Chasing Wildflowers*

Large flowered phacelia (Phacelia grandiflora), San Gabriel Mountains, Highway 39. Photo: Madena Asbell

After a long dry spell, California’s hills and valleys, deserts, and shoreline are blooming again. Recent winter storms bathed the parched landscape with desperately needed rain, creating conditions for an outstanding spring wildflower display this year. While the statewide bloom season is long, extending from late winter in the desert through early summer in the mountains and along the coast, local effects may be fleeting.

Padre's shooting star (Dedecatheon clevelandii), Santa Rosa Plateau. Photo: Madena Asbell

Thankfully, wildflower lovers can access the Wildflower Hotline through the Theodore Payne Foundation. Now in its 34th year, the free weekly report is released every Friday from March through May. The report contains updates about what’s in bloom—and where to find it—as wildflower season unfolds across Southern and Central California. Detailed location and plant identification information, along with beautiful photos, dir...