Blooming season in SoCal
A year has passed and the Southern California flower season is back. Many Santa Monica College (SMC) students were waiting for this time of year, when the fields turn into vibrant spring colors. “I love nature and I think it’s a great way to celebrate the new season of spring,” said Georgia Carvalho, an SMC student.
One of the well-known flower fields are the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch in northern San Diego County. As a result of 70 years of growing and maintaining the Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flower, Carlsbad Ranch continues to flourish.
This type of ranunculus belongs in the buttercup family and is native to Asia. Carlsbad Ranch is the only ranunculus grower in the world that allows visitors to walk close among the fields. Over 50 acres of ranunculus flowers and bulbs attract more than 150,000 visitors to the park each year.
The “peak” of the blooming season is late March to late May, depending on weather conditions. It is estimated that there are more than 80 million blooms during peak flowering according to the Ranch.
The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch offer unique attractions such as sunset wine tasting, live music, morning or sunset yoga, and flower crown workshops. Visitors can also take tractor rides around the fields, go blueberry picking or enjoy the butterfly garden.
“I really want to do a photoshoot with new flowers that are blooming right now. The flower fields at the top of my list are the California poppy fields,” Carvalho said. “I think visiting flower fields is a good break from student life because it lets us ground ourselves and be in touch with nature, which is a nice refresh from the cosmopolitan life.”
Carlsbad Ranch isn’t the only floral display, as there are plenty of other flower fields around the Los Angeles area. These include:
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve: hills of bright, orange poppy flowers in the Mojave Desert Grassland habitat.
Chino Hills State Park: 14,000 acres of natural habitats housing a variety of different wildflowers.
Corriganville Park: park with a 1.6-mile loop hike surrounded by vibrant California poppies.
Fresno County Blossom Trail: 65.9-mile trail of almond, plum, apple, apricot, nectarine and citrus trees.
Palos Verdes Peninsula: scenic coastal location with wildflowers, cactus, cliff aster and native milkweed.
Point Dume: Malibu cliff with a hike among giant yellow coreopsis.
Arboretum and Botanical Garden at California State University, Fullerton: botanical garden featuring over 4,000 plant species, including blooming native wildflowers.
Diamond Valley Lake: 1.3-mile seasonal wildflower trail.
“If you plan to visit any blooming fields location, don’t forget to bring a camera!” said Carvalho as a final tip.