A tiny flowering plant that is only found around a single vernal pool in a Southern California mountain range will be taken off the federal list of endangered species.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the Hidden Lake bluecurl has recovered and will be officially delisted on July 2.
The plant lives high in the San Jacinto Mountains around an ephemeral pool that comes and goes with the seasons.
It was placed on the list in 1998 because trampling by hikers and horses riders raised concerns that it might become extinct.
The Hidden Lake bluecurl is an annual plant, a member of the mint family, that grows about 4 inches (10 centimeters) tall and produces blue flowers. Protection has allowed the habitat and the flower to recover.
