In search of wildflowers? This whimsical hotline will help you find the best

Spring wildflowers are already starting to bloom in the California desert, with a seasonal wildflower hotline receiving thousands of calls. Photograph: David Swanson/Reuters

For Californians, it is a rite of spring to seek the yearly wildflower blooms that erupt across arid shrublands, hillsides and desert landscapes in kaleidoscopic colour.

For the past 41 years, the Theodore Payne Wild Flower Hotline has helped guide their journeys. Wildflower seekers in southern California can dial (818) 768-1802, ext 7, for counsel on where to locate the best and most bountiful blooms in the region.