See Death Valley covered in an ethereal blanket of wildflowers

"Death Valley is called that for a reason. Incredibly hot and largely devoid of water, it is practically inhospitable to life. But right now swaths of the desert are transformed, carpeted in a thick blanket of golden and violet flora. The valley is teeming with wildflowers in what the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) says is the best blooming event the site has seen since 2016."

"A superbloom occurs in years in which annual rains have been well-spaced, according NPS, and manifests when winter gives way to spring and warmer weather. Flower sprouts are able to grow to maturity when there is an absence of strong winds that would be able to tear down the budding flora."

"Every year wildflowers of this Californian valley bloom. Among the most common are the bright yellow desert gold, wavyleaf desert paintbrush, grape soda lupine and desert star. And every so often, there is a superbloom, a massive show of riotous color that occurs about once every 10 years on average."

Death Valley's desert landscape is currently transformed by a massive wildflower superbloom, the most significant since 2016. Common species include desert gold, wavyleaf desert paintbrush, grape soda lupine, and desert star. Superblooms occur approximately once every decade when conditions align favorably. The 2026 superbloom resulted from well-spaced annual rains and spring warming without strong destructive winds. Previous superblooms occurred in 2016, 2005, and 1998. Low elevations display flowers through mid-to-late March, while higher elevations will see peak blooming beginning in April. Last year's weak bloom contrasted sharply with this year's exceptional floral display.

Read at www.scientificamerican.com