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Once-in-a-decade "super bloom" takingplace in California
Camille Perkins (left), of Dana Point, California, takes a
picture of her mother, Cynthia Perkins, jumping among
bloomingdesert shrubs in Borrego Springs, California, March 27,
2017. Rain-fed wildflowers have been sprouting from
California'sdesert sands after lying dormant for years, producing a
spectacular display that has been drawing record crowds andtraffic
jams in area desert towns. Photo by: AP Photo/Gregory Bull
BORREGO SPRINGS, Calif. — After several inches of rain this
winter, wildflowers inCalifornia's deserts are in full bloom.
Record crowds are flocking to tiny towns like BorregoSprings,
excited to see the spectacular flowers.
An estimated 150,000 people in the past month have descended on
this town of about3,500 for the so-called "super bloom." Borrego
Springs is roughly 85 miles northeast of SanDiego.
"Super Bloom" Happens Once In A Decade
Wildflowers are springing up in different landscapes across the
state and the westernUnited States thanks to a wet winter. However,
a "super bloom" is a term for when a massamount of desert plants
bloom at one time. In California, that happens about once in a
By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 04.04.17 Word
Count 890
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decade in a given area. It has been occurring less frequently
with the drought. Last year,the right amount of rainfall and warm
temperatures produced carpets of flowers in DeathValley.
So far this year, most of the super bloom has been happening in
the 1,000-square-mileAnza Borrego State Park. The park is next to
the town of Borrego Springs.
The bloom is expected to continue through May. Different flowers
will bloom at separateelevations all around the park. Anza Borrego
is California's largest state park withhundreds of species of
plants, including desert lilies, blazing stars and the flaming
tall,spiny Ocotillo.
"Flowergeddon"
Deputies were brought in to handle the traffic jams as Borrego
Springs saw its populationtriple in a single day.
On one particularly packed weekend in mid-March, motorists were
stuck in traffic for fivehours, restaurants ran out of food and
some visitors relieved themselves in the fields.Officials have
since set up an army of Port-A-Pottys, and restaurants have stocked
up. Thecraze has been dubbed "Flowergeddon."
Locals call those who view the tiny wildflowers from their cars
"flower peepers." Thousandsof others have left their vehicles to
cross the desert and study the many delicate yellow,orange, purple
and magenta blooms up close. Many carting cameras have taken care
tostep around the plants.
Bloom Attracts Large Crowds
Tour groups from as far as Japan and Hong Kong have flown in to
catch the display beforeit fades away with the rising
temperatures.
Wildflower enthusiasts worldwide track the blooms online. They
arrive for rare sightings likethis year's Bigelow's Monkey flower,
some of which have grown to eight inches in height.The National
Park Service has even pitched in with a 24-hour wildflower hotline
to find thebest spots at the state park.
"We've seen everything from people in normal hiking attire to
people in designer flip-flopsto women in sundresses and strappy
heels hike out there to get their picture. When I sawthat, I
thought, 'Oh no. Please don't go out there with those shoes on,'"
laughed LindaHaddock, who leads the Borrego Springs Chamber of
Commerce.
On a recent day, a young woman sat among knee-high desert
sunflowers and shot selfiesagainst the backdrop of yellow blooms
that looked almost neon in contrast to the brownlandscape. A mother
jumped in the air as her daughter snapped her photo among
yellowbrittlebushes.
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The blooms are attracting hungry sphinx moth caterpillars that
munch through plants. Thecaterpillars, in turn, are attracting
droves of Swainson hawks on their annual 6,000-milemigration from
Argentina.
"It's an amazing burst in the cycle of life in the desert that
has come because of a freakishevent like a super bloom," Haddock
said. She said the bloom would also help the nearbytown's economy
when people stop at nearby businesses.
Desert super blooms always draw crowds, but lifetime residents
said they have never seenthe natural wonder attract tens of
thousands like this time. The park is about a two-hourdrive from
San Diego and three hours from Los Angeles.
Conditions Just Right For Bloom
This year's display has been especially stunning, experts say.
The region received 6½inches of rain from December to February,
followed by almost two weeks of 90-degreetemperatures, setting the
conditions for the super bloom. Five years of drought made theseeds
ready to pop.
Humans also helped. Park staff, volunteers and female prisoners
have been removing theSaharan Mustard plant. The plant is an
invasive species believed to have been brought toCalifornia in the
1920s with another plant, the date palm. Saharan Mustard stole
thethunder of another super bloom six years ago, said Jim Dice,
research manager at theAnza-Borrego Desert Research Center.
"It completely took over the usual wildflower fields and starved
out the wildflowers so whatwe had were giant fields of ugly mustard
plant," Dice said. "That galvanized the community,which depends on
tourism largely brought in during the good wildflower years."
Lia Wathen, a 35-year-old investigator from San Diego, took a
Monday off from work so shewould not miss the desert flowers.
"Any single color that you can think of, you're going to find it
right here," said Wathen. Shewas walking with her Maltese dogs,
Romeo and Roxy, stopping to examine a magentabloom on a spikey
Cholla cactus.
Sandra Reel and her husband drove hundreds of miles out of their
way when they heardabout the super bloom.
"It is absolutely phenomenal to see this many blooming desert
plants all at the same time,"she said. "I think it's probably a
once-in-a-lifetime thing."
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Quiz
1 How does the article develop the idea that California's super
blooms are "once-in-a-decade"events?
(A) by providing statements from scientists and locals, and then
givinginformation about the requirements needed for a super bloom
to occur
(B) by exploring California's history of super blooms, and then
analyzing theeffects of the super bloom on the local economy
(C) by explaining the weather pattern that California is in, and
then providingstatistics to show how rare the super bloom event
is
(D) by framing the article with anecdotes about California's
past struggles in thedrought, and then explaining how the locals
feel about tourists
2 Which of the following statements BEST represents Linda
Haddock's approach toward superbloom tourists in the article?
(A) She is frustrated that tourists are not following local
rules to respect theenvironment.
(B) She is excited that tourists are bringing in more revenue
for the localgovernment.
(C) She is angry that tourist groups are blocking roads and
clogging publicservices.
(D) She is surprised that some tourists are not arriving fully
prepared to weatherthe elements in California.
3 What is the meaning of the word "dubbed" as used in the
following sentence from the section"Flowergeddon"?
Officials have since set up an army of Port-A-Pottys, and
restaurantshave stocked up. The craze has been dubbed
"Flowergeddon."
(A) rejected
(B) defeated
(C) nicknamed
(D) populated
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4 Read the sentence from the section "Bloom Attracts Large
Crowds."
Desert super blooms always draw crowds, but lifetime residents
saidthey have never seen the natural wonder attract tens of
thousands likethis time.
The author uses the word "draw" to mean:
(A) refuse
(B) disenchant
(C) deceive
(D) entice
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