Advertisement

California’s superblooms are so dramatic you can see them from space: Here are satellite photos

Overview of wildflower blooms amid hills and valleys
Overview of wildflower blooms in Palmdale on April 10, 2023.
(Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies)
Share via

The superbloom is upon us. New satellite photos from Maxar show hillsides across the state adorned with colorful flowers.

In the first photo, a hillside outside of Palmdale glows in yellow and orange on April 10.

See a closer look here.

Closer view of wildflower blooms in hillsides and canyons in Palmdale on April 10, 2023.
(Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies)

Wildflowers between two highways in Palmdale add purple to the mix.

Wildflowers between highways in Palmdale on April 10, 2023.
(Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies)
Advertisement

The variety of colors around Palmdale is astonishing. On this hillside, a brighter yellow emerges alongside lime green.

Wildflower blooms in Palmdale on April 10, 2023.
(Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies)

Palmdale was not the only beneficiary of the spring bloom. Flowers were visible from space at Carrizo Plain National Monument in San Luis Obispo County on April 4.

Advertisement
Wildflowers on hillsides at Carrizo Plain National Monument in San Luis Obispo County on April 4, 2023.
(Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies)

On April 9, Shell Creek Road in San Luis Obispo County was enveloped in bright yellow petals.

Closer view of wildflowers along Shell Creek Road in San Luis Obispo County on April 9, 2023.
(Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Tec)
Advertisement

Tourists flocking to see the display are drawing the ire of conservationists, who worry about degradation of the fragile flowers.

Flowers are able to bloom to this extent “because of all the conservationists that have worked so hard to protect these spaces,” and we can celebrate the phenomenon together, said Joan Dudney, an assistant professor at the department of environmental studies at UC Santa Barbara.

“We shouldn’t be shaming” those who flock to see the flowers, Dudney said, “but we should be more strategic and thoughtful” about where we send visitors.

In certain places like Shell Creek, blooms are more fragile and thus more likely to be trampled and ruined, she said. In other places like Carrizo Plain National Monument, “there’s so many flowers and the impact is a lot less.”

Advertisement