You were lucky indeed if you got to see the 2016 Death Valley superbloom last spring. Alas, superblooms are rare. You need just the right conditions – a flash flood in the fall to wear away protective coverings on the seeds, followed by enough gentle winter rains to keep the sprouts alive. Unfortunately, this year is not a superbloom year.
But just because it’s not a superbloom does not mean there won’t be a bloom! It’s been raining in the desert and I’m here to tell you where the best spots to look for flowers will be this spring!
Death Valley National Park
This year things are looking pretty dry in Death Valley. Furnace Creek has received less than half it’s annual average for this time of year. That’s less than 15% of the precip that fell last year. To top it off, Artist’s Drive is closed for repairs until the middle of March.
It’s not all grim, though. Death Valley is a really big place, the largest national park outside of Alaska. With all the different mountain ranges and valleys, there are generally some places with good flowers in the park! It has been raining hard in the southern end of the park over the weekend, so that may be a good area to start looking.
Don’t expect carpets here this year, though. Learn to appreciate the perfection of each individual flower, instead.
Mojave National Preserve
The good news is, the farther south you go this year, the better the rainfall! Mojave had a really big storm (1.4″ of rain) on Christmas, and enough rain since then to keep things going. You should find some lovely flowers here in about a month.
Western Mojave near Barstow
This area is doing a little bit better than usual for precipitation. There should be a few nice displays.
Joshua Tree National Park
Several roads have been closed in recent weeks in Joshua Tree due to storms. It’s been raining for most of the past week. The park is well above average in rainfall this year.
Some flowers are already blooming, although not many. Bladderpod (not sure which species) and Filaree (Erodium cicutarium) have been seen.
Anza Borrego County Park
I predict great things for Anza Borrego this year. They have had more than double their average annual precipitation. I think this very well may be the best place in southern California to look for desert wildflowers this year.
So that’s what it looks like so far. Keep hoping for rain, the more moisture the better the bloom!
Have you been out in the Arizona or California desert lately? What have you seen? Let us know! Leave a comment! Follow this blog for future updates on the 2017 desert bloom.
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