naure.com
NatureSurprise 4/5Difficulty 2/5Reviewed on September 13, 2026

The Atacama Desert in Chile never has flowers.

Why it is true

The Desierto Florido is a phenomenon in which more than 200 species of annual plants and geophytes germinate after unusual rainfall in the Atacama. In 2026, winter rains awakened dormant seeds and the bloom could cover up to 17,000 square kilometres.

Source: Kew Gardens

Would you rather be asked first?

This is the reading side of the site, so the answer is in the sentence above — that is the whole point of it. Test yourself works the other way round: the question comes on its own, and the fact and the explanation only appear once you have answered.

Test yourself →10-question challenge

Related facts

More in Nature

See all →