Despite its name, Death Valley is alive with wildflower blooms. But don’t wait to see them

California’s Death Valley has come to life.

The national park’s current wildflower bloom is “the best since the 2016 ‘superbloom,’” which was itself the largest in 11 years, my colleague Cierra Morgan reported.

California is renowned for its luscious blooms, painting hillsides with vibrant oranges and yellows that can sometimes be seen from space, and plethora of areas that often become wildflower hot spots in the springtime.

And then there is Death Valley, home to the country’s hottest, driest and lowest national park. In 2020, temperatures in Death Valley skyrocketed to a blistering 130 degrees, possibly the highest mercury reading on Earth in nearly a century. With an average normal rainfall of 1.94 inches, it is also the driest place in North America, according to the National Park Service.

And yet — as if in defiance of nature — Death Valley is still a hot spot for wildflower blooms, attracting pollinators such as butterflies, moths, bees and hummingbirds that might not otherwise visit this corner of the California desert.

Whether or not Death Valley is currently experiencing a superbloom is up for debate; superbloom is not a formal scientific term but was created to set apart a far-spanning bloom that strays from the ordinary, inciting awe and crowds of visitors itching for nature’s beauty — or the perfect Instagram post.

“The term ‘superbloom’ usually refers to those relatively rare years when environmental conditions align to trigger widespread germination of wildflower seeds across large landscapes, producing dramatic displays that stretch for miles,” Mitchell Coleman, executive director of Tejon Ranch Conservancy, wrote in an email to The Times.

The bloom may not be a super one, but it is certain to draw admirers. But the wildflower displays in Death Valley and elsewhere may not last long, as the sun beats down on Southern California bringing all-time temperature highs and strong winds.

Nick Jensen, conservation program director at the California Native Plant Society, suggests that, “If people are interested in seeing wildflowers, I wouldn’t wait too long to go out this year.”

Weather patterns throughout the year can dictate the magnitude of blooms and which species thrive, with mild temperatures encouraging growth while extreme heat and wind having the ability to cut a season short.

Plants require generous rainfall months before spring to help them germinate from the seed bank and then, if met with enough of a cooling period — and a bit of eagerness on the plants’ behalf — wildflowers will breach the ground and sprout.

“In some years, the plants are, you know, just in a state of suspended animation,” Jensen said. “Hanging just below the soil surface, thousands of millions upon millions of seeds waiting for the right cues.”

Death Valley National Park recorded the wettest fall (September through November), with 2.41 inches last year, and the wettest November on record with 1.76 inches of rain. The park got another 1.24 inches in December.

The stars — or rather the rain and sun — need to align perfectly for major blooms. The Tejon Ranch Conservancy in Bakersfield got the necessary rain, according to Coleman, but when paired with warmer-than-average conditions, the weather produced a different result than what Death Valley is seeing.

“On the Ranch, at least so far, that combination has led to what we colloquially call a ‘grass year’ – where annual grasses respond more strongly than native wildflowers,” Coleman said.

Besides Death Valley National Park, other popular wildflower destinations include Carrizo Plain National Monument, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, according to Coleman.

While the beauty of these blooms may be worth a mini road trip, Jensen encourages locals to engage with the springtime blossoming just under their noses.

“I think it’s incredibly meaningful for people to understand what is happening in their hyper local area, in addition to, maybe, you know, driving out to Death Valley,” he said. “There is, I think, a great value in people connecting to their local natural areas and going to see and start to identify plants there and observe things like pollinators that are occurring in their backyard.”

Whether you chase fields of flowers or get to know the pollen right at home, don’t wait too long or you’ll miss the bloom.

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Marge Holley said, “I like to plan my garden and decide which vegetables I am putting out this year. I also like sitting on the porch and enjoying the sunshine on those beautiful spring days. I am more of a summer person so I really enjoy spring because it means summer is on its way.”

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On March 12, 1993, Janet Reno was sworn in as U.S. attorney general, becoming the first woman to hold the office.

The Times wrote about her life and career when she died in November 2016, after a years-long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. She was 78.

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