Original photo by Charles T. Peden/ Shutterstock
April showers bring May flowers… and in some cases, many more flowers than expected. Superblooms — aka the massive, all-at-once bloom of millions of wildflowers in the same area — create vibrant floral tapestries that cover hillsides, valleys, and even deserts. Superblooms are a remarkable reminder of Mother Nature’s unpredictability, often drawing in crowds by the thousands to witness rare seas of flowers. Let these six facts about wildflower superblooms grow your knowledge about this floral phenomenon.
Superblooms Are Years in the Making
Superblooms are an astounding sight to see — valleys, meadows, and deserts filled with the burst of thousands upon thousands of blooms. But much of that awe comes from the fact that superblooms are generally unpredictable; to have a successful superbloom means that weather conditions have to be perfectly timed. The burst of flowers typically occurs in more arid regions of the country — think some areas of Southern California — when warming spring temperatures pair with an adequate amount of precipitation during the previous fall and winter months. Billions of wildflower seeds, which have sometimes laid dormant underground for years waiting for the right conditions, emerge all at once, creating the phenomenon of thousands of buds opening simultaneously.
However, not every winter produces enough water for an annual superbloom. Years with soaking rains, especially after years of drought, often give the best chances. Even with enough precipitation, a potential wave of floral blooms is up against other challenges, like climate conditions. Temperatures that are too hot or too cold can impede germination or growth for plants that do sprout, while herbivores in search of food can feast on vulnerable seedlings before they can debut their buds. And if the flowers bloom before pollinators are ready to emerge, there can be fewer viable seeds for future plants.
Some Superblooms Follow A Pattern
Death Valley is one of the hottest places on Earth (once reaching a record temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit in 1913), and also the driest spot in North America — two characteristics that don’t seem particularly flower-friendly. Yet Death Valley is home to a regularly occurring superbloom that fills the desert with millions of blossoms, featuring species such as the yellow desert sunflower and the pink desert sand verbena. On average, the area receives a scant 2 inches of rain per year, but in years with more frequent precipitation and few damaging windstorms (which can batter delicate plants), superblooms are more likely. Death Valley’s conditions seem almost timed, combining perfectly about once a decade, with the most recent superblooms occurring in 2016, 2005, and 1998 — and even then, the phenomenon is short-lived, often lasting just a few weeks until temperatures tick upwards.
Any Big Bloom Can Be Called a “Superbloom”
The word “superbloom” has typically come to mean a massive bloom of the same flower species all at once, but the term doesn’t have a scientific basis. Instead, it’s a phrase that emerged among news agencies to describe the phenomenon to the general public. Many researchers agree that since there’s no scientific definition of what does (and doesn’t) count as a superbloom, a bloom of any size could technically be described as one. According to Richard Minnich, an earth sciences professor, “it’s all in the eye of the beholder.”
Some Superblooms Can Be Seen From Space
Acres of blooming fields can overwhelm the senses from the ground, making it hard to see just how large a superbloom might be. Amazingly, those floral booms can sometimes be seen from space, giving Earth-dwellers a chance to appreciate their magnitude with help from satellite imagery. In 2019, the Landsat 8 satellite used by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey recorded an orange poppy superbloom in Southern California’s Walker Canyon. The photos, taken 480 miles above Earth, show miles of hillside covered in the state’s official flower, along with hundreds of parked cars from visitors who flocked to the area.
Superblooms Can Disappear As Quickly As They Happen
Predicting when, or if, a superbloom might happen is difficult, but so is determining how long one might last. In California and other Western states, superbloom season generally begins in late winter, with lower elevations seeing blooms emerge between mid-February and mid-April. Higher elevation areas tend to remain cooler for longer, meaning superblooms in those regions are more likely to occur between April and July. When flowers do emerge, there’s no guarantee they’ll stay around long. Depending on the species, some wildflower superblooms can last upwards of two months, but weather conditions can quickly shrivel the show — as in March 2015, when a heat wave in the Mojave Desert ended a poppy bloom after just two weeks.
You Can Help Protect Superblooms
Massive wildflower blooms can attract thousands of visitors hoping to snap the perfect picture and experience the amazing view, but steady streams of admirers can actually harm the potential for future superblooms. Floral ecosystems are fragile and can become stressed from large numbers of people who trek off-trail and through the blooms. Walking through the flowers can also cause the spread of invasive plants if seeds are carried in on shoes and gear, and heavy foot traffic can trample blooms and keep them from dropping seeds that would fuel the next generation of flowers. Many botanists say it takes just two steps to ethically enjoy current flower explosions (and those in years to come): Stay on the trail and take with you only photos and memories of the wildflower wonder.
Nicole Garner Meeker is a writer and editor based in St. Louis. Her history, nature, and food stories have also appeared at Mental Floss and Better Report.
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