Abby Wines, the acting deputy superintendent of Death Valley National Park, noted that the park typically receives only about 2 inches of rainfall annually.
“From November to early January, we recorded around 2.5 inches of rain, surpassing the annual average in just two and a half months,” she stated.
Wines explained that while some wildflowers usually bloom each spring, superblooms (though not an official botanical term) arise only after particularly wet fall and winter seasons.
Even the most common wildflowers, typically found in low-lying areas throughout the park, require the right type of rain, Blacker emphasized.
“We need days of light drizzle and mist, along with soaking rains, but not heavy monsoon rains that wash out highways and damage roads,” he said. “Additionally, mild spring temperatures are crucial, as wind and heat pose significant threats to blooming flowers.”
One type of desert wildflower, known as an “ephemeral,” has a unique survival strategy. Unlike cacti, which retain water to thrive in hot, arid conditions, these flowers lie dormant as seeds in the soil for extended periods.
“You can think of it as a strategy for drought avoidance,” explained Eric Rakestraw, curator of botany at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson. “In their seed form, they remain inactive, just resting in the soil.”
Given favorable conditions, the seeds will germinate, bloom, and once pollinated, revert back into seeds, continuing the cycle.
“If we don’t experience good rain next year or in subsequent years, these species have adapted to simply wait it out,” Rakestraw noted.
For those anticipating a superbloom this year, time is running out.
Wildflowers at lower elevations are projected to bloom until mid-to-late March, according to Wines. In higher altitude regions, blooming is expected from April to June. However, these timelines are heavily influenced by weather conditions, she added.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
