Natural History Wanderings

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve SNR  just posted the following Wildflower Bloom Status for  4/11/13:

There’s not much of a bloom this year due to the lack of rain all winter. Currently, there are only a few small poppy flowers here and there along the paths with a very small patch at the end of the paved trail, but the hills are brown and won’t change unless we get more rain. Years like this make the other years more special!

However, if you don’t expect carpets of color, the park is still a pleasant place to visit for a hike, picnic, or interpretive center discovery.  The volunteer staff is enthusiastic and helpful, and the temperatures have made it a nice place to be outside in the open hills. Not really any snakes this year if you’re concerned (but please still stay on the trail).

The Jane S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center will now be open weekends only to the end of April, with displays about the wildflowers and animal life, an orientation video, an art gallery of Jane S. Pinheiro’s watercolor paintings and a gift shop. The park itself is open sunrise to sunset daily.

We had very little rain this winter, so the poppies and other wildflowers were unable to germinate and put roots down early. There was a lot of late rain in March causing a large germination, but their shallow young roots are vulnerable to freezes and heat waves. Many of the poppy plants that germinated after the March rains didn’t make it through the recent warm days, and several of the ones that managed to squeeze out a single flower have desiccated from the winds mid-bloom (see Current Photos). The plants that haven’t flowered yet may not make it much longer.  Every year is different, so it looks like these last couple years have been low times in the cycle. Times like this make the good years even more special!