Florida Phlox (Phlox floridana) is currently peaking in areas where there has been some rainfall
The big difference between California and Florida wildflower seasons is that Florida's season lasts virtually year round. If Florida were to receive adequate moisture there would always be wildflowers in bloom. That moisture has been largely missing for the past decade as climate change has made Florida's climate hotter and drier a situation not dissimilar to climate change in California.
Bidens alba (Spanish Needles, Beggarticks) bloomed all winter where there was moisture
California's recent break from 5 years of drought has brought a superbloom of epic proportions. So for this April, California wins. However, check back in May. By May it is typically so hot and dry in California that all but the hardiest of wildflowers will have died off, while Florida's rainy season may be just beginning, bringing with it an explosion of blooms.
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Gaillardia in full bloom
Earlier-than-normal blooming of spring wildflowers in Florida is occurring more often, but this year stands out because some wildflowers are blooming nearly a month earlier than expected. The influence of extremely warm weather all winter and into spring was probably greatest in North Florida. Like February, March has been dryer and warmer than normal, which would speed up the time when mid- or late-spring wildflowers bloom, such as Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and Blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella). Already these species are in full bloom along the east coast.
Lyre Leaf Sage started blooming in late February
This also means that now is not too soon to be looking for wildflowers that normally would bloom in late April, such as Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium spp.), Lanceleaf tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata), Southeastern sneezeweed (Helenium pinnatifidum), Lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrata), and Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis). The remainder of the spring weather is forecast to be hotter and drier than normal.
Venus Looking Glass (Triodanis biflora)
In Central and South Florida, temperatures are expected to be above normal in April (as they were in March), with hotter than normal temperatures the remainder of spring. While rain is forecast to be below normal throughout spring, NOAA predicts that drought conditions will persist in a large portion of south Central Florida and are likely to develop in South Florida (see U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook).
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra, ssp. canadensis) blooming this week at the Circle B Bar Reserve
Despite the heat and dry flowers are finding enough moisture from evening dew and occasional fog to bloom especially in ditches, near canals, and anywhere else that scant moisture is found.
Where to find wildflowers
in Central Florida
Given that outlook, the best places to see native wildflowers will be naturally moist areas, especially in April and May. Look for two of the showiest and most common wildflowers in moist sites — Leavenworth’s tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii) and Black-eyed Susan (in North Florida, it tends to occur in drier locations). Because March was warmer than normal, look for typical April and May bloomers a few weeks earlier than you otherwise would. For instance, Leavenworth’s tickseed and Black-eyed Susan are already blooming.
Bidens laevis (Burmarigold or Smooth Beggartick)
A good place to view showy stands of wildflowers that prefer moist sites is at the Circle B Bar Reserve on the northwest shore of Lake Hancock in Polk County (near Lakeland). A walk through the miles of trails at Circle B Bar last weekend revealed plenty of wildflowers blooming but there was also plenty of evidence of the ongoing drought as many normally wet areas were completely dry and cracked.
Because March was hotter than normal, Prairie iris (Iris hexagona) and Duck potato (Sagittaria spp.) are already flowers. If you get lucky, you might even spot the bright reddish spikes of the Leafless beaked orchid (Sacoila lanceolata).
Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) is in bloom across North Florida near streams and wetlands.
Not near an area with naturally moist conditions? Head toward the coast. Blanketflower and Beach sunflower (Helianthus debilis) are showy native wildflowers that thrive in dry, sandy conditions. They can be bloom at any time of the year in South Florida, and typically start by early to mid-spring in the Panhandle. In Central Florida they already are in full bloom. Presumably they're able to extract enough moisture from sea spray to thrive and put on a magnificent flower show.
Pinxter (Mountain Azalea, Rhododendron canescens) abloom along the Rainbow River
The Science of Wildflowers
Blooming is dependent on a complex interaction of genetics (that is, the “blueprint” of how the plant is expected to perform) and the environment — mainly day length, temperature and soil characteristics, the most important of which is moisture. The influence of these environmental factors varies among wildflower species. To make this issue a bit more complex, the previous year’s weather can influence wildflowers the next year, especially those that reseed. Weather can affect seed dormancy; dormant seeds do not germinate until the factor(s) causing dormancy have been alleviated, which could take several months or more. Wildflowers producing a high level of dormant seed may not yield a good stand of plants the following year.
There's not much water in the St. Johns River Marshes, but its enough for these stands of 8-foot tall Swamp Sunflowers (Helianthus angustifolius)
Click it, don't pick it!
Many of our native wildflowers reproduce only by seed. Picking a flower reduces the ability of that plant to reproduce and for that population of wildflowers to sustain itself. Instead, use wildflowers in your yard or in containers. Seed packets are available in the Florida Wildflower Foundation Flower Shop and from the Florida Wildflower Seed and Plant Growers Association. Florida native wildflower seed packets also may be available at native plant garden centers.
More reasons not to pick wildflowers:
Picking the flowers of any endangered or threatened species is illegal in Florida. For details, see Florida Statute 581.185 Preservation of native flora of Florida. Though under the current far-right Republican administration in Florida, environmental rules and statues are virtually meaningless as they are so widely ignored.
Meanwhile in California
Spring flowers have had a tough go of it the past few years in California. The climate isn't the most hospitable, and the gods had been stingy with rain in recent years. But this is the year that everything changed. Thanks to extra precipitation and some luck, the show is well worth seeing.
Some places are already reaching peak. The recent sight of hillsides turned orange and purple in Lake Elsinore's Walker Canyon caused a traffic jam on the 15 Freeway as drivers stopped to gawk at spring lowers, some exiting their vehicles to get a closer look.
Given everything wildflowers go through simply to survive—some bloom from seeds dormant for 50 to 100 years—they deserve our attention, if only to applaud the struggle for the beauty of it all.
Some of the best places to see the blooms:
This state park is the place to be right now to see wildflowers that have been popping since late-March. Thanks to above-average rainfall this season, this out-of-the-way desert spot southeast of Temecula is having the best showing in 20 years.
Go now if you want to see the superbloom that's filling the desert with low-lying carpets of yellow and greened-up fields streaked with purple and white flowers. It will only last until mid-April.
The east end of the park is covered with poppies and patches are starting to fill in around other areas. Other flowers such as goldfields, lupine, and lacy phacelia are also creating a mosaic of color that changes daily. The bloom will last until sometime in April. All depends on when and how hot and dry the weather turns.
Chino Hills is unique in that it provides refuge for both biodiversity and solitude to the visitors who enjoy their outdoor experiences. There is no other location in the LA Basin where people can drive a short distance and be swept away with scenic vistas, hike, bike or ride a horse on over 9-0 miles of trails. At 14,102 acres the park is managed as an open space habitat where all plant and animal life are protected.
The state earned the slogan "Golden" because of the golden poppy fields that cover hillsides each spring.
The California poppy, the state flower since 1903, remains one of the most beloved wildflowers around.
You'll find them along roadsides north and south of LA, but hot temperatures may end the show soon.
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Montmarte. Nocturnes parisiens.
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Petits matins d'hiver sont fini
Place Saint Sulpice
