Superbloom? Dazzling Wildflowers Blanket California

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Superbloom? Dazzling Wildflowers Blanket California
By Michelle Robertson/ Science/ SFGate/ sfgate.com

"Chias, poppies, and Canterbury bells are blanketing Southern California in dazzling hues of orange, blue, and indigo. And if the weather stays balmy and mild, California is in for another stunning super bloom.

Just weeks ago, rain-drenched sprouts began cropping up in Southern California and the Central Valley, and the fields up north will follow suit in the coming months.

"It's looking like it will be the exceptional year we are all expecting," said Bart O'Brien, director of Berkeley's Regional Parks Botanic Garden. "Everything has gotten so much rain this year, many plants are performing phenomenally." ..."

Photo: Robbin Goddard/LA Times Via Getty Images


Richard

 

[rhonda]

Early this month we hit unexpected Sunday traffic on Hwy 15 south of Corona, CA. Slowdown for miles before reaching gridlock. When we reached the cause of the troubles we had to laugh. We'd hit a Flower Jam. Cars and people everywhere -- enjoying the flowers that lit up the hillsides.

I hope everyone experiences a Sunday Flower Jam at least once in their lifetime. Slow down and enjoy!

 

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California's Super Bloom Trampled by Hoardes of Overeager Visitors
By Mary Papenfuss/ Green/ The Huffington Post/ huffingtonpost.com

"Prime lake trail was shut as environmentalists assessed damage, added staff to protect wildflowers.

Record crowds are coming out to view Southern California’s record wildflower bloom — and trampling the blossoms. The turnout has been so massive that a section of one of the best wildflower trails in Riverside Country was temporarily closed to visitors.

“We haven’t seen these kinds of crowds. Ever,” Wendy Picht, an environmental specialist for the Metropolitan Water District, which manages the area, told KPCC radio in Los Angeles.

This year’s “super bloom” is what happens when the ground gets plenty of rainfall after years of drought. The problem now is that visitors stray from the trails to get just the right photo, trampling sections of flowers — and even sitting on them. Others pose for Instagram photos holding huge bouquets of just-picked wildflowers...."

Richard

 

[WalnutBaron]

Others pose for Instagram photos holding huge bouquets of just-picked wildflowers...."

This irks me. From the time I was a little kid, my parents always taught me to never pick wildflowers. They're not like cultivated flowers in that they die within hours--if not minutes--of being picked. And they rely on being able to seed themselves for the next wet winter, which in this case was five long years in the making, so that future generations can enjoy them--from a distance.