US WILDFLOWER MAP: WHERE TO SEE THE BEST BLOOMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

• Data gathered by iNaturalist shows where Americans can find wildflowers
• There are hotspots all across the US with hundreds of different species 
• Observers can share their own sightings and photos to add to the map 

With spring in full force, wildflowers of all different colors and sizes are cropping up over the U.S. 

Keen spotters can use a new map by iNaturalist to track the best blooms and make sure they see them before they vanish for another season. 

There are hotspots all over the country with hundreds of different species including poppies, sunflowers and daisies. 

The map includes more than 10,000 flowers spotted in the past two months along with photos of the blooms and their exact locations. 

Members of the public can then upload their own sightings and contribute to the map. 

Wildflower season runs from February at the earliest to June at the latest with some variation based on climate across the US and species.  

There are some clear stand-out areas on the map to view the flowers. 

The Midwest belt and pockets of the East Coast are filled with sightings, while California on the West Coast has a very high concentration of blooms. 

California is world-renowned for its high concentration of rare species and biodiversity. 

Nick Jensen, conservation program director at the California Native Plant Society, told The San Francisco Chronicle: 'California isn’t the only place where there’s beautiful flowers, but Californians don’t have to travel to Australia or the Atacama desert to see something of global significance.

'That’s pretty darn cool.' 

Rain is key for wildflowers and plenty of downpours across the US this year and last mean there is a bountiful supply to see. 

Last year was also a 'superbloom', meaning that there should have been more seeds with even more flowers this year. 

Experts recommend visiting Sun Valley in Idaho for yellow, pink and white carpets of wildflowers. 

Or for those looking for waterfalls and a wide range of flowers, they suggest trying Shenandoah National Park in Virginia which has bloodroot, trillium, violets, geraniums, and pink lady slipper.

In California, people can visit the famous Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, which turns a bright orange and yellow from mid-March to May. 

For a flash of purple in the South, visitors can go to Texas Hill Country to catch the bluebonnets. 

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2024-04-30T17:44:45Z dg43tfdfdgfd