One of the sure signs of spring in San Diego County is the blooming of millions of giant tecolote ranunculus on a hillside in Carlsbad. Row after row of pink, yellow, red, white, purple and orange flowers — that look like tall plump roses — cover 55 acres from March to May at what has become an iconic venue, The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch. Each spring, the venue draws more than 250,000 visitors, some from across the globe.
The Flower Fields are set to open March 1 and the first buds are starting to open on the northerly fields. Color is expected to spread over the fields as an estimated 80 million blooms burst into color this season from Cannon Road south to Palomar Airport Road.
“They’re coming out early this year because of the mild winter,” said Fred Clarke, general manager of the Flower Fields. “I’ve never seen it like this in my 19 years here. Every seed is sprouting. This place is going to be packed with flowers.” Peak blooming is expected to be from April through Mother’s Day, when the venue typically closes for the season.
But the floral spectacle will not be the only attraction. Standing among the blooms in the fields and several gardens will be glass and steel sculptures of life-like butterflies, dragonflies, birds, bees and beetles, up to 12 feet high. The glass art is new this year and is part of a traveling exhibit called, “Glass in Flight,” by artist Alex Heveri, which will be on display through mid-May. The exhibit features more than three dozen whimsical glass sculptures that will interplay with the sunlight and flowers. The exhibit inspired this year’s theme at the Flower fields, “Where Color Takes Flight.”
The fields used to be red. This is where Paul Ecke grew his famed poinsettias that were sold worldwide. The fields switched from poinsettias to ranunculus and strawberries after the poinsettias moved into greenhouses in the 1960s.
The story of The Flower Fields goes back to the 1920s when horticulturist Luther Gage brought ranunculus seeds to North County and grew them in his fields next to Frank Frazee’s vegetable farm in South Oceanside. Frazee started growing ranunculus in the early 1930s and taught his son Edwin seeding, watering and cultivating. Edwin Frazee bred a double petaled strain in many colors over a number of years.
In the mid-1960s, Edwin Frazee moved his ranunculus and gladiolus to the current location on land owned by the Ecke Family, where poinsettias had been growing. Paul Ecke Jr. teamed up with local grower Mellano and Company, who oversees the fields of ranunculus, which have become an example of agritourism.
Along with ranunculus and a number of family attractions, including a mining station and Santa’s Village, the venue features roses, orchids, poinsettias, a sweet-pea maze, blueberries and themed gardens. New this year is an enclosed Butterfly Encounter, where visitors can see hundreds of butterflies of various kinds and feed them sugar water. Folks can take narrated tours of the fields in wagons pulled by tractors and stop for treats like tacos, pizza, lemonade and ice cream dipped in sprinkles.
On weekdays, volunteers give thousands of schoolchildren tours and workshops on conservation, composting and pollination. On weekends, there are a slew of additional attractions, ranging from outdoor concerts, wine tasting, and Tea in the Garden to yoga and floral workshops.
The Flower Fields will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Mother’s Day at 5704 Paseo Del Norte.
A portion of the proceeds during opening week will go to L.A. fire recovery efforts, including groups that aid first responders, animal welfare and fire victims. Tickets must be purchased online in advance and are $27; $25 for seniors, $17 for children 3-10 and free for kids younger than 3. There are discounts the first week. Season es are $33-$57.
Visit theflowerfields.com to check the status of the blooms.
