Carlsbad Flower Fields bloom early in Southern California
More than 150,000 visitors come each year to see the display of nearly 80 million Tecolote ranunculus flowers.
JUDAH, THE CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY RAILROAD. WELL, SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, AND THAT MEANS FLOWERS WITH THEIR MAJESTIC COLORS WILL START APPEARING FROM COAST TO COAST. OLIVIA GONZALEZ SHOWS US ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS FLOWER DISPLAYS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. DRAWS MORE THAN 150,000 VISITORS EVERY YEAR. A SPRINGTIME TRADITION THAT’S BECOME ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE FLOWER DISPLAYS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. AND ONCE YOU SEE IT, YOU UNDERSTAND WHY. ROLLING HILLS PAINTED IN ROWS OF RED, PINK, ORANGE, AND YELLOW. A VIEW THAT STAFF SAYS NEVER GETS OLD. DO YOU EVER GET TIRED OF THE VIEW? NO. DEFINITELY NOT. YOU FEEL A LITTLE ESCAPE FOR ABOUT TEN WEEKS EACH SPRING, THE HILLSIDE ABOVE CARLSBAD RANCH TRANSFORMS INTO NEARLY 80 MILLION GIANT LODI VERNALIS FLOWERS. AND THIS YEAR THEY’VE BLOOMED A LITTLE EARLY, EVEN THOUGH NEW YEAR’S DAY BROUGHT RAIN. THE REST OF WINTER HAS STAYED RELATIVELY DRY HERE IN SAN DIEGO, SOMETHING THAT THE FLOWERS HAVE ACTUALLY LOVED. IT ALLOWED OUR FIELDS THAT YOU’LL SEE BEHIND ME TO GERMINATE QUICKLY, MEANING KIND OF COME TO LIFE, GET GREEN FASTER THAN NORMAL. FOR THOSE VISITING, THERE’S MORE TO DO THAN JUST TAKE PICTURES. THERE WILL BE LIVE MUSIC, YOGA SESSIONS, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A5K RACE. WE’RE GOING TO DO A5K FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. THAT’S KIND OF SAINT PATRICK’S DAY THEMED ON MARCH 15TH. AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER WORKSHOPS AND WELLNESS CLASSES THAT WE DO HERE THAT PEOPLE CAN ADD TO THEIR EXPERIENCE. THE BUTTERFLY ENCOUNTER IS ALSO BIGGER THIS YEAR. IT’S NOW A 1000 SQUARE FOOT GREENHOUSE FILLED WITH HUNDREDS OF BUTTERFLIES. VISITORS CAN WALK AND FEED THE EXOTIC SPECIES LIKE THE BLUE MORPHO AND THE EMPEROR BIRDWING. PEAK BLOOM IS EXPECTED BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE THIRD WEEK OF APRIL, AND UNTIL THEN, EVERY WEEK BRINGS A LITTLE MORE COLOR TO THE HILLSIDE. AND IF EARLY BLOOMS ARE ANY SIGN SPRING HAS FINALLY SPRUNG IN CARLSBAD. OLIV
Carlsbad Flower Fields bloom early in Southern California
More than 150,000 visitors come each year to see the display of nearly 80 million Tecolote ranunculus flowers.
Updated: 8:45 PM PST Mar 2, 2026
The Carlsbad Flower Fields in Southern California have bloomed early this year, offering visitors a colorful display and new activities, including a 5K race and expanded butterfly encounter.More than 150,000 visitors come each year to see the display of nearly 80 million Tecolote ranunculus flowers.Those who want to visit must buy a ticket in advance. See more in the video above. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
The Carlsbad Flower Fields in Southern California have bloomed early this year, offering visitors a colorful display and new activities, including a 5K race and expanded butterfly encounter.
More than 150,000 visitors come each year to see the display of nearly 80 million Tecolote ranunculus flowers.
Those who want to visit must buy a ticket in advance.
See more in the video above.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel