Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory A Fault Line in Full Bloom Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions Natural Events Oceans Remote Sensing Technology Snow & Ice Water More Content Collections Global Maps World of Change Articles Notes from the Field Blog Earth Matters Blog Blue Marble: Next Generation EO Kids Mission: Biomes About About Us Subscribe RSS Contact Us Search   March 5 March 13 Wildflower blooms appear as yellow patches at the center of satellite images centered on Carrizo Plain National Monument. The blooms spread and intensify between March 5 and March 13. NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin Wildflower blooms appear as yellow patches at the center of satellite images centered on Carrizo Plain National Monument. The blooms spread and intensify between March 5 and March 13. NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin March 5March 13 March 5, 2026 – March 13, 2026 CurtainToggle Image Details Golden wildflowers color the Carrizo Plain and surrounding Southern California landscape in these images captured on March 5, 2026 (left), and March 13, 2026 (right), by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 and Landsat 9, respectively. NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin Whether it qualifies as a “superbloom” is in the eye of the beholder, but there is no doubt that California’s Carrizo Plain and the neighboring mountain ranges were awash with color as wildflowers put on their annual show in spring 2026. Landsat satellites began to show the early signs of color in February. By early March, flowers had turned areas around Soda Lake a bright shade of yellow, and by mid-month, they had spread even farther. Yellow wildflower blooms are visible amid the dendritic network of streams flanking the alkaline lake, which dries out completely during drought years. Colors were particularly vibrant across the Carrizo Plain National Monument, even decorating meadows along the zipper-shaped San Andreas Fault with splashes of purple due to blooms of Phacelia ciliata. Wildflowers bloom along the San Andreas Fault in this image acquired on March 13, 2026, by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9. NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin Winter 2025-2026 brought bouts of rain and variable conditions that benefited wildflowers. Soaking rains saturated soils in November and December, bringing rainfall totals to nearly twice the usual level, according to a report from the California Department of Water Resources. NASA data cited in the report showed soil moisture remained well above average for the month of February. The pulse of early rains helped kick-start wildflowers because many seeds need at least a half-inch of rain to wash off their protective coating to germinate, according to the National Park Service. The warm, dry periods that followed also helped. Once established, wildflowers benefit from intermittent rainfall rather than constant soaking. Wildflowers in Carrizo Plain National Monument on March 7, 2026. Photograph by Erin Berkowitz The Wild Flower Hotline reported that west-facing slopes of the Temblor Range were the first places to come alive with hillside daisies (Monolopia lanceolata) accompanied by California goldfields (Lasthenia californica) and forked fiddlenecks (Amsinckia furcata) in March. The display in the Caliente Range was enhanced by a lack of grass thatch, which was burned off in the Madre fire in July 2025. Reports from experts on the ground indicate that common goldfield (Lasthenia gracilis), also called the needle goldfield, is responsible for the expanse of yellow near Soda Lake. Individual plants are small, but they often grow in disturbed areas just centimeters apart and bloom simultaneously, creating expansive blankets of color. March 5 March 13 A more detailed view shows yellow blooms against a background of green surrounding Soda Lake and several streams to its east. NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin A more detailed view shows yellow blooms against a background of green surrounding Soda Lake and several streams to its east. NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin March 5March 13 March 5, 2026 – March 13, 2026 CurtainToggle Image Details Common goldfield spreads around California’s Soda Lake in these images acquired on March 5, 2026 (left), and March 13, 2026 (right), by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 and Landsat 9, respectively. NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin In an article for Flora magazine, Bryce King, lead field botanist for the Califo