Every few years, hillsides and valleys become blanketed in wildflowers, drawing in crowds of visitors. Jennifer Funk, ecologist and professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, helped explain the science behind the superbloom phenomenon.
What is a superbloom?
A superbloom is a significant appearance of wildflowers, compared to a normal year.
How do they happen?
The wildflowers in a superbloom are annuals; they live one year, germinating from seed and creating a flower, completing their life cycle with the creation of more seeds. Given their risky investment, the plants need to wait for the right conditions to grow. “A good strategy for plants with that annual life form is that their seeds can hang out in the soil, waiting for the perfect year with the perfect rainfall conditions before germinating,” said Funk. If there is a wet year after multiple dry, suboptimal years, there is a superbloom, as it becomes favorable for many seeds to germinate at once.
Are we going to have a superbloom this year?
A superbloom is unlikely this year, as the last couple of years have been wet. The seed bank, which is the dormant seeds in the soil, hasn’t been accumulating.
Changes in superbloom patterns with climate change
California is expected to get more variation in rainfall year to year as the climate shifts, which can make superblooms more common. “It might be more likely that you'll get a couple of really dry years followed by insanely wet years,” Funk said. “With that climate variability, that might actually lead to more superblooms.”
Places to see wildflowers in California
In Northern California, Table Mountain and Folsom Lake have a history of dense blooms. Funk recommended Cable Mountain and Carrizo Plain National Monument for superbloom viewing in Southern California.
How to make your own superbloom
A large number of native wildflower seeds, like golden lupine, tomcat clover and purple Chinese houses, can be sown at once to replicate a superbloom. Seed sowing instructions: https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/seeds