When the 'El Niño' (El Nino) phenomena occurs, rainfalls are registered in the driest desert on earth. It happened in May this year, but unfortunately with terrible consecuences produced by landslides, avalanches, etc. Many died, some have not been found.

But nature is giving one of the most wonderful spectacles these days:

https://www.google.cl/search?q...

This beauty will not last very long, but still enough time for the plants to produce seeds and the bulbs complete their cycle. Then there will be northing but earth and stones, but the seeds and bulbs will amazingly survive in the desert for years, until it rains again. Then the miracle of life, as a flower carpet, will astonish us one more time. Survival is possible even in the driest desert on earth!

Oh Wow thank you that is beautiful.

awesome.

It's funny, cause just the other day I was doing google searches for desert bloom and it was equally spectacular. Your link reminded me of that instantly...

https://www.google.com/search?...

Nice link, Rob, and since your search is generic, there are some pictures of the Atacama desert as well (noticed the Nolanas).

Did you all notice the California Poppies (Eschschozia californica) in some of the Atacama desert pictures? They have naturalized all along Chile. There's the following story about them: when the Chilean government decided maaaaaany years ago to have a railroad build all along the country, there was a young USA engineer involved in the project/construction. He wrote to his mom about this beautiful country, but he also told her how much he missed home. By return mail he received a big bag of California Poppie seeds from his mother and he spread the seeds all along the project. That's how they were introduced to Chile and finally naturalized along the railways. Of course by now they can be found everywhere (they are so pretty nobody considers them invasive - well, maybe farmers). I have found the even in The Andes mountains.

Mutisia, that is very interesting about the California Poppies. They spread a lot of seed along our freeways several years ago, and they have naturalized a bit here too. I think they are beautiful.

My mother loved them and I love them.

The popular name here is 'Dedalito de Oro' (Little Golden Fingerhat).

In this case (and so many others in Chile), the 'little' (-ito) applies as a cozy name, not to the size.

Thanks Mutisiaito ; )