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Blooming ranunculus in the Carlsbad Flower Fields

The Carlsbad Flower Fields started as a ranunculus seed farm

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Photo: Pink Floyd Fan 101, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Every spring, about 50 acres of hillside above Interstate 5 in Carlsbad bloom in stripes of red, yellow, orange, pink and white. They are Tecolote giant ranunculus, and the fields have become one of North County’s best-known attractions.

The ranunculus came to Carlsbad through Luther Gage, a horticulturist who developed the flowers in the early 20th century. Edwin Frazee, a local farmer, grew them commercially, and his family expanded the operation over several decades, selling bulbs and seeds.

The Ecke family

The land is owned by the Carltas Company, controlled by the Ecke family, known for building the poinsettia business in Encinitas. In the 1990s, the fields were preserved as agricultural land as Carlsbad grew around them. Mellano & Company, a large grower, took over the flower operation.

The season

The fields are open to visitors from early March to early May, depending on the bloom. Admission fees and events help support the farm, and the fields draw tourists and families who also visit nearby attractions such as LEGOLAND California and the Carlsbad Premium Outlets.

Farming in a growing city

North County’s agricultural land has shrunk as housing and businesses expanded. The Flower Fields survive in part because of agreements to keep the land in agriculture and because tourism makes them worthwhile. They are a reminder of the region’s farming history.

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