From Drought to Super BloomVarious deserts throughout California have been bursting with wildflowers

From Drought to Super BloomVarious deserts throughout California have been bursting with wildflowers thanks to the rains that soaked the state this winter (http://bit.ly/1ORqDNZ, http://bit.ly/2nTtIY5). Three weeks ago, we posted about the bloom at Mojave Trails National Monument (http://bit.ly/2paNHSy now there’s another stunning display in Carrizo Plain National Monument in California’s Central Valley.According to the Bureau of Land Management, the monument valley is covered with “yellows and purples from coreopsis, tidy tips and phacelia, with smaller patches of dozens of other species”. The mountains have also been blanketed with wildflowers, enough to turn them yellow and purple.The seeds of these desert flowers are very hardy. It can be decades before conditions are right for them to germinate. This winter provided those conditions – lots of water over a relatively long period, and not too hot. The seeds these flowers produce may lay dormant for many years before it’s their turn to bloom.There are a number of so-called super blooms currently going on throughout California. The blooms have proven to be a huge draw, and crowds are flocking to the public lands to take in the sights. While it’s been a boon for the parks, it’s also been a bit devastating as the crowds are trampling the very flowers they came to see. Park officials are imploring visitors to enjoy the flowers without destroying them. A few locations have even had to close down trails to allow wildflowers to recover and add signage to keep visitors on the trails. It’s worth noting that park officials, and those nearby with private land, feel that the majority of visitors have been respectful; it’s just a few obnoxious people ruining it for everyone else.Photo Credit:Bob Wick, Bureau of Land ManagementReferences:http://bit.ly/2nYRT8zhttp://lat.ms/2paquQdhttp://lat.ms/2ohjSSThttp://n.pr/2paP4k2_tag_Tag -- source link

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