For the second straight year, unusually heavy winter rains across Southern California have delivered a spectacular burst of wildflowers in desert areas, and people are flocking by the thousands to take in the rare display. The bloom started the last week of February and now the hillsides are carpeted in velvety orange.
California poppies are exploding in the Gavilan Hills flanking the eastern boundary of Lake Elsinore, inspiring thousands to descend on the region an hour’s drive east of Los Angeles.
Chasing #wildflowers#superbloom2019 #superbloom #socal #botany #flowers pic.twitter.com/0FK2Obu6Gx
— Nat Prunet ?? (@Nat_Prunet) March 4, 2019
In recent days, traffic along Interstate 15, which passes through the Riverside County town, has often come to a standstill with people wanting to photograph the eye-popping floral display.
another day w my parents 🙂 pic.twitter.com/5v0jKtwFnp
— mimi (@thot22) March 4, 2019
“We’ve had a huge influx of people,” says Jonathan Reinig, the natural resources manager for Riverside County Parks. “There’s traffic everyday from it. The county says it’s their most accident-y time of year.“
#Puppies in the #Poppies is Puptacular!! #pbjpack#superbloom #california #dogsoftwitter #walkercanyon pic.twitter.com/H8CZaV2rSH
— PBJ Pack (@pbj_pack) March 4, 2019
Reinig adds, “I think social media has played a huge role” in drawing the crowds, and indeed photos of the Lake Elsinore poppies are all over Instagram and Twitter.
The hills are alive in Lake Elsinore, CA! Superbloom 2019…. pic.twitter.com/uOjfrlzmou
— sangm (@sangm68151419) February 24, 2019
Big Time Rain
Rain is a key ingredient in the recipe for spectacular wildflower displays. Amid a winter marked by strong storms, botanists predicted wildflowers would pop up across the state, especially in Southern California because the desert landscape has fewer invasive plants and grasses that push out wildflowers.
The Super Bloom has arrived in Southern California #leica #leicam240 #35mm #summicron #landscapephotography #superbloom #Flowers #California #colorful #poppy #poppies #mountains pic.twitter.com/0mdxjwOEKB
— Roadmap Photography (@roadmapphoto) February 25, 2019
Lake Elsinore is the first place to see a so-called “superbloom,” a colloquial term describing wildflower spectacles that exceed a typical season.
#California #poppies cover the hillsides in the #WalkerCanyon area near #LakeElsinore. #superbloom @FrancellaKUSI #SanDiegoWX #Photography #canonfavpic #natureaddict #naturelovers #fotografia #FOTOS #Flowers #TuesdayMorning #flower_is #travel #naturephoto #landscapephotography pic.twitter.com/KVdVKCgKnD
— Steve Deck (@Stever1552Steve) March 5, 2019
The bloom started the last week of February and now the hillsides are carpeted in velvety orange.
Beautiful California Poppy Flowers growing on the hills not to far from @visit_temecula! These were taken in Lake Elsinore! We are looking forward to spring! ???? #superbloom #superbloom2019 #california #travel @VisitCA pic.twitter.com/UmcdTonPU4
— Visit Temecula (@visit_temecula) March 4, 2019
“The color is super vibrant,” says Reinig “You fee like you need to shade your eyes from it.“
Beautiful California Poppy Flowers growing on the hills not to far from @visit_temecula! These were taken in Lake Elsinore! We are looking forward to spring! ???? #superbloom #superbloom2019 #california #travel @VisitCA pic.twitter.com/UmcdTonPU4
— Visit Temecula (@visit_temecula) March 4, 2019
Photos of the display are flooding social media, and Reinig says the county has posted signage encouraging shutterbugs to tread lightly around the flowers.
I present to you this photo gallery of the wildflower super bloom near Borrego Springs, California this morning. Looks like it will get even more intense over the next couple of weeks. Happy Friday. #superbloom https://t.co/pYUP8UVC2K pic.twitter.com/jXRnvw1ezX
— jay calderon (@jaymcalderon) March 1, 2019
“People love to get out there and get their Instagram photos,” he says. “They’ll plop themselves in the middle and trample the flowers. People need to stay on the path.“
The last #SuperBloom of our state’s flower was the spring of 2017..I captured this image then from #SkyFOX over the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve near Lancaster-The poppies are already exploding across the hills & should eventually bloom in the Antelope Valley.. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/xI9BbrVPZR
— Rick Dickert (@RICKatFOX) February 28, 2019
Reinig says the region last saw a superbloom in 2017 after a wet winter, and before that it had been four to five years before the flowers grew in abundance.
It doesn’t rain often in Southern California, but when it does… WOW! The superbloom at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve was definitely worth traveling to! The flowers were gorgeous! (And so is our little chubster!) #superbloom #Cali pic.twitter.com/31eomOefk2
— Dreams and Wishing Wells (@WellsDreams) March 1, 2019
Usually a display lasts about a month, but he says the length of this year’s bloom is uncertain with more storms in the forecast.
“We keep getting drenching downpours,” he says. “I’m not sure how that impacts the flowers.“
