February 12, 2026 • 5 mins
The popular "Super Bloom" in the desert around San Diego is teaching us about survival, decision-making, and genetic resilience. Veronica Carter and Bret Burkhart had a fascinating discussion with Dr. Todd Michael, a research professor at the Salk Institute.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We've been talking about the super bloom for a couple
of weeks because people are driving from far away to
check out the desert around San Diego. It's flowers galore.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Joining us now on the Cogo News Lifeline. Research Professor
doctor Toddmichael with the Salk Institute, Good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I was transfixed by this because, you know, you guys
send out some information and it says what desert wildflowers
can teach us, and I'm intrigued, what can they teach us?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Well, you know, the super bloom, which only happens pretty rarely,
is a demonstration of the coming to life of the
seed bank that's out in the desert.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
So when we talk about a super bloom.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
We're talking about a coordinated event of many, many different
plans germinating and flowering at the same time, which usually
it only happens about every ten years. We've had several,
just in the last couple of years, with the last
one being in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
And what really makes this special is that the.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Seed bank represents seeds that have been stored in the
desert sand and soil for sometimes over fifty years. WHOA, Yeah,
it's pretty amazing. These flowers come up, and some of
them we haven't seen in many, many years, and you
can sort of think of it as like multi generational meeting,
and like from a geneticist standpoint, this is like you
(01:19):
bring all the genetics from all these different generations of
plants and you bring them together in this event. Now,
of course we see it as this beautiful array of
flowers across the whole floor of the desert, but it
really is this transformative event of all these genetics, all
the past history of these plants coming together all at once, and.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
You get to see it as beautiful flowers.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
And there in lies part of the beauty of it.
I mean, aside from the aesthetics, it's just amazing, but
I want to know how these seeds and why they
are so dormant for so many years.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
So San Diego is a really interesting place. It's the
confluence of several different, really important features. You know. Basically
we have the coastal California floristic providence, the peninsular mountains,
and also this snoring desert all come together in San
Diego County and that gives us not only the opportunity
(02:15):
to have the superlum but it just gives us this
dynamic source of all different species.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
We're talking to research professor doctor Todd Michael with the
Salk Institute. You know, people watch these fake shows about
surviving all the time. This is something that happens every
single day out into place like the desert.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yes, it's pretty crazy. I mean, these plants they have
to really use their smart so to speak. You know,
obviously they're not smart, but they have all this locked
into their genetics, so they predetermine when they actually are
setting the seed, they predetermine the strategy for germination. So
in many ways, you know, looking at what seeds actually
(02:59):
germany or what flowers you actually see gives you a
hint to the kind of strategy that plant took many
years ago to survive in these very unhospitable conditions.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Tell us a little bit about what this says about
our climate conditions.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Well, you know, that.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Is really one of the other very unique things that
this seed bank can tell us. You know, if we
were able to trace the exact species that were germinating at.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Specific times, we might be able to.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Create a model that tells us this was the climate
condition they were in back when they made this that
haading strategy of not to germinate or to germinate, and
so it can give us a window into what the
past environment used to be and the kind of strategies
the seeds are taking to germinate and grow under these
current conditions. So they give us this really nice, you know,
(03:54):
historical view of climate and where the climate is today.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Here's the you know is Brett and I could ask
you science y questions all day because this is fascinating.
Here's a question a lot of people are going to
want to know, how long do we have to go
out and see the super blown out in our desert?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Well, okay, so I've got them bad news for you.
It's bad news, but it's also maybe good news. So
this year, right now, we're not.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Predicting there's going to be a super blue. And this
is a strange thing.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
To say, because we got so much rain right so
we have several factors that are actually.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Pointing that maybe we might get a super blue.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
A little bit later. But the one key thing that
we have a problem with right now is it was
really warm in January. That being said, every year plants
come up and bloom in the desert. So perennials come up.
There's annuals at Flower. You can see those right now.
But the ideal time, like say, if there were a
(04:51):
super bloom this year, then late February all through March
to late March usually our good times to head out
to Enzibrego or other local deserts to see the super bloom.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Well, I don't think anybody is going to take for
granted where we live, especially after this conversation. Professor, thank
you so much for joining us.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Thank you for having me Research
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Professor doctor Todd Michael with a Salk Institute
We've been talking about the super bloom for a couple
of weeks because people are driving from far away to
check out the desert around San Diego. It's flowers galore.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Joining us now on the Cogo News Lifeline. Research Professor
doctor Toddmichael with the Salk Institute, Good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I was transfixed by this because, you know, you guys
send out some information and it says what desert wildflowers
can teach us, and I'm intrigued, what can they teach us?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Well, you know, the super bloom, which only happens pretty rarely,
is a demonstration of the coming to life of the
seed bank that's out in the desert.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
So when we talk about a super bloom.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
We're talking about a coordinated event of many, many different
plans germinating and flowering at the same time, which usually
it only happens about every ten years. We've had several,
just in the last couple of years, with the last
one being in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
And what really makes this special is that the.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Seed bank represents seeds that have been stored in the
desert sand and soil for sometimes over fifty years. WHOA, Yeah,
it's pretty amazing. These flowers come up, and some of
them we haven't seen in many, many years, and you
can sort of think of it as like multi generational meeting,
and like from a geneticist standpoint, this is like you
(01:19):
bring all the genetics from all these different generations of
plants and you bring them together in this event. Now,
of course we see it as this beautiful array of
flowers across the whole floor of the desert, but it
really is this transformative event of all these genetics, all
the past history of these plants coming together all at once, and.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
You get to see it as beautiful flowers.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
And there in lies part of the beauty of it.
I mean, aside from the aesthetics, it's just amazing, but
I want to know how these seeds and why they
are so dormant for so many years.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
So San Diego is a really interesting place. It's the
confluence of several different, really important features. You know. Basically
we have the coastal California floristic providence, the peninsular mountains,
and also this snoring desert all come together in San
Diego County and that gives us not only the opportunity
(02:15):
to have the superlum but it just gives us this
dynamic source of all different species.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
We're talking to research professor doctor Todd Michael with the
Salk Institute. You know, people watch these fake shows about
surviving all the time. This is something that happens every
single day out into place like the desert.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yes, it's pretty crazy. I mean, these plants they have
to really use their smart so to speak. You know,
obviously they're not smart, but they have all this locked
into their genetics, so they predetermine when they actually are
setting the seed, they predetermine the strategy for germination. So
in many ways, you know, looking at what seeds actually
(02:59):
germany or what flowers you actually see gives you a
hint to the kind of strategy that plant took many
years ago to survive in these very unhospitable conditions.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Tell us a little bit about what this says about
our climate conditions.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Well, you know, that.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Is really one of the other very unique things that
this seed bank can tell us. You know, if we
were able to trace the exact species that were germinating at.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Specific times, we might be able to.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Create a model that tells us this was the climate
condition they were in back when they made this that
haading strategy of not to germinate or to germinate, and
so it can give us a window into what the
past environment used to be and the kind of strategies
the seeds are taking to germinate and grow under these
current conditions. So they give us this really nice, you know,
(03:54):
historical view of climate and where the climate is today.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Here's the you know is Brett and I could ask
you science y questions all day because this is fascinating.
Here's a question a lot of people are going to
want to know, how long do we have to go
out and see the super blown out in our desert?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Well, okay, so I've got them bad news for you.
It's bad news, but it's also maybe good news. So
this year, right now, we're not.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Predicting there's going to be a super blue. And this
is a strange thing.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
To say, because we got so much rain right so
we have several factors that are actually.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Pointing that maybe we might get a super blue.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
A little bit later. But the one key thing that
we have a problem with right now is it was
really warm in January. That being said, every year plants
come up and bloom in the desert. So perennials come up.
There's annuals at Flower. You can see those right now.
But the ideal time, like say, if there were a
(04:51):
super bloom this year, then late February all through March
to late March usually our good times to head out
to Enzibrego or other local deserts to see the super bloom.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Well, I don't think anybody is going to take for
granted where we live, especially after this conversation. Professor, thank
you so much for joining us.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Thank you for having me Research
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Professor doctor Todd Michael with a Salk Institute
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