GabyFor the first time in a decade, the Atacama Desert — the driest place on Earth — experienced a rare winter bloom. “This extremely arid soil hides a treasure,” said María Fernanda, an ecologist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. She explained that heavy autumn rains in April — fall in the Southern Hemisphere — brought about 11 millimeters of precipitation. The rains and morning fog awakened vegetation that can remain dormant for up to 15 years. The first two species to color the landscape this winter were the fuchsia-colored “pata de guanaco” (Cistanthe grandiflora) and the white “field sighs” (Nolana baccata).
The Rare Bloom Through Experts’ Eyes
César Pizarro, head of the biodiversity conservation and research department at the National Forest Corporation (Conaf) in Atacama, said the phenomenon covered about 400 square kilometers. By contrast, a full bloom — which typically happens in spring after winter rains — can spread over 15,000 square kilometers and awaken more than 200 plant species. Pizarro said desert flowers usually bloom in spring when at least 15 mm of rain falls from June to August. That pattern is linked to El Niño, which brings above-average rainfall to Chile. The last winter bloom in the arid Atacama occurred in 2015, when March rains awakened the vegetation; additional rains in July and August produced another floral display in spring. It remains unclear whether the same scenario will unfold this time.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says La Niña is expected to develop within a month. That could mean the Atacama won’t get enough moisture to sustain the vegetation. If more rain falls in the coming weeks, humidity could rise above normal and trigger desert blooms in September. But if La Niña arrives soon, the winter blooms we’re seeing now are likely to be the last this decade, and there may not be a lush bloom next spring, Francisco Skeo, president of the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), told Live Science.
The rare winter bloom in the Atacama is not without challenges. The primary issue, María Fernanda Pérez said, is that pollinators don’t arrive as quickly as plants respond to the rain. “If the seeds germinate and the plants bloom but the pollinators don’t show up, the cycle fails,” the ecologist explained. That is likely happening now, as low temperatures have kept bees, beetles, and other pollinators away.
What Are the Implications?
If this mismatch between blooming and pollination, driven by abnormal climate events, becomes regular, desert flora may struggle to reproduce. Pizarro warned that climate change could eventually leave a flowering desert dominated by bulbous plants, drastically reducing biodiversity and opening the door to invasive species.
