California bursts into super bloom of wild poppies: See Pics

A super bloom of wild poppies carpets the hills near Lake Elsinore in southern California. (Image: Reuters)

An explosion of oranges, yellows, purples and whites has covered California's hillsides, as a rare "super bloom" bursts into life in the wake of a very wet winter. (Image: Reuters)

Vast stretches of countryside that spend months of the year as a muted, dry brown have been transformed into a carpet of color that can be seen from space. (Image: Reuters)

America's most populous state spent months cowering from the onslaught of repeated storms that brought near-record rainfall. (Image: Reuters)

Californians more used to wearing shorts and shades retreated indoors, where many suddenly discovered roof leaks that had gone unnoticed during several dry years. But as the waterlogged winter gave way to spring, nature revealed its spectacular reward. (Image: Reuters)

People take pictures in a field of poppies near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California. (Image: Reuters)

An aerial view of a field of poppies and other wildflowers near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California. (Image: Reuters)

A child runs in a field of poppies near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California. (Image: Reuters)

Poppies super bloom in a field near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California. (Image: Reuters)

A field of poppies and other wildflowers are pictured near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California. (Image: Reuters)

An aerial view of people walking and taking pictures in a field of poppies and other wildflowers near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California. (Image: Reuters) (With inputs from Reuters and AFP)