Will there be a Superbloom in 2024?
Week 3 of #29februaryflowers2024 and resources for wildflower tracking
NOT part of a Superbloom! Some wholeleaf Indian paintbrush in a grassy ditch in Santa Fe in 2023.
This year’s El Niño weather cycle has wildflower lovers in the Desert Southwest asking, “Will 2024 be another Superbloom year?”
The word “superbloom” refers to a natural phenomenon of a massive wildflower bloom cycle in a desert region. Superblooms occur when there is an abundance of autumn and winter rains after several years of drought. The drought preceding the El Niño rains kills off grasses and other ground cover plants, making the wildflowers more visible. The term is most often used to describe maximum bloom cycles in the desert regions of California and Arizona. The last superbloom in the California desert was in 2016. The 2016 wildflower season in California was so intense that it could be photographed by satellites, and drew hundreds of thousands of avid nature fans to remote state and national parks.
El Niño is a Pacific Ocean and wind weather phenomenon that occurs irregularly every few years. Basically, the surface of the ocean is at a warmer temperature than normal, which shifts the Pacific jet stream winds to bring rain to the southern tier of the US, while Canada and the northern tier of US states have warmer, drier conditions. This extra rain not only allows seeds that have lain dormant for years to germinate, it also increases deep levels of soil moisture that allow the young plants to grow to maturity and blossom. This year’s El Niño is expected to last through mid-April.
The big question remains: Has there been enough rain this fall and winter to create a Superbloom event?
The rangers at Death Valley National Park have announced on the park’s website that the 2024 spring bloom cycle will be plentiful, but they are not expecting a Superbloom. Reports from Anza-Borrego State Park area indicate that this year will have a bountiful flower display, but no one is declaring a Superbloom spring.
Arizona enjoyed a Superbloom cycle in 2023. This year, predictions are calling for an average to better-than-average flower display, but not a Superbloom.
Some of the most popular spots in California for Superbloom fans are Anza-Borrego State Park, Mojave Desert National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park, and Death Valley National Park.
Arizona’s top sites for spring wildflowers include Picacho Peak State Park, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Lost Dutchman State Park, and Tonto National Monument.
While most of the smaller wildflowers blossom starting in February and peak in March and April in the lower elevations of the desert, higher elevations may see their best blooms in May. Don’t expect to see the giant saguaro cacti bloom until late May and early June.
Here are some good resources for tracking wildflowers in the Desert Southwest:
So interesting! I've been to Death Valley but not to the other parks you mentioned. Joshua Tree has been on my radar for some time. Looking forward to seeing your photos of the blooms you come across!
Such an interesting read, love the term superbloom and delighted to learn something new about wildflowers!