Superbloom
A rare mass flowering of desert wildflowers after unusually good rains.
Also: super bloom, desert bloom, desierto florido
In dry country, wildflower seed can lie in the soil for years. When a wet season finally comes, vast numbers sprout and flower together, and bare ground is covered for a few weeks. Superbloom is a popular word for this, first used of the deserts of California. Chile's Atacama has the desierto florido, the flowering desert. Namaqualand in South Africa flowers more reliably each spring. Visitors should keep to paths, since trampling destroys the plants and next year's seed.