2020 Wasn’t All Bad – El Paso Had An Amazing Poppy Crop

We all know that 2020 was absolutely no fun. COVID had us running for cover a couple of times and we were huddled in our houses for weeks at a time. One of the only bright spots in that crappy year was the amazing bumper crop of poppies in the foothills of the northeast side of the Franklins. The blanket of poppies that turned the foothills gold came in mid to late March and it really helped lift people's spirits. There was no official poppy festival like there usually is every year, but that didn't stop people from going out and getting photos of the spectacular spread. I went out and got some really nice photos and even a video of the poppies.

1. Video of poppies - Granted it's not the best video but you get the scope of the size of the bloom

2. There is so much to see in the foothills other than the poppies. This yucca was so pretty I had to take a photo.

3. In some parts of the foothills the poppies were so thick that it looked like the Yellow Brick Road from The Wizard of Oz.

4. More views of the foothills and the poppies going up the slopes.

5. The poppies almost look like butterflies because their stems are so thin.

6. It odd how the northeast part of town is often overlooked, but their view of the mountains is spectacular.

7. Throughout the foothills there would be little pools of poppies that clustered together.

8. These poppies wrapped around the base of other larger vegetation.

9. Poppies grow in clumps and once the flowers are gone, all that is left is the greenery.

10. As gorgeous as they are in the photos, the poppies were even more breathtaking in person.

11. The spread was so far and wide last year.

12. You can see how the individual clumps of poppy plants turn into a carpet of gold.

13. A closeup of the different shapes and colorations of the poppies.