"Spring has arrived in Southern California and with it a crisis has blossomed in the small city of Lake Elsinore, where tens of thousands of visitors have flocked to see a “superbloom” of poppies in a desert canyon.

The rare profusion of orange poppies in Walker Canyon, set in the Temescal Mountains and accessible on foot via a trail, owes thanks to above-average rainfall in the arid region. The profusion of tourists in Lake Elsinore, located about 70 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, apparently owes thanks to the popularity of Instagram.

The hashtag #superbloom had been used over 100,000 times on Instagram as of Monday."

Gabriella Borter reports for Reuters March 18, 2019. [2]