The first spring flowers have begun to bloom in Joshua Tree! If you are from Wisconsin or South
Dakota, or New York—or most places in the contiguous States of America—it may come as a surprise to
you that wildflowers are already blooming in early February here in the desert.
Of course, the better part of wildflower season comes later here, in March thru May. And, if we get lots
of winter rains, we can get one of the so-called Superbloom years with an abundance of colorful Spring
wildflowers.
But is it going to be a Superbloom this year?
Still not possible to say for sure.
Many have seen in the news the storms that impacted Northern California this winter. Here in Southern
In California, the storms were not as heavy, especially here in the inland deserts.
Around Joshua Tree National Park and the nearby towns of Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley, rainfall
patterns can vary widely even within several miles of distance. For example, this winter the town of Yucca
Valley and the Covington Flats area of the Park have received more moisture than the town of Joshua
Tree. And, Eastern parts of the Park, and towns East of Joshua Tree such as Wonder Valley, have
received very little winter moisture!
We have sometimes joked with our guides who live in Wonder Valley that it should be renamed
Wonder-fully Dry Valley!
The sad fact is that the “long-term drought” effects of the past several years of dry weather across much
of the Western States only go away after a year or more of average or above average rainfall. We have
not had that, yet, despite receiving some heavy winter rains and snows in parts of the West!
And, the question of whether this will be a Superbloom year in Joshua Tree mainly hinges on whether
we get some more rain or snow as winter transitions into spring. So it is too soon to tell!
But, these Manzanita trees, one of the earliest plant types to bloom, do seem to be making lots of
flowers!