Welcoming Nature’s Springtime Pageant : Who Says Southern California Doesn’t Have Seasons? Just Look at the Flowers

One of the myths about Southern California has been a lack of seasons, a year-round sameness to the climate that seems to imply that snowfall builds character. That’s nonsense, as can be easily seen with a visit to any of a number of parks and wildlife areas in Orange County, from Laguna Coast Wilderness Park inland to the Cleveland National Forest.

No matter what the calendar says, for many nature lovers spring arrives when the wildflowers bloom. Thankfully, the time is now.

Since last July, the rainfall as measured in Santa Ana has been just about twice last year’s level, which was close to the average. That has made the flowers bloom early, providing a lovely swath of purples, pinks and yellows on many hillsides. It has not produced quite the wide variety of colors as last year, nor the same concentration, according to botanists. Still, what is available is well worth a trip.

The 1993 Laguna Beach wildfires were a tragedy that residents still are trying to overcome. But it did have a lining, and its color was not silver. The fire contributed to two good years of blooms. Biologists said fire destroyed the usual cover of coastal sage scrub, and fertilized the soil with a mixture of ash and other nutrients. The absence of cover also let the sun penetrate down to the earth, enhancing the flowering.

Despite the staggering development of Orange County in recent years, it is still relatively easy and quick to get away for glimpses of nature. Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park off Ortega Highway offers a fine panoply of buttercups, shooting stars and chaparral peas. The park also offers guided wildflower nature walks these weekends, starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The drawback is that because of concern about mountain lions, visitors must be over 18. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park also has weekend guided walks, open to people of all ages, but requiring reservations.

This past week has seen glorious sunshine, views of the mountains, a sparkling ocean. Notice to those still trapped in snow: Spring has come to Southern California.