A field of colorful wildflowers blankets the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, transforming the world's driest non-polar desert into a vibrant landscape during the rare flowering desert phenomenon, known locally as the Desierto Florido, or Desert Bloom.Tamara Merino for NPR hide caption COPIAPÓ, Chile — A vast swathe of Chile's Atacama Desert is now a patchwork of pinks, yellows, lilacs and purples stretching across the craggy desert floor as far as the eye can see.This winter, heavy rains brought by the El Niño super cycle caused flash floods in the Atacama Desert, with some areas receiving the heaviest rainfall since records began in the 1950s.
Floodwaters in July and August destroyed or damaged dozens of homes, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate.A field of wildflowers blooms across Chile's Atacama Desert during the rare flowering phenomenon known as Desierto Florido, or Desert Bloom, triggered by unusually heavy rainfall that awakens dormant seeds.
The brief blooms transform the world's driest nonpolar desert into a landscape of pink, purple, yellow and white.Huasco, Chile, Wednesday, Oct.
21, 2026.Tamara Merino for NPR hide caption But the floral bloom that followed has been the largest and most colorful in 30 years — and perhaps ever.The rainwater penetrated deeper into the parched ground than it has in decades, allowing millions of seeds, bulbs and tubers to sprout above the surface.
Many had lain dormant for decades under the sand.1 of 8 More than 200 species are in flower.
A month ago, the first plants to emerge created a pale-yellow haze.This was followed by a soft purple hue as other bulbs germinated.
Now, almost every indentation and crevice in the desert is s...