Hottest and Driest Place in North America Is Experiencing a Rare and Spectacular ‘Super Bloom’

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Death Valley National Park is the lowest, hottest and driest place in North America. It’s a “land of extremes,” the National Park Service said, and yet “despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life survives in Death Valley.”

Never is that more apparent than right now. Death Valley is in the midst of a “super bloom.” A rare explosion of more than 20 species of wildflowers currently blanket the valley floor in hues of yellow, white, pink, purple and red. According to the Los Angeles Times, it’s been 11 years since Death Valley was so “full of life.”

Death Valley is in the midst of a rare super bloom of wildflowers. Photo credit: National Park Service/YouTube
Death Valley is in the midst of a rare “super bloom” of wildflowers. Photo credit: National Park Service/YouTube

The park, which averages a scant two inches of rainfall for the entire year, saw three strong rainstorms in October—with one event producing nearly three inches of rain in just five hours.

The deluge caused extensive flooding and damage, but it also sparked the beautiful bloom, which started back in November but has exploded in the last few weeks.

Check out these incredible photos:

The park's towering peaks provide a stark contrast to the delicate and fleeting wildflowers in the valley below. Photo credit: National Park Service/YouTube
The park’s towering, bare peaks provide a stark contrast to the delicate and fleeting wildflowers in the valley below. Photo credit: National Park Service/YouTube
A desert five-spot in Death Valley. Photo credit: Cori Zancanella
A desert five-spot in Death Valley. Photo credit: Cori Zancanella

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