Hottest place on Earth covered in rare blanket of flowers
A visitor to Death Valley among a cluster of blooming desert gold wildflowers - Getty Images
The hottest place on Earth has been covered by a rare blanket of wildflowers in what is believed to be the best bloom in a decade.
Death Valley in eastern California has the hottest surface temperature on Earth, with the World Meteorological Organisation recording a high of 54.4C in 2020.
The national park, whose maximum temperature in March averages around 28C, has been transformed by thousands of low-elevation grape soda lupine and bright yellow desert gold – alongside other species of flower – in what experts said was the best display since 2016.
Record rainfall in Death Valley during autumn triggered the “superbloom”, with the additional moisture soaking seeds and washing off protective coatings, leading to a greater coverage of the park.
Experts described this year’s bloom as the best display since 2016 - John Locher/AP
Tourists enjoy the scenery in the southern area of Death Valley National Park - Getty Images
It is believed a wetter than normal winter also led to the conditions needed for strong root development.
The National Park Service said that strong blooms occurred around “once a decade” and “only under perfect conditions”.
It added that the most recent “superbloom” years were 1998, 2005 and 2016, with many years in between where blossoms were limited.
The low-elevation plants are likely to persist until late March, while the higher elevations will have blooms between April and June.
Other flowers in bloom include the brown-eyed primrose, with yellow or white petals surrounding a distinctive brown centre, and the desert star, which has a similar appearance to the common daisy.
A lone desert sunflower appears to tower over a cluster of desert sand-verbena - Getty Images
The National Park Service said strong blooming in the valley could also attract insects and birds not typically associated with the area.
It said: “In Death Valley National Park, most of the showy desert wildflowers are annuals, also referred to as ephemerals because they are short-lived.
“Oddly enough, this limited lifespan ensures survival here. Rather than struggle to stay alive during the desert’s most extreme conditions, annual wildflowers lie dormant as seeds.”
The service said that when enough rain finally does fall, the seeds quickly sprout, grow, bloom and go back to seed again before the dryness and heat returns.
“By blooming en masse during good years, wildflowers can attract large numbers of pollinators such as butterflies, moths, bees and hummingbirds that might not otherwise visit Death Valley.”
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