A Rare Wildflower That Only Blooms in Death Valley Was Saved From Extinction

Turns out, there is life blooming in Death Valley.

Despite its bare and dry reputation, Death Valley in the Mojave Desert is actually the only place where you can see a particular wildflower that almost went completely extinct.

The Eureka Valley evening primrose, listed as endangered in 1978, has thankfully been saved from extinction thanks to the conservation efforts of Death Valley National Park, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.

The rare flower only grows in the remote dunes of the Eureka Valley, and designating the valley a “wilderness area” via the Organic Act and the Wilderness Act made it possible for it to grow without human interference. Prior to being included in Death Valley National Park, the Eureka dunes were a popular place for off-road vehicles, which unsurprisingly had a detrimental effect on the plant population.

The night-blooming flower has white petals that fade to pink as it matures, and it can grow up to two and a half feet tall.

Of course, people can still get a look at the beautiful flower when they visit. The park is putting up even more efforts to educate visitors about the plants in Death Valley and how to enjoy them without harming them, such as not camping too close to the plants and only parking or driving on designated areas and roads.

Along with the evening primrose, the same measures implemented by Death Valley National Park also downgraded the Eureka Valley dune grass from “endangered” to “threatened.”