Historic superbloom brings vibrant colors to California’s desert

Historic rains create a spectacular superbloom this spring

ByTiffany Hagler-Geard
April 14, 2023, 11:34 AM

April 14, 2023 -- Every spring, California's desert hills explode in vibrant blossoming wildflowers. Due to this winter's historic rainfall, the hills are covered in a "superbloom" of flowers, painting the landscape orange and yellow. Tourists flock to these hills to capture their perfect spring moment.

California's biologically diverse landscapes are home to more than 7,000 species of native plants. The California poppy, or golden poppy, a flowering plant native to the United States and Mexico, became the official state flower in 1903.
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After multiple storms drenched Southern California, California poppies bloom under the warm sunshine as crowds viewed the poppies and other wildflowers blooming at Chino Hills State Park in Chino Hills, April 8, 2023.
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Isabella Recio, 4, walks on the trail in a field of California poppies outside the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve, April 7, 2023, in Lancaster, CA.
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PHOTO: An overview of wildflower blooms in Palmdale, Calif., April 10, 2023.
A satellite view of the wildflower blooms in Palmdale, Calif., seen from space, April 10, 2023.
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Wildflowers bloom near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, Calif., April 6, 2023.
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A woman sets off on her zipline over a superbloom of wildflowers at Skull Canyon Ziplines in Corona, Calif., April 11, 2023.
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Visitors pose for photos at the poppy fields near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, Calif., April 9, 2023.
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Eli Karp walks in a field of blooming poppies near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, April 10, 2023, in Lancaster, Calif.
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An aerial view of a field of poppies and other wildflowers near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California, April 13, 2023.
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Sue Schmidt, left, her husband, Rick, and dog Kaiser walk on a field of blooming flowers at near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, April 10, 2023, in Lancaster, Calif.
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Jorge Iracheta holds his son Levi, age 2, in the air in a field of California Poppies outside the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve, April 7, 2023, in Lancaster, CA.
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Poppies are in full bloom during sunset in Antelope Valley of Calif., April 11, 2023.
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People take pictures in a field of poppies near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California, April 13, 2023.
Aude Guerrucci/Reuters
An aerial view of people taking pictures in a field of poppies and other wildflowers near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, Calif., April 13, 2023.
Aude Guerrucci/Reuters

Head to the California Parks Department with their daily updated list on where to witness these super blooms during the peak season.

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