Arizona's landscape is exploding with wildflowers thanks to the abundant rain and snow this winter.
Rocky Hilton's three-acre plot of land in Apache Junction is no exception.
On the corner of Meridian Drive and Brown Road, dozens of people pull over each day to take pictures and enjoy the sea of vibrant yellow and orange flowers on his property. Some of the spectators thought it was a painted mural at first glance.
These flowers, however, are not the poppies, fiddlenecks, or Patagonia lilies that are native to the region. Hilton's flowers are African daisies that he's been planting for six years now.
"Everybody seems to enjoy it," Hilton says. "They all say thanks. I'm glad to see it."
Hilton claims that this is the most vibrant his field has looked since 2019, thanks to the rain and cooler temperatures.
It's a similar scene throughout parks in the Sonoran Desert, according to Michelle Thompson with Arizona State Parks.
"Everything looks beautiful. We have really bright flowers. You can see it from the road as you're driving past," Thompson says.
Poppies are peaking at Picacho Peak State Park in Pinal County and blooming at Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction.
It's a "superbloom" across the state, including on Hilton's land, where he says the colors will last for about a month.
Although the African daisy is a beautiful flower, officials at Desert Botanical Garden say planting non-native annuals is not recommended since they can be invasive.
