Tropical Storm Hilary's historic rains are great news for wildflower lovers—if you're into shy desert blooms like the arcing spikes of fringed amaranth (Amaranthus fimbriatus), pops of purple from trailing windmills (Allionia incarnata) or golden, odiferous clumps of cinchweed (Pectis papposa).
But don't expect the summer downpour to create another lush superbloom of poppies and lupines this fall."Those plants we enjoy in the spring are called winter annuals because they need cold conditions to germinate," said botanist Naomi Fraga, director of conservation for the California Botanic Garden."They need wet and cold conditions toCertain parts of the desert, however, are full of opportunistic seeds that evolved to burst into bloom after any good summer rain.
"The summer monsoon brings up a whole different suite of wildflowers then we see in the spring," she wrote."There are not as many species, but they are still stunners!" Desert wildflower seekers should plan on an overnight outing, said Meyer, since the blooms will probably be a few hours away, and explorers should do some research to make sure they'll be driving on passable roads.
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