Wildflowers and other native plants could take advantage of the North State’s wet winter to show off their grandeur this spring, turning woods and fields into a carpet of yellow, blue, purple and orange.
“From what I've been seeing,” parts of California “may get a super bloom happening this spring,” Master Gardener and Shasta College instructor Leimone Waite said.
Used by the public to describe a year in which flower numbers explode, the word superbloom actually refers to a "relatively rare" desert phenomenon, according to Jennifer Iaccarino, district botanist with the Klamath National Forest.
“A super bloom is where flower seeds that have lain dormant in the desert, sometimes for many years,all bloom at the same time," Waite said.
The term was popularized during the 2019 California superbloom, Iaccarino said.
After three years of drought and historic rainfall and snowfall this winter, history could repeat itself in 2023, according to the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
The North State may not have deserts, "but we do have some spectacular wildflower blooms in the spring,” Waite said.
Wildflowers at Whiskeytown National Recreations Area
In Redding, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area staff expect a burst of wildflower action, five years after the Carr Fire scorched more than 90% of the park.
“With Whiskeytown's ‘big burn’ megafire ― and with us getting more rain this winter than we received in the past three winters combined ― there should be some amazing blooms the next several months parkwide,” Whiskeytown’s program supervisor Scott Einberger said.
Popular places to see wildflowers include the Davis Gulch Trail, he said. Enter at the trailhead on Kennedy Memorial Drive, about one mile past Whiskeytown Dam.
One of Einberger's favorite spots to see wildflowers is the Crystal Creek Water Ditch Trail, he said, starting from "the beginning of Crystal Creek Road near Highway 299."
Some species got an early start on their spring displays.
“Firecracker and warrior's plume are our early season wildflowers, showing off right now,” Einberger said. “Manzanitas are also beginning to come out, and soon ceanothus, common wooly sunflower and ― a personal favorite because of its wonderful smell — coyote mint.”
Come to the park again in May to see the dogwood bloom, “with their showy white flowers,” he said.
The show doesn't end in summer, Einberger said.
“One of my most special moments in the park was in October along Crystal Creek," he said. "I came across a wild azalea still in peak bloom. It was on the bank of the creek, so with its 24/7 water source, it was doing great into the fall.”
For more information on the park's indigenous plants go to www.nps.gov.
Other spots for colorful blooms in Shasta and Tehama counties
Great spots to view wildflowers include the Millville Plains in Shasta County and the Paskenta-Flournoy area in Tehama County, Waite said.
Places to visit in Siskiyou County for possible flower power
In Siskiyou County, “It's hard to say if the Klamath National Forest will have a larger display of wildflowers in 2023 compared to other years,” Iaccarino said. Other factors could affect the success of flora besides rainfall, including the date of the last frost.
“Fire can play a role in setting the stage for brilliant spring and summer blooms, as it did in the Slater Fire footprint in 2022,” she said, “but again, it’s difficult to predict what Mother Nature will do in any given season.”
If Mother Nature decides to let loose a wildflower show, there are plenty of places in Siskiyou County to enjoy them, she said.
The area surrounding Highway 97 northeast from Weed and Interstate 5 "can offer spectacular views of spring wildflowers along with the amazing backdrop of Mt. Shasta. With this year’s snowpack, late-April, May, and June will likely be good times to visit lower elevations, and July and August for the higher country,” said Iaccarino.
The Klamath National Forest is home to more than 3,000 plant species, many of which “don't grow anywhere else in the world,” Iaccarino said. “Spring typically brings large displays of lupines, California poppy, balsamroot, mule's ears, larkspur, lilies and many varieties of flowering shrubs and trees.”
Iaccarino asked that people who visit a wildflower area leave it as pristine as it was when they arrived. “Stay on the road or designated trail," she said. "Don't compact the soil, dig up plants or pick flowers.”
Anyone traveling to the site of a recent wildfire should “check with local officials about road closures and other safety hazards,” she said.
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Regardless if this year’s wildflower crop is over the top, the Klamath National Forest will celebrate it at its 30thannual Siskiyou County Mother's Day Wildflower Show on May 14 at the Yreka Community Center.
The show includes an “incredible display of native wildflowers,” Iaccarino said.
Attendees can ask botanists questions about them. For more information go to https://shasta-cnps.org/30th-annual-mothers-day-wildflower-show/.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories.Followher on Twitter@RS_JSkropanicand onFacebook. Join Jessica in theGet Out! Nor Calrecreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work,please subscribe today. Thank you.
