It’s a sure sign of spring in Dartmouth: The daffodils are in bloom.

The daffodil fields at the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust’s Parsons Reserve reached near peak bloom over the past week. A heavy rain last week, combined with sunlight this week, helped push the flowers to life.

“Right now, I’d say we’re just about at peak bloom,” said DNRT Land Manager Linda Vanderveer. “It’s always a challenge to determine when that will be each year, because of Mother Nature.”

The display has drawn visitors from near and far for decades. According to local lore, the daffodil field was first planted by a man named Raymond Pettey in the early 1940s. He sought to sell them during World War II to capitalize on a shortage of bulbs from Holland.

But when the war ended, the flowers remained, and have bloomed for many decades since then.

On a bright, dry afternoon on April 25, a steady stream of people from near and far paid a visit to see the flowers.

Kali Fortier, Takirin Hawkins, and Elias Hawkins (8 months) stopped by all the way from San Diego, California.

“We’re stationed in San Diego, but we’re visiting family in New Bedford,” Fortier said. “It’s so lovely here with the weather.”

Pets seemed to love the flowers too. Carrie Googins and her dog Tipper took in the sights, and gave Googins plenty of Facebook fodder.

“It’s just gorgeous and magnificent,” she said.

Interested in seeing the flowers for yourself? Vanderveer said the next week and a half will be the optimal time to plan a visit.

Weekends can be crowded. Early mornings, weekdays, and inclement weather tend to be slower and less crowded days, she noted.

Parsons Reserve is located on Horseneck Road south of Russells Mills Village. Parking is available at Russells Mills Landing and, if full, in an additional marked area south of the landing.

Admission is free for DNRT members and a $2 donation for non-members.

Visit dnrt.org/parsons/ for detailed information about the reserve, maps, and additional rules.