A psychedelic superbloom of wildflowers has carpeted Southern California hillsides, thanks to years of drought and fire giving way to steady record-setting rain. Native seeds that sat dormant in the soil for years have burst to life in a vivid display that’s attracted large groups of Instagram-happy visitors to places like Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore all the way up to the Carrizo Plain in San Luis Obispo County.
With the crowds, though, have come traffic jams, park closures, and firm reminders about the right way to appreciate nature. Luckily, we here in Santa Barbara don’t have the same congestion issues, and we don’t have to go far to enjoy the show. Let’s keep it that way, rangers ask ― stay on trails, keep dogs leashed, don’t block the road, don’t pick the flowers, and don’t collect seeds. And if you haven’t had a chance to catch a glimpse, don’t panic. The flowers should continue blooming for the next several weeks.
Grass Mountain, which sits close to Figueroa Mountain in the Santa Ynez Valley, is now painted thick with poppies and lupine. Near the base, shiny buttercups, milkmaids, and fiddlenecks are in bloom. A little ways up are shooting stars, popcorn flowers, and Johnny jump-ups. All over are fields of ceanothus that look like sprinklings of snow. That’s according to the observations of Helen Tarbet, a Los Padres National Forest ranger who this time of year publishes her biweekly Figueroa Wildflower Update newsletter. Email Tarbet at htarbet@fs.fed.us to get on her list.