Palo Verde Trees in Full Bloom as Sunnylands Gardens Near Seasonal Closure

As the season winds down at Sunnylands Center and Gardens in Rancho Mirage, nature is offering one final flourish—brilliant yellow blooms from the Palo Verde trees, now at peak bloom through early May.

The vibrant display has become a seasonal highlight, drawing comparisons to the cherry blossom spectacle in Washington, D.C. “It’s our version,” says Mickalene Gallagher, Director of Education and Environmental Programs at Sunnylands. “People know the cherry blossoms, but we do it in a bright yellow with green bark in the desert—and that’s kind of exciting.”

Designed by acclaimed landscape architect James Burnett, the gardens were created with both beauty and visitor comfort in mind. “He was thinking of people walking through and enjoying shade as well as the plants in the space,” Gallagher explains.

The Palo Verde trees provide not only brilliant color but a rich sensory experience—cooler walking paths, buzzing bees, and fluttering hummingbirds. “You get this feeling of being shaded from the sun, so it’s cooler. You can hear tons of bees taking advantage of the pollen,” one visitor shared.

Sunnylands will close for the season on June 1, making now the perfect time to enjoy the gardens’ golden display before the summer break.

Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley.