LA Times | Plants

SoCal’s breathtaking superbloom is here. Mapping where to go, see amazing photos



Isabella Recio, 4, walks on the trail in a field of California Poppies (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Terry Castleman. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

BY TERRY CASTLEMAN
STAFF WRITER

PUBLISHED APRIL 7, 2023 UPDATED APRIL 10, 2023 10:44 AM PT

The arrival of spring after an unusually wet winter brings with it a superbloom.

Some meccas for flower tourism, including Lake Elsinore with its golden poppies, were harmed enough by crowds in 2019 that visitors have been warned to stay away this year.

On the other hand, some naturalists think that closing parks to visitors defeats their purpose: to foster connection between residents and wildlife and encourage conservation.



California Poppies in the Antelope Valley reserve in Lancaster.(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

After an unprecedented series of winter storms, outdoor enthusiasts are expecting an unprecedented abundance of flowers.

There’s no scientific definition for what constitutes a superbloom, Daniel Winkler, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, told The Times.

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