Death Valley superbloom 2026
For the first time in a decade, Death Valley National Park is experiencing a superbloom. Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in North America. While the park normally sees about 2 inches of rain in a year, it had 2.5 inches – more than a year’s worth – between November and January. The extra rain awakened dormant seeds, providing the first superbloom in Death Valley since 2016.
The National Park Service (NPS) said:
We are having the best bloom year since 2016 and many sprouts have not yet flowered. The showy yellow Desert Gold is one of the most prominent flowers, but there are a large variety of other species blooming as well. Low-elevation flowers are blooming throughout the park and will likely persist until mid-late March, depending on the weather. Higher elevations will have blooms April-June.
A rare spectacle
Superblooms don’t happen on a schedule, but they occur about once a decade. The past superblooms have been in 2016, 2005 and 1998. The extra abundance of flowers can also attract more pollinators, so keep an eye out for more bees, butterflies, birds and more.
This rare and short-lived phenomenon is important to the desert ecosystem. The NPS said:
In Death Valley National park, most of the showy desert wildflowers are annuals, also referred to as ephemerals because they are short-lived. Oddly enough, this limited lifespan ensures survival here. Rather than struggle to stay alive during the desert’s most extreme conditions, annual wildflowers lie dormant as seeds. When enough rain finally does fall, the seeds quickly sprout, grow, bloom and go back to seed again before the dryness and heat returns. By blooming en masse during good years, wildflowers can attract large numbers of pollinators such as butterflies, moths, bees and hummingbirds that might not otherwise visit Death Valley.
@accuweather The Death Valley superbloom is underway! ? Colorful flowers are blanketing parts of the hottest place in North America. Park officials say it’s the best superbloom since 2016.
Are you planning to visit the park this spring?
Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning to visit the park this spring. First, be patient! There will be many others visiting also, but it’s a huge park with space for everyone. Traffic might be slow, but you will eventually get to that picture-perfect site.
As of March 7, 2026, here are the best spots for wildflower viewing and what’s blooming, according to the National Park Service:
- North Badwater Rd (between CA190 and Badwater Basin): Desert Gold, Brown-eyed Primrose
- South Badwater Rd (near Ashford Mill): Desert Gold, Sand Verbena, Five Spot, Brown-eyed Primrose
- Highway 190 (between Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek): Gravel Ghost, Phacelia, Desert Gold, Mojave Desert Star
- Beatty Cutoff: Phacelia, Desert Gold, Gravel Ghost
To keep up-to-date on what’s blooming and where, visit the NPS website.
And, of course, don’t pick the wildflowers! Capture them only with your camera. And if you get a great photo, submit it to us!
Bottom line: A Death Valley superbloom is happening now! This rare event only happens about every decade. Read more about what flowers are blooming and where in Death Valley National Park.
The post Death Valley superbloom 2026: Best in a decade first appeared on EarthSky.
from EarthSky https://ift.tt/lrsXaIU
Death Valley superbloom 2026
For the first time in a decade, Death Valley National Park is experiencing a superbloom. Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in North America. While the park normally sees about 2 inches of rain in a year, it had 2.5 inches – more than a year’s worth – between November and January. The extra rain awakened dormant seeds, providing the first superbloom in Death Valley since 2016.
The National Park Service (NPS) said:
We are having the best bloom year since 2016 and many sprouts have not yet flowered. The showy yellow Desert Gold is one of the most prominent flowers, but there are a large variety of other species blooming as well. Low-elevation flowers are blooming throughout the park and will likely persist until mid-late March, depending on the weather. Higher elevations will have blooms April-June.
A rare spectacle
Superblooms don’t happen on a schedule, but they occur about once a decade. The past superblooms have been in 2016, 2005 and 1998. The extra abundance of flowers can also attract more pollinators, so keep an eye out for more bees, butterflies, birds and more.
This rare and short-lived phenomenon is important to the desert ecosystem. The NPS said:
In Death Valley National park, most of the showy desert wildflowers are annuals, also referred to as ephemerals because they are short-lived. Oddly enough, this limited lifespan ensures survival here. Rather than struggle to stay alive during the desert’s most extreme conditions, annual wildflowers lie dormant as seeds. When enough rain finally does fall, the seeds quickly sprout, grow, bloom and go back to seed again before the dryness and heat returns. By blooming en masse during good years, wildflowers can attract large numbers of pollinators such as butterflies, moths, bees and hummingbirds that might not otherwise visit Death Valley.
@accuweather The Death Valley superbloom is underway! ? Colorful flowers are blanketing parts of the hottest place in North America. Park officials say it’s the best superbloom since 2016.
Are you planning to visit the park this spring?
Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning to visit the park this spring. First, be patient! There will be many others visiting also, but it’s a huge park with space for everyone. Traffic might be slow, but you will eventually get to that picture-perfect site.
As of March 7, 2026, here are the best spots for wildflower viewing and what’s blooming, according to the National Park Service:
- North Badwater Rd (between CA190 and Badwater Basin): Desert Gold, Brown-eyed Primrose
- South Badwater Rd (near Ashford Mill): Desert Gold, Sand Verbena, Five Spot, Brown-eyed Primrose
- Highway 190 (between Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek): Gravel Ghost, Phacelia, Desert Gold, Mojave Desert Star
- Beatty Cutoff: Phacelia, Desert Gold, Gravel Ghost
To keep up-to-date on what’s blooming and where, visit the NPS website.
And, of course, don’t pick the wildflowers! Capture them only with your camera. And if you get a great photo, submit it to us!
Bottom line: A Death Valley superbloom is happening now! This rare event only happens about every decade. Read more about what flowers are blooming and where in Death Valley National Park.
The post Death Valley superbloom 2026: Best in a decade first appeared on EarthSky.
from EarthSky https://ift.tt/lrsXaIU
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