A good wildflower year depends on at least three things: Well-spaced rainfall throughout the fall, winter, and spring, sufficient warmth from the sun and lack of drying winds.
Rain is Key Gentle rain that soaks deeply into the soil is essential for a desert floral display. To begin, a rainstorm of a half inch or more is needed to wash the protective coating off wildflower seeds and allow them to sprout. For plants to continue growing, rainstorms must come at evenly-spaced intervals throughout the winter and spring. The best blooms are triggered by an early, winter-type rainstorm in September or October, followed by an El Niño weather pattern that brings above average rainfall to the Desert Southwest.
Warming Things Up Wildflower seeds that sprout with cool winter storms often remain small and low to the ground until the springtime sun starts to warm the soil. They may not look like they are growing, but a strong root system is developing below the surface. As the temperatures get warmer, the well established plants then put on a growth spurt and start to bloom.
Harsh Desert Wind Frequent springtime windstorms without additional rain can bring about a quick end to the spring bloom or even prevent it from happening by killing off delicate sprouts. Dry, moving air dehydrates exposed surfaces of all living things, including human beings. Desert plants often have waxy, hairy, or spiny leaves to baffle the wind and retain precious moisture. Humans can carry and drink water as needed, but the wildflowers must grow and bloom before they dry out, or late-spring heat arrives, in order to leave seeds scattered on the desert floor to produce the next generation.
Superblooms Death Valley is famous for its spectacular, spring wildflower displays, but those are the exception, not the rule. Only under perfect conditions does the desert fill with a sea of gold, purple, pink or white flowers. These tend to average once a decade, with the most recent superbloom years being 2016, 2005, and 1998. Although there are years where blossoms are few, they are never totally absent.
Superbloom!
Take a look at spectacular wildflowers during a rare superbloom in 2016.
In Death Valley National park, most of the showy desert wildflowers are annuals, also referred to asephemeralsbecause they are short-lived. Oddly enough, this limited lifespan ensures survival here. Rather than struggle to stay alive during the desert’s most extreme conditions, annual wildflowers lie dormant as seeds. When enough rain finally does fall, the seeds quickly sprout, grow, bloom and go back to seed again before the dryness and heat returns. By blooming enmasse during good years, wildflowers can attract large numbers of pollinators such as butterflies, moths, bees and hummingbirds that might not otherwise visit Death Valley.
Wildflowers only bloom in the spring months. Lower elevations see flowers mid February to Mid April, mid-level elevation see flowers early April to early may and higher elevations see them early May to mid July.
Death Valley was given its forbidding name by a group of pioneers lost here in the winter of 1849-1850. Even though, as far as we know, only one of the group died here, they all assumed that this valley would be their grave.
While a park-wide superbloom did not occur, there were localized areas of extensive blooms including fields of desert gold in Panamint Valley and hillsides covered in globe mallow near Dantes View.
The best time to visit the Valley of Flowers is from July to September. However, the national park will be open to the public from June 1, 2024, to October. During this period, the valley is in full bloom.
In contrast to the extremes of summertime, winter and spring are very pleasant. Winter daytime temperatures are mild in the low elevations, with cool nights that only occasionally reach freezing. Higher elevations are cooler than the low valley.
The valley is narrow, trapping any air from circulating in or out. There's also little vegetation to absorb the sun's rays, and there's a desert nearby. Winter temperatures, however, can actually get quite cold because the desert does not retain heat when the surrounding air cools off.
Typically, super-bloom season occurs roughly from February through May (the same time wildflower season would normally happen), often peaking in mid-March. However, super-bloom timing often varies by region: The Central Coast: mid-March to mid-April. Los Angeles County: mid-March to early April.
You can slide down the slide into the flowers. The flowers look lovely some are still growing. “Free visit to Superbloom - good if you are in the area.”
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve: Sporadic individual poppies are already starting to bloom. From mid-March to May, this park expects a variety of wildflowers to bloom. Poppies, fiddleneck, and red stem filaree have sprouted throughout the Poppy Reserve in large, dense quantities.
This stunning state-protected reserve about an hour and a half drive north of Los Angeles is one of the most popular spots to see the Golden State flower. The poppy super bloom arrives in this area in late winter or early spring, according to officials.
A seemingly ordinary hike in Death Valley National Park turned tragic on April 5th. A 66-year-old Gig Harbor, Washington man lost his life about a mile up the Mosaic Canyon Trail, apparently struck down by a sudden medical emergency.
Over the last several million years the Earth's crust in the Death Valley region has extended, causing mountains to rise and valleys to sink along faults.
It is best to stay with your vehicle if it breaks down. On main roads, another traveler should come along sooner than you could walk for help. Leave the car's hood up and/or mark the road with a large X visible to aircraft.
Depending on how mild and wet the season is, some wildflowers, such as Red Campion, can flower as early as April and last into November. However, most wildflowers, whether annual, biennial or perennial will start to bloom in May or June and last 3-4 months.
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