California has been a magnet for wildflower fans in the last decade, thanks to the spectacular “flower mageddons” of 2016, 2019, 和2023年. 在那些年, a bigger-than-average spring bloom was fueled by drenching rainstorms in autumn 和 winter.
Statewide precipitation levels are high again in 2024, 和 critical flower-making month of February was especially wet. That sets the stage for a great wildflower season, but experts say the big blooms will most likely occur in certain locations, not statewide—和 not necessarily in the same spots as last year.
“降雨的时间和数量是正确的,苏珊·费尔德特曼说, a retired plant biologist from the University of California at Riverside. “But there are many factors that affect bloom events, 和 wildflowers can be fickle.”
Flower seekers are focusing on California’s deserts right now, where blooms have been appearing since late December due to an unusual amount of late-summer 和 autumn rainfall. The good news: show will keep on going thanks to February’s substantial rain.
Read on to find out where the bloom is happening now, 和 where it will occur in coming weeks. 但首先, brush up on your flower manners: Tread carefully among the colorful splendor 和 follow the 加州责任旅行法规 只要你喜欢户外活动. 沿着既定路线走, 永远不要摘野花, 和 no matter how much you want that close-up, 不要踩到脆弱的植物.
南加州
科切拉山谷保护区 & 印度的峡谷: 大棕榈泉 区域现在看到了很多颜色. 费尔德特曼报道说，这些花在 科切拉山谷保护区 are in full swing, especially along the ridgeline trail to Pushwalla Palms. “The ridge is covered in huge mats of purple 沙地马鞭草 和 bright yellow desert gold,她说。. Additionally, beavertail cactus are starting to show flashy magenta flowers in Palm Springs’ 印度的峡谷, 和 scattered lupine 和 cactus are blooming along parts of the 北Lykken小道 在棕榈泉市中心.
死亡谷国家公园位于加州最东部, this astoundingly large 和 beautiful desert park hosts a rare 和 fleeting superbloom about once a decade—the last three occurred in 2016, 2006, 和1998年. Death Valley spokesperson Abby Wines says for 2024 she predicts “there will be nice flowers this spring but not a full superbloom.“现在, the park offers spotty sightings of 美丽大百合, 沙漠画笔, 和 monkeyflower along Badwater Road 和 around Furnace Creek (check Death Valley’s 野花网页 更新).
安扎-博雷戈沙漠州立公园: Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association reports that flower hotspots like Henderson Canyon Road 和 Coyote Canyon are painted with splotches of desert sunflower, 沙地马鞭草, 沙丘月见草, 还有棕色眼睛的樱草花. The Borrego Badl和s are sprouting with thous和s of desert lily plants, 但它们还没有开花. 的更新, call the park’s wildflower hotline at 760-767-4684 or check the natural history association’s 博雷戈花朵 网页.
羚羊谷加利福尼亚罂粟保护区:直播”罂粟凸轮” at 羚羊谷加利福尼亚罂粟保护区，东北方向75英里 洛杉矶, shows golden brown grasses 和 no poppies. But that’s typical for late February—still “pre-season” at the reserve. The Jane Pinheiro Interpretive Center will reopen March 1, 和 locals are hoping for a repeat of last year’s mind-boggling bloom, which began on March 10 和 lasted for three weeks. Call the park’s wildflower hotline at 661-724-1180 or check the 罂粟凸轮 for the latest updates.
卡里佐平原国家纪念碑: 卡里佐平原保护协会 says the outlook for this grassl和-covered preserve east of 圣路易斯奥比斯波 看起来“有前途.“随着草山变绿, there’s potential for a repeat of 2023’s spectacular show, which colored the Temblor Range’s ridgelines 和 Soda Lake’s shoreline. If the bloom occurs, plan on an ETA of mid- to late March.
加州北部
野花的摄影师 丽莎贝瑞 says 加州北部’s first floral event typically occurs in the Sierra Nevada foothills starting in mid- to late March. 一个早开的目的地是 北桌山生态保护区 附近 奥罗维尔. “桌山可以盖进去。 淘金热 和 天空羽扇豆, with vibrant patches of pink 和 magenta bitter root decorating volcanic slabs, 白色的草地泡沫衬着溪流, 和 purple owl’s clover brushing the grasses,她说。.
贝瑞还建议 酪乳弯道 in 南尤巴河州立公园 宾州谷附近. 容易的路是2.4 miles alongside the granite-lined pools of the South Yuba River, 和 interpretive signs identify the flowers. Berry says to look for fairy lanterns, live forever, redbud, 和 elusive 荷兰人的管, a vine with a distinctive saxophone-like flower.
如果想远足，可以去 史蒂文斯小道 附近 Colfax，它运行4次.5 miles one-way to the banks of the North Fork of the American River. “我最喜欢的羽扇豆， 丑角羽扇豆, can be seen on the 史蒂文斯小道,” Berry says. 还有粉黄相间的羽扇豆, 她说你还会看到罂粟花, 中国的房子, 布什monkeyflower, 山坡上长满了罂粟花.
五月的时候，贝瑞会去北方采花 特拉基. “普卢默斯县 和 Sierraville area have wonderful meadows 和 hillsides to explore,她说。. “草地上很早就出现了蓝色的照相机.“在camas花完成之后, others make their appearance: prairie smoke, 美丽大百合, 和胡克的苦瓜根.
For the best petal-peeping, timing is everything. “Once the summer temps hit, the window for catching the peak bloom will soon close,” Berry says. Even small changes in the weather can affect the bloom for better or worse, so keep checking the web for updates on current conditions. The good news is that the bloom moves upward with mountain elevations, so the Sierra’s highest peaks show their flowers as late as July 和 August.
