Once-in-a-decade "super bloom" takingplace in California

Camille Perkins (left), of Dana Point, California, takes a picture of her mother, Cynthia Perkins, jumping among bloomingdesert shrubs in Borrego Springs, California, March 27, 2017. Rain-fed wildflowers have been sprouting from California'sdesert sands after lying dormant for years, producing a spectacular display that has been drawing record crowds andtraffic jams in area desert towns. Photo by: AP Photo/Gregory Bull

BORREGO SPRINGS, Calif. — After several inches of rain this winter, wildflowers inCalifornia's deserts are in full bloom. Record crowds are flocking to tiny towns like BorregoSprings, excited to see the spectacular flowers.

An estimated 150,000 people in the past month have descended on this town of about3,500 for the so-called "super bloom." Borrego Springs is roughly 85 miles northeast of SanDiego.

"Super Bloom" Happens Once In A Decade

Wildflowers are springing up in different landscapes across the state and the westernUnited States thanks to a wet winter. However, a "super bloom" is a term for when a massamount of desert plants bloom at one time. In California, that happens about once in a

By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 04.04.17 Word Count 890

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decade in a given area. It has been occurring less frequently with the drought. Last year,the right amount of rainfall and warm temperatures produced carpets of flowers in DeathValley.

So far this year, most of the super bloom has been happening in the 1,000-square-mileAnza Borrego State Park. The park is next to the town of Borrego Springs.

The bloom is expected to continue through May. Different flowers will bloom at separateelevations all around the park. Anza Borrego is California's largest state park withhundreds of species of plants, including desert lilies, blazing stars and the flaming tall,spiny Ocotillo.

"Flowergeddon"

Deputies were brought in to handle the traffic jams as Borrego Springs saw its populationtriple in a single day.

On one particularly packed weekend in mid-March, motorists were stuck in traffic for fivehours, restaurants ran out of food and some visitors relieved themselves in the fields.Officials have since set up an army of Port-A-Pottys, and restaurants have stocked up. Thecraze has been dubbed "Flowergeddon."

Locals call those who view the tiny wildflowers from their cars "flower peepers." Thousandsof others have left their vehicles to cross the desert and study the many delicate yellow,orange, purple and magenta blooms up close. Many carting cameras have taken care tostep around the plants.

Bloom Attracts Large Crowds

Tour groups from as far as Japan and Hong Kong have flown in to catch the display beforeit fades away with the rising temperatures.

Wildflower enthusiasts worldwide track the blooms online. They arrive for rare sightings likethis year's Bigelow's Monkey flower, some of which have grown to eight inches in height.The National Park Service has even pitched in with a 24-hour wildflower hotline to find thebest spots at the state park.

"We've seen everything from people in normal hiking attire to people in designer flip-flopsto women in sundresses and strappy heels hike out there to get their picture. When I sawthat, I thought, 'Oh no. Please don't go out there with those shoes on,'" laughed LindaHaddock, who leads the Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce.

On a recent day, a young woman sat among knee-high desert sunflowers and shot selfiesagainst the backdrop of yellow blooms that looked almost neon in contrast to the brownlandscape. A mother jumped in the air as her daughter snapped her photo among yellowbrittlebushes.

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The blooms are attracting hungry sphinx moth caterpillars that munch through plants. Thecaterpillars, in turn, are attracting droves of Swainson hawks on their annual 6,000-milemigration from Argentina.

"It's an amazing burst in the cycle of life in the desert that has come because of a freakishevent like a super bloom," Haddock said. She said the bloom would also help the nearbytown's economy when people stop at nearby businesses.

Desert super blooms always draw crowds, but lifetime residents said they have never seenthe natural wonder attract tens of thousands like this time. The park is about a two-hourdrive from San Diego and three hours from Los Angeles.

Conditions Just Right For Bloom

This year's display has been especially stunning, experts say. The region received 6½inches of rain from December to February, followed by almost two weeks of 90-degreetemperatures, setting the conditions for the super bloom. Five years of drought made theseeds ready to pop.

Humans also helped. Park staff, volunteers and female prisoners have been removing theSaharan Mustard plant. The plant is an invasive species believed to have been brought toCalifornia in the 1920s with another plant, the date palm. Saharan Mustard stole thethunder of another super bloom six years ago, said Jim Dice, research manager at theAnza-Borrego Desert Research Center.

"It completely took over the usual wildflower fields and starved out the wildflowers so whatwe had were giant fields of ugly mustard plant," Dice said. "That galvanized the community,which depends on tourism largely brought in during the good wildflower years."

Lia Wathen, a 35-year-old investigator from San Diego, took a Monday off from work so shewould not miss the desert flowers.

"Any single color that you can think of, you're going to find it right here," said Wathen. Shewas walking with her Maltese dogs, Romeo and Roxy, stopping to examine a magentabloom on a spikey Cholla cactus.

Sandra Reel and her husband drove hundreds of miles out of their way when they heardabout the super bloom.

"It is absolutely phenomenal to see this many blooming desert plants all at the same time,"she said. "I think it's probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

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Quiz

1 How does the article develop the idea that California's super blooms are "once-in-a-decade"events?

(A) by providing statements from scientists and locals, and then givinginformation about the requirements needed for a super bloom to occur

(B) by exploring California's history of super blooms, and then analyzing theeffects of the super bloom on the local economy

(C) by explaining the weather pattern that California is in, and then providingstatistics to show how rare the super bloom event is

(D) by framing the article with anecdotes about California's past struggles in thedrought, and then explaining how the locals feel about tourists

2 Which of the following statements BEST represents Linda Haddock's approach toward superbloom tourists in the article?

(A) She is frustrated that tourists are not following local rules to respect theenvironment.

(B) She is excited that tourists are bringing in more revenue for the localgovernment.

(C) She is angry that tourist groups are blocking roads and clogging publicservices.

(D) She is surprised that some tourists are not arriving fully prepared to weatherthe elements in California.

3 What is the meaning of the word "dubbed" as used in the following sentence from the section"Flowergeddon"?

Officials have since set up an army of Port-A-Pottys, and restaurantshave stocked up. The craze has been dubbed "Flowergeddon."

(A) rejected

(B) defeated

(C) nicknamed

(D) populated

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4 Read the sentence from the section "Bloom Attracts Large Crowds."

Desert super blooms always draw crowds, but lifetime residents saidthey have never seen the natural wonder attract tens of thousands likethis time.

The author uses the word "draw" to mean:

(A) refuse

(B) disenchant

(C) deceive

(D) entice

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