The First Blossoms Are Popping at The Flower Fields

How is a ranunculus blossom like a sizable squirrel?

That's something of a head-scratcher, given that one is full of petals and the other is covered in fur.

One grows in the ground and the other frequents underground areas.

And one doesn't have teeth, er, while the other one does?

But here's a place where the showy flower and the adorable critter cross paths: We look to them for whimsical signs of springtime's approach.

Punxsutawney Phil already called an early 2020 spring, on Feb. 2, from his Pennsylvania home, while a classic California predictor just said hello to the sun: One of the first flowers of the 2020 season at The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch has bloomed.

These fields are known for boasting a riotous spread of spectacular color around April each year, thanks to the large pink, red, and yellow Giant Tecolote ranunculus blooms.

Of course, the much-anticipated peak bloom can arrive earlier or later in the season, depending on a number of factors, so watching the social pages of The Flower Fields to get a feel for what's happening on the flower forecast is key.

But here are a few true things: The agricultural attraction just shared a photo of one of the first fully opened flowers of the 2020 season on Facebook on Friday, Feb. 7.

Also true: The Flower Fields always open on March 1, each and every year, and the final day of the annual run? It's always Mother's Day Sunday.

And from the true files: A host of happenings, from music to meals, pop up in the stem-packed place through March, April, and early May, so checking out the schedule before you visit is as essential as water and sunshine is to a flower's growth.

As for the hue of this newly opened flower?

It looks to be a red-orange beauty, something akin to a sunset in color. Your next job? Imagining what thousands of those fabulous flowers look like, row by row by row by row by row...