seen in more than two decades.
Wrapped up snugly in a thick, waxy coat, the seeds of desert wildflowers may lie dormant on the seemingly barren ground for years. Washed and softened by unusually heavy or frequent fall and winter rains, the waiting seeds finally crack open and push their roots into the rocky soil. Provided that spring brings sunshine, warmth, and only gentle winds, the plants will take advantage of the narrow window of favorable conditions to complete their life cycle.
At least some desert wildflowers bloom in most years, but in “superbloom” years, they put on a spectacular show—a carpet of greenery and thousands of blooms stretching across acres and acres of the landscape. Like “leaf peepers” are drawn to New England in the autumn, visitors flock to desert parks to witness the phenomenon. Among the locations where seasonal climate conditions in winter 2016-17 were favorable for a spring superbloom is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, in southeastern California.
Continue reading at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Photo via National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
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