While Catalina Island’s mild winter storms have not provided enough water to end the island’s drought, they have been successful in nourishing some of the island’s more colorful residents. Wildflower season is in full swing on the island and a rainbow of blooms has erupted.
The red and yellow of introduced geraniums and broom are readily visible from Avalon, but discovering the full breadth of the Catalina Island wildflower season can only be done by exploring further afield in the island’s interior. Intrepid explorers will find shooting stars and blue dicks, California poppies and blue larkspur along with lupine and monkey flower and much more.
The Catalina Airport in the Sky is a great start for a wildflower hike, as is Little Harbor, on the island’s windward side. The Catalina Conservancy offers the Wildlands Shuttle for transportation to the interior – don’t forget your hiking permit. Several tour companies also offer interior tours and the Conservancy’s Jeep Eco-Tours are a popular way to explore the interior, learn more about the island’s ecology and support the conservation of the island at the same time. If getting to the interior is not an option on your next spring Catalina trip but you would still like to explore Catalina’s wildflowers, visit Avalon’s Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden.