Texas annually anticipates its springtime carpet of bluebonnets producing a Floral Photo Fantabula …
But this year California is taking over the top floral spot with a Super Bloom rarely seen.
[NOTE: I created free-standing GIFs, so you can't stop it to view individual photos. If you do click on it at a certain photo, it'll open in a new window that takes a while to load – but then reverts to slideshow mode.]
Thanks to the record-breaking, drought-ending drenching California experienced this past winter, its parched desert hills and valleys are awash in a technicolor Super Bloom – a phantasmagorical palette that has not been seen for years and years.
According to research ecologist, Cameron Barrows, seeds that have been dormant in the desert sands for 5, 10, or even 30 years are responding to the rains of winter, creating carpets of red, orange, yellow, and purple flowers that have drawn record crowds – and it’s easy to see why!
The U.S. Department of the Interior, which posted photos to their Facebook page, wrote:
"The Valley floor has endless expanses of yellows and purples from coreopsis, tidy tips and phacelia, with smaller patches of dozens of other species. Not to be outdone, the Temblor Range is painted with swaths of wildflowers in oranges yellow and purple like something out of a storybook."
And amazingly the Super Bloom fields are so vast, they’re visible from space!
Senior environmental specialist Wendy Picht, notes that the poppy fields draw the largest crowds because they last the longest and are brighter than other area species, such as baby blue eyes, arroyo lupine, caterpillar phacelia, Canterbury bells, goldfields, cream cups, delphinium and blue dicks (I’m NOT kidding, that’s what their name is – you can Google it – the fact that it’s edible … Oh, never mind)
Let's take a closer look at some of these beauties …
But she pleads with all visitors to respect the environment and STAY ON THE TRAILS.
Granted, it may be hard to not wander afield – but for those that follow, please do Stay On The Trails. What do you think – did this gal stay on a trail for her selfie?
A woman uses a selfie stick to photograph herself in a massive spring wildflower bloom caused by a wet winter in Lake Elsinore, California, U.S., March 14, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
The Super Bloom show started in the deserts close to the Mexican border, and has worked its way north. If you’re in the LA Metro – or want to travel – this site has a map of the best locations. But better hurry – the show is coming to a close soon:
http://laist.com/2017/03/31/super_bloom_3_best.php
13 Responses to “Friday Fun – For Beauty, Just Add Water”
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The Super Bloom
Thanks for the GIFs on the Super Bloom which is occurring now in various places in Western South USA. They are a sight to behold with & for trekkers of nature. Better hurry now before they are all gone. Thanks for the reminder, Nameless, and for the slide shows. Bring your cameras & binoculars along.
Thanks Nameless. Beautiful!!
This is nothing short of astonishingly gorgeous! Thanks!
Cross posted to Care2 at http://www.care2.com/news/member/101612212/4047494
I am already homesick whenever I look at California's politics, and now I am doubly homesick. So the poppies last longest – well, the fact that they are the state flower (and protected) can't hurt. Do you serve that blue dick with the cream cups? Is it anything like spotted dick, which is served with custard? Yes, I can google it, but I expect your response to be more amusing.
"… I expect your response to be more amusing"
I'm not touching that with a … OOPS!
See? Even your non-reponse is amusing!
Many years ago, a Titan Arum spontaneously sprouted and grew in my back yard. I didn't notice it until it was in full bloom. I had never seen anything like it, and haven't since. But that kind of thing is unforgettable.
How tall did your Titan Arum get and did it bloom & smell?
Corpse Flower Timelapse Video: Chicago Botanic Garden
Watch Alice the Amorphophallus titanum or corpse flower bloom in this captivating and astonishing time-lapse video. The Chicago Botanic Garden’s rare titan arum bloomed and opened over an exciting 24 hour period after growing for more than 11 years. Alice the Amorphophallus bloomed in September 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSMKcE5XbAQ
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It was in full bloom when I found it. To be honest, it probably wasn't a titan but a smaller lookalike – I said titan to send googlers to an accurate picture. I don't remember any scent (another reason it was probably a lookalike), but then, much of my life, my allergies have prevented me from smelling anything, so I can't say for sure. It didn't last long.
I was in for a visual treat! Visiting SD last month was fantabulous, and as my daughter picked us up from the airport, and drove us to 'our' house for a week, she marveled at the greenery along the highway(s), and fields that came with the rains. I agreed, every day, at the beauty of the flowers, and blooming ones. My favorites were the colorful flowers growing/showing on the hillsides, they are so gorgeous. As with the annual blooming of the blue bonnets, and the Indian paintbrushes, it's been a wonderful Spring for the fauna and wildlife in CA, and TX.
Thank you, Nameless for the beautiful pics, and Joanne for cross posting.
Absolutely stunningly gorgeous. Mother Nature's resilience at its very best.
Thank you for putting so much work in this mind boggling presentation, Nameless. If there were prizes for Most Stunning Presentation on PP, you'd be a sure winner this week. Well, most weeks, actually.
Thanks for cross posting, Joanne
Thank you, Lona, (and by extension, Joanne), for your very kind reply.
I'll admit I do enjoy the graphic aspect of posting. And while it is pretty time consuming to gather the photos – the upside of it is I do get to enjoy a wealth of incredible beauty in the process.
Even the stuff that's on the "cutting room floor" is absolutely gorgeous!