Californian wildflowers are already blooming following a wet winter

Thanks to a wet winter in California, a proliferation of wildflowers has begun carpeting the region in beautiful blossoms, even though it’s not quite spring yet. DesertUSA, which provides regular wildflower reports, reports that swathes of wildflowers have been appearing earlier than usual across the region, which is great news for visitors.

The hills around Lake Elsinore are already covered in a super bloom of bright orange poppies, and early flowers are also evident in Coachella Valley and Joshua Tree National Park. It is believed the early blossoming has been triggered by heavy rain during the late fall followed by consistent rains throughout the winter. A  seasonal wildflower trail encircling the lake has just opened to the public at Diamond Valley Lake.

Some of the flowers visitors can expect to see include desert lilies, sand verbena, California poppies, arroyo lupines, Canterbury bells, rancher’s fiddleneck and other wildflowers. Depending on the location, the blooms may last through spring and even continue straight through the summer. Two years ago, areas like the Anza-Borrego Desert and Carrizo Plain National Monument saw what was dubbed a “superbloom,” which drew in hundreds of thousands of visitors. It is already boasting an impressive display of wildflowers now.

Wildflowers have also been blooming around Antelope Valley, Carrizo Plain National Monument and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The latter is advising visitors to stay on the trails, avoid treading on vegetation and not to pick the flowers.

For updates on the wildflowers, visit DesertUSA, or else call the Theodore Payne Wild Flower Hotline, which outlines the best locations for viewing spring wildflowers in southern and central California.

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