Natural History Wanderings

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve SNR reports on February 18, 2016

Many of the poppy plants that germinated earlier in the season were lost to recent freezes, but we are expecting more El Nino rains so it is still to early to determine the extent of the bloom this spring.

The Reserve received another 0.3 inches of rain over the last day, bringing our total for the season up to 6.5 inches. The minimum for a good season is generally about 7 inches, so we’ll see what the rest of the month brings.The hills are greening up, and a couple of poppies have been spotted around the park but most of the plants are still just developing their buds. Tiny filaree and slender-keeled fruit are starting to bloom.