Death Valley, California, has a reputation for being sweltering hot and lifeless. But right now, it’s a rare sight to see after a vibrant superbloom covered it in bright purple, pink, and yellow wildflowers. Photos and videos that show Death Valley National Park filled with color have gone viral over the past few days. The area always gets a dusting of wildflowers in February and March, but this year’s crop is stunning. And according to AccuWeather, there are still thousands of budding flowers waiting to bloom. View this post on Instagram Death Valley is, of course, a desert, which means it’s extremely dry. In fact, it is the driest place in North America, averaging less than 2 inches of rain a year. Temperatures also average close to 120 degrees in the summer months, and it is typically incapable of supporting life. But desert gold, wavyleaf desert paintbrush, grape soda lupine, and desert star wildflowers manage to rise from the dusty soil once a year. Last year’s bloom was particularly weak due to low rainfall and blazing temperatures. Death Valley National Park Hasn’t Seen a Superbloom Since 2016 The National Park Service says that a superbloom erupts about once a decade, thanks to “well-spaced rainfall throughout the fall, winter, and spring, sufficient warmth from the sun, and lack of drying winds.” The last superbloom happened in 2016. “The desert springs to life as wildflowers bloom in winter and spring each year,” NPS added. “Some years are relatively subdued, while others produce stunning displays, such as the 2005 and 2016 super blooms represented in many of these photos.” Death Valley’s wildflowers should continue to grow through March. Flowers in higher elevations may last even longer. The NPS urges park visitors not to pick them so everyone can enjoy the rare sight. This story’s featured image is by Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images.