Home Care In Joshua Tree, CA

MORONGO BASIN — Warning that homeowners could face tens of thousands of dollars in fees for doing any work close to a western Joshua tree, officials are asking locals to take part in a Zoom meeting with the state Monday, March 10.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff will host the meeting to go over planned rules on development around western Joshua trees. They will also take public comments, which could effect some changes in the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan.

There will be two sessions of the meeting, with the same staff presentation and then time for public comments in each. They will be held 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. Monday, March 10. Register at https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/CNRA/bulletins/3d450e4.

Town Council and Hi-Desert Water District officials encourage people in the Morongo Basin to attend if possible to share their thoughts on the impacts of fees proposed by the state.

Fees would kick in for work near trees

In its current form, the plan requires property owners and agencies to pay mitigation fees when removing western Joshua trees or doing trenching or other work near one of the protected trees.

“This could be devastating for our community,” Town Council member Jim Schooler warned at a March 4 meeting.

“I would encourage everybody to take part in the workshops before we get in really deep in this.”

Property owners who need to replace a broken water line or hook up to the sewer system would be charged tens of thousands of dollars in mitigation fees under the current plan, Deputy Town Manager Shane warned.

The town paid consultants to get some examples of what property owners in phase two of the sewer project would have to pay in mitigation fees to connect to the sewer, as they are required to do by another state agency — the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

In the Storey Park neighborhood south of Yucca Valley High School, he showed a property with a few Joshua trees in the yard. They would have to pay an estimated $46,000 in mitigation fees to connect to the sewer — or just to repair a water line or septic tank, he said.

“That doesn’t include the cost of the actual work.”

Another property in phase two would face $62,000 in mitigation fees because it has more trees, Stueckle said.

The protected zone around a tree depends on how tall and mature it is, where it is and what the proposed work around it is. Generally, the zone is 186 feet from the base of a mature, reproductive tree, 50 feet from the base of a tree that is a meter or more in height, and 25 feet from a tree shorter than a meter.

Sewer system would cost millions more

Hi-Desert Water District would have to pay roughly $17 million to $18 million in western Joshua tree permits to construct phase two of the sewer system, General Manager Tony Culver said March 5.

Culver said state Fish and Wildlife staff provided him with an invoice for what the project would cost under the draft plan.

To lay about 2.5 miles of sewer pipe in the country club area alone — the smallest section of phase two — the state would charge around $1.1 million in mitigation fees, he said. That’s based on a count of 1,597 trees within 25 feet of the street.

“But we’re working with them,” Culver added.

The state may allow HDWD to get permits through the California Endangered Species Act instead. The cost would be roughly half, but the process would take much longer, and Hi-Desert Water District needs to start work on phase two. It’s facing a deadline with the state water board, and has already signed contracts with engineering and construction firms.

Culver said expects to meet with Chuck Bonham, director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, on March 17.

“Chuck Bonham did say he will help us, so we hope he will and we can get started on this project,” Culver said.

“We want to do as much pipe as we can. We want to get as many people as we can hooked up.”

Commission must act on conservation plan by June

The rules and fees for western Joshua trees are part of a conservation plan drafted by Fish and Wildlife staff as required by a 2023 state law, the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act.

Fish and Wildlife commissioners must vote on the conservation plan by June 30, under the 2023 law. They must then review it next year and every two years afterward.

One of the major elements is the definition of a “take.” Under other state conservation laws, a “take” is the act of removing or killing a protected species. Developers must get take permits for construction expected to kill kangaroo rats, for example. Western Joshua trees have the same protections as candidate species for endangered status.

But the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act defines a “take” as any ground-disturbing activity around a tree.

“You don’t have to touch the tree, you don’t have to move the tree, you don’t have to kill the tree. That ground-disturbing activity is classified as a take,” Stueckle explained.

The plan states a person must apply for a take permit to remove, trim, relocate or work within a certain buffer of one or more western Joshua trees.

You also must get a permit to remove or trim dead western Joshua trees or detached limbs. The state may waive the fee if the dead trees or limbs have fallen over and are within 30 feet of a structure or “create an imminent threat to public health or safety.”

For a copy of the draft plan, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Environmental-Review/WJT/Conservation-Plan.

TWENTYNINE PALMS — Deputies are looking for the suspect in an assault on a 14-year-old boy walking home from school.

The assault reportedly took place about 2:18 p.m. Thursday, March 6, near Sunnyslope Drive and La Buena Tierra Avenue.

Deputies were told the boy was walking home after school when he was violently attacked by a man who then fled the scene.

The child was knocked unconscious and suffered multiple injuries to his face, head and neck. Medical aid was provided on the scene and the child was transported to a local hospital for further medical treatment.

The suspect is identified as a Black man age 30 to 40. He was wearing a burgundy hoodie, jeans and black sneakers.

Anyone with information for the investigation is asked to call the sheriff’s station at (760) 366-4175 or leave an anonymous tip with the We-Tip Hotline at (888) 782-7463 or www.wetip.com.

An iconic Southern California national park was hit with an unprecedented snowstorm earlier this week.

On Monday, flurries began falling upon the Mojave Desert, covering Joshua Tree National Park with an ultra-rare and beautiful blanket of snow. Joshua Tree, which has peaks of elevation above 4,000 feet, typically sees one or maybe two minor snowfalls every January or February. But this year was especially dry, and the area saw very little rain in the latter half of the year. There was nothing to suggest the full-on, East Coast-style snowstorm that arrived on Jan. 27.

“Snow is a welcome sight in the park, and is a good indicator for Joshua Tree blooms and wildflowers in the springtime,” the Instagram account @visit_joshuatree wrote on one of its many posts showing the park’s icy, white conditions. “Joshua Trees need a ‘cold snap’ to start their annual clock, which then produces Joshua Tree blooms in February,” the post added.

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“As Joshua Trees live for hundreds of years, they’ve been seeing these occasional snow events throughout their lives,” one social media user explained. “Joshua Tree seedlings are among those that need cold stratification to germinate.”

Many on social media agreed that the sight was beautiful, if a bit jarring. “So fires, down pours, now snow in California? Global warming must be here,” one wrote. “It’s beautiful, but a little scary,” another agreed. But regardless of the reason for the snow, everyone agreed that it all but ensures a powerful bloom in the spring. “Nice wet addition, going to look amazing in the spring with more vegetation,” one user wrote, putting a positive spin on things.

But some noted that the snowfall, while heavier than usual, was “not a freak occurrence” and “more common than you think” in high desert regions. “This happened to me in the Mojave once. Very beautiful, but super cold!” @swayzelife wrote on Instagram.

Every spring, wildflower lovers and nature photographers eagerly wait to see if one of California’s most dazzling natural spectacles happens: the super bloom.

When conditions are ideal—think plentiful winter rain, mild spring temperatures, and a little luck—the state’s rolling hills and desert landscapes burst into waves of vibrant California poppies, bluebells, lupines, and other native blooms.

But super blooms don’t happen every spring season and the number of flowers across the region varies from year to year. Californians might remember that 2023 was a particularly rainy and snowy year, thanks to a combination of several atmospheric rivers and Hurricane Hilary making it one of the wettest winters in the state’s history. The record-breaking precipitation sparked super bloom events across the state (the profusion of flowers could even be seen from space).

In 2024, those same places that experienced a super bloom the prior year blossomed with wildflowers, although most didn’t reach the same level of intensity or widespread coverage, while other spots that didn’t explode with wildflowers in 2023 saw a stronger showing. For a true super bloom to occur, a high proportion of seeds that have remained dormant and built up in soil over several years must bloom at once. That means that some destinations across the state that didn’t experience a super bloom in the past few years are more likely to see one in the future.

The question is: Will this year bring another floral explosion, or are we in for a more subdued season?

In 2025, because the southern half of the state (where super blooms are generally concentrated) received below-average rainfall, few super blooms are projected to pop up there. Already, the California State Parks department has said this year’s wildflower bloom is “expected to be limited.” However, the northern half of the state is looking more promising; although no super blooms have been officially confirmed yet, there’s still a chance carpets of wildflowers will appear in the area.

Here’s everything you need to know about the California super bloom phenomenon and wildflower season in 2025.

Where to see a super bloom or wildflower displays in California

Super blooms typically occur in regions that have received ample rainfall the previous winter. While few super blooms are expected this year, these places are showing promising signs of good wildflower displays in 2025.

Death Valley National Park is always one of the most highly anticipated places to see a super bloom in California. Death Valley is considered one of the most inhospitable places on the planet, and some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded on Earth were captured inside the park. However, about every 15 years or so, when all the stars align with the right conditions, Death Valley comes alive with the full power of a super bloom. When a super bloom happens, the desert is painted in shades of gold, purple, pink, and white flowers, thanks to flowers like the bear poppy, mariposa lily, desert chicory, and lilac sunbonnet.

Located in San Luis Obispo County, this reserve is already starting to bloom and could see incredible displays should the predicted rain storms happen, according to the Wild Flower Hotline. Here, you may see milkmaids, chocolate lilies, hummingbird sage, shooting stars, buttercups, and California golden violets dotting the oak-lined trails and rocky outcrops.

One of the state’s most visited national parks, Joshua Tree is about a 3.5-hour drive from Los Angeles. Here, visitors can find wildflower classics like the golden poppy, as well as gorgeous desert blossoms like prickly pears, evening primroses, Mojave asters, and desert paintbrushes. Blooms at lower elevations typically begin popping up in February and March, while flowers in higher elevations might not appear until June.

Mount Tamalpais State Park is a Bay Area icon, where redwood groves, fern-lined canyons, and golden grasslands come together. Trails like Matt Davis, Steep Ravine, and Cataract Falls usually offer good opportunities to see lupines, Indian paintbrush, checkerbloom, Douglas iris, buttercups, and western blue-eyed grass.

This Sonoma Country state park’s extensive trail system winds past seasonal creeks, hidden ponds, and volcanic rock formations, making it a go-to spot for outdoor adventure. And during the spring, it’s possible to see lupines, poppies, and sticky monkeyflowers on the hillsides.

At 1.6 million acres, Mojave National Preserve is one of the largest properties in the National Park System’s portfolio, but also one of its least visited sites, making it an ideal place for wildflower viewing in relative solitude. The Mojave received an abnormally large deluge of rainfall in 2023 and will likely see a photogenic splash of wildflower blooms this year. Visitors can look forward to unique desert flowers like Bigelow’s monkeyflower, Mojave prickly poppy, and desert pincushion.

What is a super bloom?

California is famous for its native wildflowers that blossom each year—lookie-loos might spy iris, sky lupines, bluebells, dessert lilies, and arguably the most famous flower (the state’s official one), the California poppy. Super blooms, however, are the stuff of legend. They occur when a high concentration of wildflower seeds that have been dormant in California’s deserts for a few years because of inadequate rainfall bloom to life simultaneously after an unusually bountiful rainy season. There is no real scientific definition for what constitutes a super bloom. Rather, the idea of a super bloom is a cultural one—a very popular one at that.

The conditions that can foster a super bloom are finicky and delicate. But, when all the conditions for a super bloom are met, the effect is breathtaking, and larkspur, poppies, and clover blow in the breeze across the state.

The best time to see a super bloom

Super blooms do not occur annually—they are a rare phenomenon that usually happen only once every 10 to 15 years. However, the past three super blooms in California occurred in 2017, 2019, and 2023.

Typically, super-bloom season occurs roughly from February through May (the same time wildflower season would normally happen), often peaking in mid-March. However, super-bloom timing often varies by region:

During the few months that super blooms last in California, people from all over the state—and the country—travel to experience them. In 2019, some locations, such as Lake Elsinore, experienced as many as 100,000 visitors in a single weekend.

How to see a super bloom

Botanist Karen Wiese told Visit California that she recommends flower viewers bring a wildflower guide so they know what they are looking at—but folks can also use apps like Google Lens or PictureThis to help them identify species on the go. She also advises bringing a handheld magnifying lens with 10x magnification to better see the colors, patterns, and features of the blooms. A hat and sunscreen, bug repellent, sturdy hiking shoes, water, and a lightweight poncho are also recommended, given the heat of California’s deserts. Travelers interested in a guided experience can check out the California Native Plant Society, which has High Sierra chapters that offer expert-led walks and field trips.

It goes without saying that visitors should remain on trails, take their trash with them, and not pick any wildflowers. In 2019, so many people visited remote areas of California that the event was dubbed the “Super Bloom Apocalypse,” and Lake Elsinore had to preemptively ban travelers from visiting during wildflower season in 2023 by blocking off the canyon where the poppies grow along with nearby parking areas.

As the season progresses, check out the Wild Flower Hotline, run by the Theodore Payne Foundation. Each Friday from March through May, the Hotline offers free online and recorded updates (for the latter, call 818-768-1802, ext. 7) on the best locations to see spring wildflowers in southern and central California.

This article was originally published in 2023 and was most recently updated on March 20, 20245, to include current information.

Mae Hamilton covers all things related to arts, culture, and the beautiful things that make travel so special.