SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KRON) — Nature and landscape photographers are eagerly anticipating a rare “super bloom” this spring after more than a dozen atmospheric rivers.

Californians slogged through months of drenching and destructive rainstorms this winter. Thanks to record-breaking rainfall, soil is fully saturated and Bay Area hillsides are bright emerald green. And once the sun has enough time to shine, splashes of vibrant orange, purple, yellow, and red colors will pop up in the form of wildflowers this April.

California’s biologically diverse landscapes are home to more than 7,000 species of native plants. While not a scientific term, “super bloom” describes a natural phenomenon when several species of wildflower seeds germinate and bloom flowers simultaneously.

Hillsides and valleys were blanketed with vibrant colors during the Golden State’s most recent “super bloom” of 2019 following a wet winter.

A view from a NASA aircraft T-34 over the super bloom of poppies in Antelope Valley is seen on April 2, 2019. (NASA Photo / Jim Ross)

Ideal conditions for a “super bloom” include consistent rains over multiple months, cool evening temperatures, and a “well-stocked seed bank,” according to National Geographic.

“California offers diverse and beautiful places to view spring wildflowers, from the Mojave Desert to coastal dunes,” the California Native Plant Society wrote. Wildflowers are already blooming in San Diego County, the California Department of Parks and Recreation stated.

Santa Cruz County-based nature photographer Dan Sedenquist said springtime wildflowers usually appear first in Southern California before blooming in Central California. This March, Sedenquist found fields of colorful wildflowers in the Panoche Hills of the Gabilan Range east of Hollister.

California poppies bloom in Little Panoche Valley in March 2023. (Image by Dan Sedenquist)

“Lot’s of California poppies are coming out, and lupine!” Sedenquist told KRON4.

Sedenquist said there’s buzz between photographers gearing up for warmer spring temperatures possibly triggering blooms. “It’s still wet and raining up here. It’s not warm enough yet to cause the big blooms,” Sedenquist said.

California poppies bloom in Little Panoche Valley in March 2023. (Image by Dan Sedenquist)
Lupine bloom in the Panoche Hills in March 2023. (Image by Dan Sedenquist)
Wildflowers bloom in the Panoche Hills in March 2023. (Image by Dan Sedenquist)
California poppies bloom in the Panoche Hills in March 2023. (Image by Dan Sedenquist)
Springtime ushers in both flowers and baby birds. A baby Great Horned Owl takes a nap with its mother in Merced National Wildlife Refuge, Los Banos, on March 30, 2023. (Image by Dan Sedenquist)

According to Peninsula Open Space Trust, five beautiful wildflower species to look out for in the San Francisco Bay Area are: Douglas iris, Sky Lupine, Indian paintbrush, California poppies, and Redwood sorrel.