Rare 'Super Bloom' Brightens Up Deserts in California
Each spring, wildflowers illuminate the harsh scenery of Southern California's Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. This year, the brief burst of life is especially dramatic. As National Geographic reports, a “super bloom” has seized the area thanks to months of unusually heavy rainfall.
A super bloom occurs when the desert sees a higher-than-average abundance of vegetation in the spring. White desert lilies, yellow desert dandelions, and purple notch leaf phaelia are currently flourishing in areas that see little plant life most of the year. Kathy DeMunck with the Anza-Borrego’s nature center tells National Geographic that the desert is the most vibrant it’s been in over a decade.
Blooms occur in Southern California deserts around mid-March and typically last through the month. If you can’t make it out to the Golden State to see the flowers in person, check out some photos of the phenomenon below.
[h/t National Geographic]
Header/banner images courtesy of iStock