Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GO WILD ABOUT CALIFORNIA'S WILDFLOWERS
The famous 'golden hills' of California are actually the result of plants drying up in prepar-
ation for the long hot summer. Many plants have adapted to long periods of almost no
rain by growing prolifically during California's mild wet winters, springing to life with the
first rains of autumn and blooming as early as February.
In Southern California's desert areas, wildflower blooms usually peak in March, with
other lowland areas of the state producing abundant wildflowers into April. Visit Anza-
Borrego Desert State Park, Death Valley National Park, the Antelope Valley California
Poppy Reserve and Carrizo Plain National Monument for some of the most spectacular
and predictable wildflower displays.
As snows melt later at higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite National Park's
Tuolumne Meadows is another prime spot for wildflower walks and photography, with
blooms usually peaking in late June or early July.
In 2006 the world's tallest known living tree was discovered in a remote area of Redwood
National Park (its location is kept secret to protect it). It's named Hyperion and stands a
whopping 379ft tall.
Cacti & Other Desert Flora
In Southern California's deserts, cacti and other plants have adapted to the arid climate
with thin, spiny leaves that resist moisture loss (and deter grazing animals), and seed and
flowering mechanisms that kick into gear during brief winter rains. With enough winter
rainfall, desert flora can bloom spectacularly in spring, carpeting valleys and drawing
thousands of onlookers and shutterbugs.
Among the most common and easy to identify is cholla, which appears so furry that it is
nicknamed 'teddy-bear cactus.' But it's far from cuddly and instead will bury extremely
sharp, barbed spines in your skin at the slightest touch. Also watch out for catclaw acacia,
nicknamed 'wait-a-minute bush' because its small, sharp, hooked thorny spikes can snatch
clothing or skin as you brush past.
Almost as widespread is prickly pear, a flat, fleshy-padded cacti whose juice is tradi-
tionally used as medicine by Native Americans. Then there's cactuslike creosote (actually,
