This Super Bloom Hotline Will Give You the 411 on This Year’s Wildflowers

After three years of incredibly dry, hot seasons, we have finally received enough rain to result in what may be a super bloom. In order for a super bloom to happen, the conditions have to be right; wildflowers germinate with heavy rains then bloom in the spring and summer. And the Theodore Payne Foundation, which provides the public with everything needed to successfully create beautiful, sustainable native plant gardens, is giving travelers and wildflower lovers all the 411 they need to catch this natural phenomena via their 40th annual Wildflower Hotline, which includes a weekly report on the blooms throughout the state.

The cast, which is hosted by Joe Spano, is updated every Friday, from March through May. By checking these reports, visitors can learn about all the places they can go to see what’s blooming beyond just the usual well-known spots that have been inundated with tourists in past years. Those following the bloom can also keep up to date by checking the NPS website. Or, better yet, skip the crowds and grow your own in your backyard.

Dagny Willis/Getty Images

According to the first broadcast on March 3 and early reports, things are looking great in Southern California. Though it’s unclear if this year will indeed be a super bloom, things are certainly sprouting up. Early bloomers in the Anza Borrego include purple Desert Sand Verbena, which are beautifully blanketing Coyote Canyon.

Of course, there are some incredibly important tips for travelers heading out to enjoy the wildflowers: Stay on designated trails; visit on weekdays and/or off-peak hours, if possible; do not collect or trample wildflowers; and remember your experience through photos rather than bringing flowers back with you (or heaven forbid, making a flower crown for the ‘gram). As the folks at Theodore Payne like to say, don’t doom the bloom.

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