Giant Ranunculus in Bloom at Carlsbad Flower Fields
Posted on Apr 01, 2009 under Archives | No Comment
Giant Tecolote Ranunculus
Last weekend my good friend Sachi and I took a trip to Rancho Sante Fe for a story I am doing on San Diego getaways. We stopped off at the Flower Fields in Carlsbad and were amazed at all of the ranunculus in bloom. These are my favorite flowers (and Casablanca Lillies, for anyone interested) so I had to check out the 50-acres of flowers.
The flowers are planted in September and October and are in full bloom from March to mid- May, so you can only catch them for a short time.
Rows of ranunculus
Once you enter the grounds (go early as there is usually a long line), you are free to wander through the fields and view the flowers. Here are some pics of the flower rows:
Native to Asia Minor, the ranunculus is a member of the buttercup family of flowers. It is also known as the Persian Buttercup. Ranunculus are also grown in France, Israel, South Africa, Australia and the Mediterranean. The flower has no fragrance and also lacks nector, so they don’t attract insects. Here are some close-up pics:
Orange
Bunch of yellow
Purple, our fave, because we never see these in the flower marts
White
Pink
Orange and yellow
Yellow
Split yellow
The Flower Fields are open from 9 am to 6pm, beginning March 1 and running through May 10. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. It is well worth the drive (about an hour and a half from LA, and you can shop at the Carlsbad outlets if you go – located right next to the flower fields!) and entrance fee to view these beautiful flowers.