The Atacama Desert in northern Chile, known as the driest place on Earth, is currently adorned with colorful white and purple flowers covering vast stretches of typically barren sandy terrain.
The Atacama Desert is often called the “flowering desert” because every few years, it bursts into a bloom of flowers. When the right amount of rainfall and temperature come together, dormant desert seeds are awakened.
Flowering usually occurs in springtime, but due to the rainfall brought by the El Niño phenomenon, the current blooming season is unusually early. It is currently winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The last early blooming in this desert was observed in 2015.
Over 200 plant species have been discovered in the region. The spectacle of desert blooming attracts tourists and botanists from Chile and far beyond.
Visitor Fernanda Ponce told Reuters, “It’s a great privilege to have the opportunity to set foot in this place and admire its beauty,” expressing immense gratitude for the experience.
The Atacama Desert is home to incredibly resilient seeds and bulbs that can withstand harsh weather conditions, blossoming with flowers every few years in the springtime.
According to a report by Reuters, Cesar Pizarro, the biodiversity protection officer of the Chilean government-managed National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), mentioned that more rainfall is expected in the coming weeks, which may lead to a larger expanse of blooming flowers. “Meanwhile, we must wait,” he said.
A study by the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in 2022 revealed that there have been approximately 15 instances of blooming in the past 40 years.
In 2022, the Chilean government announced the establishment of a new national park in the Atacama Desert to protect these rare flowers and wildlife, including insects, reptiles, and birds.