Flowers like sunshine, of course, but, quite clearly, there's a limit to all good things.
While the beaches bustled and swimming pools filled up over the second weekend of March the namesake blossoms of Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve struggled under the swelter. What looked like a healthy showing of our state flower only a week ago was flattened, in some areas, by the extremely high temperatures.
"We're astonished to find that our big bloom of desert-adapted, ruggedly persistent poppies has all but cooked away by the heat we've had over the last week," says a March 15 post on the reserve's Facebook page, which cited "desiccated poppy petals" where the "densest poppy germination anyone's seen in a decade" had taken hold.
Be strong, poppy people, because not only does the reserve say "all is not lost!" but fans have weighed in with places they're still seeing other flowers, and, yes, poppies, in strong profusion.
West of Quartz Hill and the north slopes of the reserve are still seeing some stem-and-petal action. Think "goldfields, forget-me-nots, gold cups, cream cups, owl's clover, and lupine" among the lovely bloomage.
If you're going to get out to enjoy the springtime show, best don't delay, though, and keep an eye on the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve social media sites, which are keeping poppyists, and lovers of all flowers, updated on what is happening weather- and bloom-wise.
The post about the heat does conclude on an upbeat note: If more rain arrives, and puts a jump on it, more poppies could be seen. C'mon rain -- the poppies and their public need you.
