The world's driest desert bursts into its biggest bloom in 30 years, with 200+ species in flower
Record rains brought by a strong El Niño woke seeds and bulbs that had slept in Chile's Atacama sand for decades.
- Biggest bloom in about 30 years
- Park drew ~15,000 visitors in weeks
- UNESCO heritage status being sought
What's blooming
Chile's Atacama Desert is covered in colour, in what scientists call the largest and brightest 'desierto florido' in three decades, and possibly ever. More than 200 species are flowering, some in spots where blooms had never been recorded. Heavy rains in July and August soaked deep into the soil and reached seeds, bulbs and tubers that ordinary showers miss. The show is expected to last until mid-November.
Why it matters
Llanos de Challe National Park, which usually gets about 10,000 visitors a year, saw some 15,000 in just a few weeks. Scientists from Chile's national seed bank are collecting specimens to preserve the plants' desert-survival secrets. Atacama's governor is now seeking UNESCO World Heritage status for the bloom, including rare flowers like the crimson 'garra de león', found nowhere else.
