“The Earth laughs in flowers.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“I must have flowers, always, and always.” – Claude Monet
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Spring has blessed us with a paradise of wildflower cover, as if to say, "All is not lost, I am still here."
Sometimes known as “fire followers,” some flowering plants which were dormant for years, need the intense heat for their seeds to sprout.
Botanists have discovered that there is a chemical reaction which occurs with the combination of ash, scorched wood and spring rains to help bring to life these living carpets of color.
Many other flowers thrive after fires have raced over the hillsides, since there is no competition to take up nutrients or shade them.
Of the more than 6,000 varieties of wildflowers in our state, we appear to have more than our fair share, here in Lake County.
Lake County's Mediterranean climate hosts hot and dry summers, then a rainy season which normally drops anywhere from 30 to 55 inches of rain.
We see an abundance and variety of color most years, due to our many micro-ecosystems. We have serpentine grasslands, chamise chaparral, riparian communities, and more.
During this time of Lake County's ecological and spiritual recoveries, the opulence of Lake County's flora is a true blessing.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.