Gary Regner Photography

2015 TEXAS WILDFLOWER AND BLUEBONNET SIGHTINGS REPORT


RATING SYSTEM

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>May 13, 2015 - Gallery Update

So far this has been a great year for wildflowers. It has been a challenge, however, to get some photography done due to less than optimal weather. Overcast days, wind and then cloudless skies make getting a good image difficult. Wildflowers have continued to improve with all the rain, and I expect the show to continue for about a month. Check out the images so far from this year in the New Work Gallery.

>May 10, 2015 - Central Texas Update

Central Texas is awash with color due to a spectacular wildflower bloom brought on by abundant spring rains. Firewheels, yellow primrose, bitterweed, wooly-white, coreopsis and many other wildflowers and cacti are currently blooming, and in many areas they are forming massive displays.

  • > Inks Lake State Park - The park is alive with color. Many wildflowers are currently blooming including: bitterweed, firewheels, prickly pear cacti, lace cacti, wild onions, bull nettle, stonecrop and many others. Rating: 3-4
  • > Llano county - All along the major highways (Hwy 29, Hwy 16 and Hwy 71), you will see massive displays of firewheels and bitterweed. Coreopsis and horsemint are starting to make a show as well, and prickly pear cacti are blooming too. Rating: 4-5
  • > North Austin - Many vacant lots are covered in firewheels. Other flowers blooming include yellow primrose, silver-leaf nightshade, greenthread and many others. Rating: 3-5

<< Click the icons for images from this report Texas wildflowers - Firewheels , Travis county Texas wildflowers - Prickly Pear Cacti, Llano county

>May 3, 2015 - Wildflower Explosion!

The Hill Country around Llano is flooded with color from a profusion of firewheels and bitterweed. These wildflowers are blooming in huge numbers, the best I've ever seen. Some exceptional areas include:

  • > TX 29 west of Llano - Abundant firewheels and bitterweed with lesser numbers of lazy daisies and Engelman daisies that line the road and in many areas spill over into fields, many of which are very heavily covered in wildflowers and are solid red or yellow. Rating: 5
  • > TX 71 northwest of Llano - Abundant firewheels and bitterweed, and in lesser numbers greenthread, lazy daisies, milfoil, nightshade and Engelmann daisies. Flowers line the road and many fields are heavily covered in firewheels and bitterweed. Rating: 5

<< Click the icons for images from this report Firewheels are blooming in huge numbers right now near Llano. 5/3/15. Texas wildflowers. Firewheels, bitterweed and lazy daisies blanket a field near Llano. 5/3/15. Texas wildflowers. Fields covered in bitterweed are common right now near Llano. 5/3/15. Texas wildflowers.

>May 1, 2015 - Firewheels!

Firewheels are blooming in profusion all over central Texas. In many areas they are at peak, however, in some spots along the roads where they began to bloom early, they are already in decline. Coreopsis and horsemint plants were spotted, but have yet to bloom. Other wildflowers currently blooming include lazy daisies, Engelman daisies, bitterweed and greenthread. Prickly pear cacti should also be blooming very soon. Some especially good areas include:

  • > TX 29 between Buchanan Dam and Llano - Abundant firewheels, with some greenthread, bitterweed and Engelmann daisies that line the road and spill over into fields, many of which are heavily covered in wildflowers. Rating: 3-5
  • > TX 16 north of Llano - Firewheels, greenthread, and Engelmann daisies line the road and commonly spill over into fields, many of which are heavily covered in firewheels and lazy daisies. Rating: 4-5
  • > IH 35 north of Georgetown in Williamson county - Large fields can be seen from the highway that are completely red from firewheels. Rating: 4-5

<< Click the icons for images from this report Large displays of firewheels are common this year in the Hill Country. Texas wildflowers. Texas wildflowers - Firewheels and milfoil, Llano county Texas wildflowers - Firewheels and barn, Llano county

>April 22, 2015 - Hill Country Update

Spring has entered its second phase in the Hill Country with wildflowers transitioning from blues to reds, golds and yellows. Unlike the average season we had for bluebonnets, it appears this will be an exceptional year for late spring wildflowers. Firewheels, bitterweed and Engelman daisies are in full bloom lining the sides of roads and spilling into fields and pastures. Some of the best displays are in northern Llano county.

  • > TX 29 between Buchanan Dam and Llano - Abundant firewheels, greenthread, bitterweed and Engelmann daisies line the road and spill over into fields, many of which are heavily covered in wildflowers. Rating: 4-5
  • > TX 71 northwest of Llano - Firewheels, greenthread, bitterweed and Engelmann daisies line the road and spill over into fields, many of which are heavily covered in wildflowers. The most I've ever seen along this route. Rating: 4-5
  • > FM 1431 between Marble Falls and Granite Shoals - Bitterweed in this area is forming massive displays, some fields are covered solid and many are multi-acre. Rating: 4-5
  • > FM 2342 / Park Road 4 between FM 1431 and TX 29 (Inks Lake State Park) - Lots of wildflowers in bloom: firewheels, greenthread, wild onions, and bull nettle as well as some lingering bluebonnets and paintbrush. Rating: 2-4

<< Click the icons for images from this report Bitterweed forming massive displays in Burnet county. Texas wildflowers. Firewheels blooming in the Texas Hill Country, Llano county. Texas wildflowers.

>April 17, 2015 - South Texas Update

My full-time job sent me to Corpus Christi, so I as able to check out conditions in south Texas along the way and back. Although bluebonnets are largely gone, there are plenty of other wildflowers now in bloom. The second half of spring usually brings a wide variety of colors to the landscape and this year is no disappointment. I viewed dozens of species in bloom, several of which I'm still trying to identify. I wasn't able to get many pictures on Friday due to heavy thunderstorms along my route. I was actually forced to pull over three times the rain was so heavy. The roadsides were either flooded or had deep mud, so I couldn't stop for fear of getting stuck. This is also the heart of the Eagle Ford oil boom. Oil industry traffic is very heavy, mainly large, impatient speeding trucks, so extreme caution is warranted in this area. Roads are also in poor condition from overuse, so they are rough and riddled with potholes.

  • > TX 46 between New Braunfels and Seguin - Mostly farmland, but also several large, heavily covered fields of evening primrose. Rating: 3-4
  • > Alt 90 between Seguin and Belmont - Lots of different wildflowers in bloom, mainly roadsides, but also some fields with moderate coverage: paintbrush, Engelmann daisies, prickly poppies, bull nettle, bluebonnets and herbertia. Rating: 2-4
  • > IH 37 between Corpus Christi and Three Rivers - Tons of wildflowers mostly along the highway: Engelmann daisies, Texas thistle, firewheels, winecups, paintbrush, beebalm, prickly pear cacti, coreopsis, greenthread, fleabane, flax, prickly poppies, sunflowers, skeleton weed, verbena and clasping-leaf coneflowers. Rating: 3-4
  • > TX 72 between Three Rivers and Tilden - tons of Texas thistle and sunflowers, many large heavily covered fields. Rating: 3-5
  • > TX 97 between TX 72 and FM 1582 - This area is heavily covered with Texas thistle and gumweed. In areas coverage extends as far as you can see. Rating: 4-5
  • > FM 1582 between TX 72 and TX 85 - Acres and acres are carpeted with dyssodia, gumweed and small white flowers (possibly fleabane or lazy daisies), also abundant Texas thistle and Engelmann daisies. Rating: 3-5
  • > FM 1582 between TX 85 and Pearsall - Acres and acres are carpeted with wildflowers including: gumweed, dyssodia, fleabane, firewheels, Texas thistle, winecups and many more. Unfortunately there is no paved shoulder and the sides of the road are deep mud right now, so there is no place to pull over. Rating: 4-5
  • > IH 35 between Pearsall and Devine, and Devine area - Many wildflowers in bloom along the road and fields including: Engelmann daisies, firewheels, Texas thistle, basketflower, greenthread, pincushion daisies, fleabane, lazy daisies, sunflowers, prickly poppies, phlox and beebalm. Paintbrush and bluebonnets are hanging on in some areas, but well past peak. Rating: 3-5

<< Click the icons for images from this report Gumweed and Texas thistle forming massive colonies in McMullen county. Texas wildflowers. Paintbrush hanging on from earlier in spring are now joined by lazy daisies, Frio county. Texas wildflowers. Phlox is still blooming in Frio county near Devine. Texas wildflowers. Texas wildflowers and thunderstorm clouds, Medina county

>April 13, 2015 - Lake Travis Update

I visited Muleshoe Bend this evening and am happy to report bluebonnets are at peak and are nearly as good as last year. I was, however, surprised by the number of individuals in the park on a weeknight, the park is usually deserted during the week. A popular website/Facebook page (not mine!) has been aggressively promoting this location and it shows. I would estimate 20-30% of the bluebonnets have been trampled to death already. Please, use existing paths and flattened areas for your pictures. Once the bluebonnet plants are flattened, they die and do not reseed. Without reseeding they will not return in the future. Also, despite what you may have read on other Facebook pages, the park has a day use fee (on the honor system) that is required even if you are just going for a short time to take some pictures and view the bluebonnets. I did not spot any snakes this evening, but you should always be on the lookout. There are chiggers this year, so jeans are recommended.

<< Caution, some people may find this image disturbing Example of damage at Muleshoe Bend, Please be considerate of others and don't trample the bluebonnets

>April 12, 2015 - East of Austin Update

Hadn't heard much about the area east of Austin so took the opportunity to explore this afternoon. Explored the area east of Austin including Elgin, Bastrop, Smithville, La Grange and Fayetteville. Indian paintbrush rule this year in those areas, far outnumbering other wildflowers including bluebonnets. Like the Hill County, most wildflowers are along the roads, however, I did find several areas that had large fields densely covered with bluebonnets. Routes I traveled:

  • > Hwy 290 between Manor and Elgin - bluebonnets, paintbrush and evening primrose mainly along the road, but there are several large fields of bluebonnets as well. Rating: 2-3
  • > TX 90 between Elgin and Bastrop - paintbrush and evening primrose in scattered patches along the road. Rating: 0-1
  • > TX 71 between Bastrop and Smithville - tons of paintbrush and lesser numbers of evening primrose mainly along the road, but there was also one large field of paintbrush just west of Smithville. More paintbrush than I've ever seen along this route. Rating: 2-4
  • > TX 90 between Smithville and Cistern - lots of paintbrush, also evening primrose, Engelmann's daisies and yellow thistle along the road. Rating: 2-4
  • > FM 2237 between Cistern and Jct FM 609 - large variety of wildflowers along the road, mainly paintbrush. Also spotted Engelmann's daisies, evening primrose, yellow thistle, winecups, milkweed, sandwort, wild indigo and many others. Rarely spilling into fields. Rating: 3-4
  • > FM 609 south of La Grange - scattered roadside mixed wildflowers, but also several large, dense fields of bluebonnets and bluebonnets mixed with paintbrush. Rating: 2-4
  • > TX 159 north of La Grange - mainly roadside wildflowers, but also several large fields of bluebonnets just north of La Grange. Rating: 2-4

<< Click the icons for images from this report Texas Wildflowers Landscape - Bluebonnets on TX 159 (4/12/2015) Texas Wildflowers - Milkweed off FM 2237 (4/12/2015) Texas Wildflowers Landscape -  Bluebonnets and Paintbrush on FM 609 (4/12/2015) Texas bluebonnets, wildflowers on the shores of Lake Travis and thunderstorm clouds, Travis county

>April 9, 2015 - Northern Hill Country Update

I drove over 300 miles on Thursday exploring Burnet, Llano, Mason and San Saba counties. I had high hopes for the Hill Country after 2 years of disappointing wildflower displays. We had ample fall and winter rains, but the rain faucet shut off in March and it became dry and unseasonably warm. The Hill Country has had many days in the upper 80's and low 90's and this has really stunted wildflower growth, especially bluebonnets. There are nice roadside displays, but fields of wildflowers (especially bluebonnets) are uncommon, and when they do spill over from the roadsides into fields and pastures, they are spotty and thin. If you are looking for grand displays of thick carpets of bluebonnets, they are not to be found this year. The exception is Muleshoe Bend and Turkey Bend parks on Lake Travis. They were spectacular last year with bluebonnets, and are nearly as good this year. Peak for roadside blooms from what I saw is now. With some good soaking rains it may last bit longer. Lake Travis peak should be soon. There were some nice displays in fields of other wildflowers, especially yellow groundsel and prickly poppies. Routes I traveled:

  • > IH 35 from Round Rock to Georgetown - some bluebonnets and greenthread along road. Rating: 2
  • > TX 29 W from Georgetown to Burnet - some scattered wildflowers, also a few patches of verbena in fields, but there are construction delays. There are some bluebonnets in fields around Liberty Hill, but not accessible. Rating: 0-1
  • > US 281 S from Burnet to Marble Falls - bluebonnets along the road and some fields just north of Marble Falls, few around the iconic stone house. At peak now. Rating: 2-3
  • > FM 1431 W to TX 29 - wildflowers along road, any fields with coverage are uncommon and spotty. Best from Kingsland north. Rating: 1-3
  • > Wirtz Dam Rd - light coverage along road extending in to fields occassionally, bluebonnets and bladderpod. Rating: 1-2
  • > TX 29 W from Jct FM 1431 to Llano - nice mixed wildflowers along road at peak now, Rating 2-3. Sometimes extending a bit into fields, but with only light, spotty coverage.
  • > Old Spanish Trail - very dissappointing, usually covered with paintbrush, only spotty light coverage. Rating: 0-2
  • > TX 71 W to Pontotoc - nice coverage along road, Rating: 3-4 to Valley Spring, Rating: 2-3 beyond that. Some fields of groundsel and prickly poppies, but bluebonnets are light and spotty when they extend into fields.
  • > FM 501 between Cherokee and Pontotoc - light mixed coverage along road; there are some prairie paintbrush mixed with the bluebonnets. Rating: 0-2
  • > FM 386 S from Fredonia to FM 2618 - light to moderate roadside coverage, not much in fields. Rating: 1-2
  • > FM 2618 E to FM 1900 - light to moderate roadside coverage, not much in fields. Rating: 1-2
  • > FM 1900 S to TX 29 - light to moderate roadside coverage, some fields with groundsel. Rating: 1-3
  • > TX 29 W from Jct FM 1900 to Art - good roadside coverage with bluebonnets and paintbrush, groundsel in fields. Rating: 2-3
  • > Art Hedwigs Hill Rd from Art to US 87 - good coverage along road and sometimes in fields with moderate coverage, mostly the north and south ends, little in between. Best area I saw all day. Lots of prickly poppies on south end. Rating: 1-4
  • > FM 152 from US 87 N to the Llano River - Roadsides vary with light to moderate coverage, spotty. Some phlox as well. Rating: 2-3
  • > US 87 between Art Hedwigs Hill Rd and Simonsville Rd - some large fields of groundsel and prickly poppies, also roadside bluebonnets. Some scattered prairie paintbrush and pincushion daisies. Rating: 2-4

<< Click the icons for images from this report Texas Wildflowers Landscape - Art Hedwigs Hill Rd, North end (4/9/2015) Texas Wildflowers - Art Hedwigs Hill Rd, South end(4/9/2015) Texas Wildflowers Landscape -  Off US 87 south of Mason (4/9/2015)


>April 3, 2015 - South Texas Starting to Fade

Spent the afternoon east of San Antonio exploring the area around Luling, Seguin, Floresville and then west towards Somerset, but didn't quite make it. Wildflowers are doing better around Luling and Seguin, but are average at best and not as good as last year. Wildflowers around Floresville are fading, as well as west towards Somerset. Groundsel in these areas is completely gone, and bluebonnets are going to seed, but there are still good displays of prickly poppies and paintbrush. Some significant rain would be helpful, but the outlook is not too promising.

  • > US 183 from US 290 to Hwy 71: Nice color on the roadsides and median, lots of paintbrush and less bluebonnets. Viewing only, too busy to stop. Rating: 2-3
  • > US 183 from Jct TX 45 to Lockhart: Lot of bluebonnets along the road, but lots of invasive mustard as well. US 183 (not Toll 130) is not too busy. Rating: 2-4
  • > US 183 in the Luling area: Lots of paintbrush and to a lesser extent bluebonnets. Signature crimson phlox that is usually found here is rare this year. Rating: 2-3
  • > TX 80 from Luling to Alt 90: Not a lot to see. Rating: 0-1
  • > Alt 90 from TX 80 to Seguin: Improved, but still not nearly as nice as last year. Bluebonnets, groundsel, some phlox, paintbrush, prickly poppies, baby blue eyes, and bluebonnets. Rating: 2-4
  • > Hwy 123 from Seguin to Stockdale: Some nice mixed displays along the road, and some decent fields; however, this is a very busy road. Rating: 2-3
  • > US 87 between Stockdale and La Vernia: some very nice medium to heavily covered mixed fields. Bluebonnets, paintbrush, groundsel, prickly poppies. Rating 2-4
  • > FM 539 and TX 97 east of Floresville: Still some decent displays, but fading now. Paintbrush are still looking good, but bluebonnets going to seed, and groundsel pretty much gone. Rating 2-3
  • > FM 536 between Floresville and US 281: Some scattered displays, but really fading since a week or two ago. Groundsel gone, some nice bluebonnets and paintbrush remain. Rating 1-3
  • > US 281 north to Loop 1604: Some scattered displays, nothing great. Rating 0-2
  • > Loop 1604 west to Hwy 16: Some scattered displays, with some nice fields of prickly poppies and paintbrush here and there. Rating 2-4

<< Click the icons for images from this report Texas Wildflowers Landscape along Loop 1604 south of San Antonio (4/3/2015) Texas Wildflowers - Groundsel off Alt 90 near Seguin (4/3/2015) Texas Wildflowers Landscape - Bluebonnets, phlox and groundsel, FM 536 near Floresville (4/3/2015)

>March 30, 2015 - East of San Antonio

Spent the afternoon east of San Antonio exploring the area around Seguin, Stockdale, Nixon, Gillett, Falls City and Floresville. Just east and south of Floresville was the best I found.

  • > TX 123 from San Marcos to Seguin: mostly farmland, very few wildflowers. Rating: 0
  • > TX 123 from Seguin to FM 1681: some nice roadside displays occassionally extending into fields. Bluebonnets, paintbrush, magenta phlox. Rating: 2
  • > FM 1681 from TX 123 to Nixon: some nice roadside coverage of bluebonnets, paintbrush and phlox. Some fields with light to moderate coverage of bluebonnets and groundsel. Not nearly as good as last year and far fewer paintbrush. Grass is knee to waist high in some areas. Looks like grass is out competing annual wildflowers. Rating: 3
  • > TX 80 from Nixon to Gillett: some stretches of paintbrush along road, not much else. More potholes on this route than wildflowers. Rating: 1
  • > FM 887 from Gillett to Falls City: some nice mixed fields close to Gillett, lots of Huisache trees in bloom. Lots of new oil pump jacks. Rating: 3 close to Gillett, 1 elsewhere
  • > US 181 from Falls City to Floresville: some very nice mixed fields just south of Floresville. Rating: 3-4
  • > TX 97 east of Floresville: some very nice heavily covered mixed fields, better than last week. Rating 3-4

<< Click the icons for images from this report Texas Wildflowers along US 181 near Floresville (3/30/2015) Huisache off FM 887 near Gillett (3/30/2015) Texas Wildflowers, side road off TX 97 near Floresville (3/30/2015)

>March 27, 2015 - San Antonio Area

Spent some time in the San Antonio area Thursday and Friday. Wasn't able to take many pictures, however, here are some observations.

  • > Loop 1604 from IH 35 to IH 10: nice stretches of bluebonnets along the road, not yet at peak
  • > FM 1376 from Boerne to Sisterdale: few wildflowers, some scattered patches of verbena
  • > FM 473 east from Sisterdale to US 281: very few wildflowers, some scattered patched of bluebonnets
  • > US 281 from Spring Branch to Bulverde: some bluebonnets along road, nothing great
  • > US 181 from San Antonio to Floresville: some nice fields with bluebonnets, phlox, groundsel and prickly poppies - Rating 3-4
  • > US 87 south of La Vernia: some nice mixed fields - Rating 3-4
  • > TX 97 east of Floresville: some nice mixed fields - Rating 2-3
  • > FM 775 from La Vernia to Seguin - some nice large fields of paintbrush: Rating 2-4
  • > US 90 Alt between Seguin and TX 80: improved since 3/19, but nothing like last year yet
  • > Luling area (TX 80, US 183) - not much, and those wildflowers in bloom are competing with tall grass

<< Click the icons for images from this report Wildflowers along US 87 near La Vernia (3/27/2015) Wildflowers, side road off TX 97 near Floresville (3/27/2015)

>March 22, 2015 - Poteet/Somerset

Spent another day exploring south and east of San Antonio. Best area by far was west of Poteet. FM 476, FM 1333, and FM 2504. Best route was FM 476 between Jct FM 2504 and Somerset. This area has literally miles and miles of fields of sandyland bluebonnets in full bloom that appear at peak now. Also mixed in was magenta phlox, groundsel, paintbrush and prickly poppies. The area around Floresville looked worse than earlier in the week, not sure if it was due to recent heavy rains or if the flowers are already on the decline. Passed through Seguin and travelled FM 467 south to FM 539 to Floresville, some wildflowers here and there and some fields but nothing great. Then travelled FM 536 west to US 281 south, then FM 1470 west to Poteet. Things get really nice around Poteet and to the west.

  • > FM 476 west to FM 1333: some nice fields of Sandyland bluebonnets, mixed flowers - Rating 3-4
  • > FM 1333 south to TX 173: again some nice fields of bluebonnets, and mixed flowers including magenta phlox, groundsel - Rating 3-4
  • > TX 173 from FM 1333 to FM 2504: not much to see - Rating 1-2
  • > FM 2504 north to FM 476: some areas with wildflowers in fields, better to the north - Rating 2-3
  • > FM 476 north to Somerset: Best area I've seen so far this spring. Miles of fields of Sandyland bluebonnets; also paintbrush, phlox, groundsel and prickly poppies but not as abundant as the bluebonnets. Almost as good as 2010. - Rating 4-5
  • > IH 35 between Lytle and Moore: some good coverage in fields of bluebonnets and mixed flowers, not as good as 2010. Hard to tell if it will get better. Groundsel was already going to seed. - Rating 3-4

<< Click the icons for images from this report Texas Wildflowers along FM 476 near Poteet (3/22/2015) Texas Wildflowers near Poteet along FM 2504 (3/22/2015) Texas Wildflowers near Devine along IH 35 (3/22/2015)

>March 20, 2015 - First Day of Spring

Today is the vernal equinox, the first day of spring on which daylight and night are of equal length. In Texas spring brings pleasant temperatures and world famous displays of wildflowers. This year should be exceptional with ample rainfall for much of the state since fall. Already wildflowers are blooming in abundance, with displays of Big Bend bluebonnets in far west Texas, to multicolored annuals in south central Texas. Trees too are putting on a show with redbuds and purple mountain laurels in full bloom. Stay tuned for continued wildflower sighting reports throughout the spring.

>March 19, 2015 - South Central Texas Scouting Trip

I drove 352 miles on Wednesday scouting locations in south central Texas east and south of San Antonio. Long story short, this looks to be an excellent wildflower season. Best areas right now are in the Floresville area and the Devine, Natalia, Lytle area.

  • > Hwy 183/Tx 130 from Austin south to Lockhart - lots of bluebonnets in early bloom along the highway, but way more invasive mustard, choking out the bluebonnets completely in some areas
  • > Hwy 183 from Lockhart to Luling - flowers in very early bloom, not worth seeing yet
  • > Tx 80 from Luling to Alt 90 W to Seguin - flowers early in bloom, hard to tell how good this area will be, not worth seeing yet
  • > FM 467 from Seguin to New Berlin - some lots already are covered with phlox and paintbrush, but still early
  • > New Berlin - the Lutheran Church on Church Rd and the big field at Church Rd and Single Oak Rd have very few wildflowers at this time, likely just too early
  • > FM 467 east to FM 539 south to US 87 - some large fields of paintbrush, and fields of mixed groundsel, paintbrush, phlox and Sandyland bluebonnets
  • > US 87 south to Tx 97 west to Floresville- some very nice fields already of mixed wildflowers (phlox, bluebonnets, groundsel), should be spectacular in another week or two
  • > Tx 97 from La Vernia to Pleasanton - not much to see at this time
  • > Tx 173 north from Pleasanton to Devine - some very promising fields along this route, but early, including groundsel, phlox, bluebonnets, paintbrush, prickly poppies
  • > IH 35 from Devine to Lytle - it was getting dark, but I spotted many fields already covered with wildflowers, including groundsel, phlox, bluebonnets, paintbrush, prickly poppies, bladderpod, and primrose. This area should really be worth seeing in a week or two. The downside was the amount of development in the last several years has destroyed many good wildflower fields.

<< Click the icons for images from this report Church Rd - New Berlin (3/18/2015) Wildflowers near Floresville along Tx 97 (3/18/2015) Wildflowers near Devine (3/18/2015) Wildflowers near Moore (3/18/2015)

>March 18, 2015 - Wildflower Center Spring Forecast

The LBJ Wildflower Center has released their spring wildflower forecast for Texas. The outlook is great with the persistent rain since autumn. Cooler weather has delayed the bloom in some areas, but in others, wildflowers are already putting on a good show, including the Big Bend area. See the full Wildflower Center forecast here. I will be scouting the area east and south of San Antonio and will be providing a full report with pictures tomorrow.

>March 14, 2015 - Annuals Beginning to Bloom

A few warm sunny days were all that was needed to prompt annual wildflowers to begin blooming. Greenthread and bluebonnets have begun to bloom in the Austin area spotted along IH 35. Nothing spectacular yet, but it will only get better. There is also a report of wildflowers beginning to bloom south of San Antonio including phlox, sandwort and groundsel.

>March 4, 2015 - Cold Returns

Colder than normal temperatures have returned to central Texas after an unseasonably warm spell. Another winter storm is forecast for tonight. Below average temperatures are forecast until March 10 when near average temperatures and sunshine will return. Only native trees are in bloom at the moment including redbuds and mountain laurels. No native annual wildflowers have been sighted in bloom, only invasive mustard which has been blooming for several weeks. Unfortunately, this invasive seems to thrive in all conditions.

>March 7, 2015 - First Wildflower Report of the Season

Big Bend Ranch State Park has posted a picture of Big Bend Bluebonnets in bloom along FM 170. The sky in the picture looks suspiciously Photoshoped, but the bluebonnets look great. This is a large area thick with blooms, the hillside is blue. Rock nettle is also in bloom. Visit their Facebook Page for more information.

>March 4, 2015 - Cold Returns

Colder than normal temperatures have returned to central Texas after an unseasonably warm spell. Another winter storm is forecast for tonight. Below average temperatures are forecast until March 10 when near average temperatures and sunshine will return. Only native trees are in bloom at the moment including redbuds and mountain laurels. No native annual wildflowers have been sighted in bloom, only invasive mustard which has been blooming for several weeks. Unfortunately, this invasive seems to thrive in all conditions.

>February 22, 2015 - Early Signs of Spring

We've had a roller coaster ride of temperatures over the last several weeks that included many days of above normal spring-like weather. That has come to an abrupt end with colder than normal temperatures forecast for the next 7-10 days at least. The warmer weather did, however, cause some trees to start blooming and put on new leaves. The only native tree spotted in the Austin area that has begun to bloom is the redbud. Invasive weeds are blooming already including invasive mustard and pin clover. The landscape is becoming much greener as well with grasses waking from their winter slumber. Native annuals should be starting to bloom soon, but it is unclear how the recent temperature extremes will impact the bloom. I will begin scouting trips the first weekend of March.

>February 18, 2015 - Spring Right Around the Corner

Trees are starting to bud in central Texas to the dismay of allergy sufferers, but that means spring wildflowers are only weeks away. Good fall and winter rainfall should mean an average to above average season. Long term forecast is for colder than normal temperatures next week, however, by the first couple weeks of March, we should start to see wildflowers blooming. The spring bloom starts south and heads north through April. Regular reports will start in March.

>January 14, 2015 - Spring 2015 Outlook

A weak El Nino has resulted in fall rainfall for much of Texas that was average to above average, and rainfall has continued into the winter along with cooler than normal temperatures. These conditions are optimal for spring wildflowers. It is looking very promising for an above average wildflower season this spring.

>Looking Back

Here are some images from previous wildflower seasons to get an idea of what we may expect to see this coming spring.

2014 Texas Wildflower Season:
Edge of Darkness - Texas Hill Country Bluebonnets (4/16/2014) Silver Lining - Texas Hill Country Wildflower Sunset (4/15/2014) Muleshoe Sunset - Bluebonnets at Sunset in the Texas Hill Country (4/15/2014) Bluebonnet Lake - Texas Bluebonnets in the Hill Country (4/15/2014) Bluebonnet Road - Texas Bluebonnets in the Hill Country at Sunrise(4/16/2014) Turkey Bend Sunrise - Texas Bluebonnets in the Hill Country (4/19/2014) All Alone - Texas Bluebonnets in the Hill Country at Sunrise(4/16/2014) Spring Thunderstorm - Texas Wildflowers in Guadalupe County(4/7/2014)

2013 Texas Wildflower Season:
Magic Hour - Bluebonnets at Sunrise in Ellis County (4/21/2013) Engelmann's Daisies - Texas Hill Country Wildflowers in Llano County (5/4/2013) Crimson Sundown - Texas Hill Country Wildflowers in Llano County (5/11/2013) Tournesols - Wild Sunflowers at Sunset in Travis County, Texas (6/19/2013) Florid Meadow - Wildflowers at Sunset in Travis County, Texas (6/12/2013)

2012 Texas Wildflower Season:
Spring Medley - Wildflowers at Sunset in Frio County, Texas (3/14/2012) The Flowers of Floresville - Texas Wildflowers at Sunset in Wilson County, Texas (3/24/2012) Hillside Blues - Bluebonnets at Sunset in the Texas Hill Country (3/31/2012) Wildflower Fiesta - Phlox, bladderpod and bluebonnets in Guadalupe County, Texas (3/24/2012) Cerulean Jewels - Bluebonnets at sunset in the Texas Hill Country, San Saba County (3/30/2012) Alabaster and Gold - Texas Wildflowers, San Saba County (3/24/2012) Rays of the Sun - Texas Wildflowers, Bluebonnets in Llano County (4/8/2012) Wisps - Texas Wildflowers, Bluebonnets at Sunset in Llano County (4/6/2012) Llano Uplift - Texas Wildflowers, Bluebonnets at Sunset in Llano County (4/6/2012)

2010 Texas Wildflower Season:
Moonlight Serenade - Texas Wildflowers, Bluebonnets at Sunset in Atascosa County (4/6/2010) First Light - Texas Wildflowers at Sunrise in Frio County (4/9/2010) A Perfect Day- Texas Wildflowers, Bluebonnets at Sunset in Mason County (4/12/2010) God's Blessing - Texas Wildflowers surround a Church in Guadalupe County (4/9/2010) A Break in the Clouds - Texas Wildflowers at sunrise in Llano County (5/2/2010) Bluebonnet Creek - Texas Wildflowers, Bluebonnets line a creek in Mason County (4/25/2010) The Color of Spring - Paintbrush, phlox and prickly poppies bloom in profusion in Atascosa County (4/11/2010) Poppies - Prickly poppies and bluebonnets in the Texas Hill Country (4/12/2010)

Earlier Texas Wildflower Seasons:
Here Comes the Sun - Texas Wildflowers at sunrise in Burnet County (5/30/2007) Wildflowers and Windmill - Texas Wildflowers at dusk in Mason County (5/3/2007) Evening Sun - Bluebonnets bloom on the shores of Lake Travis at sunset (4/28/2007) Pink Clouds - Sunset on late spring wildflowers in Mason county, Texas (5/12/2007) Lake Bardwell Sunset - Spring wildflowers in Ellis county, Texas (4/21/2003)
Texas Wildflowers: Postcards | Notecards | Prints | Books | Bluebonnet Seed

OTHER WILDFLOWER REPORTS


Wildflower Haven - wildflower reports, maps and other useful information
Big Bend Report - wildflower conditions from DesertUSA website
2014 Wildflower Report- previous wildflower report from 2014
2013 Wildflower Report - previous wildflower report from 2013
2012 Wildflower Report - previous wildflower report from 2012
2011 Wildflower Report - previous wildflower report from 2011
2010 Wildflower Report - previous wildflower report from 2010
2009 Wildflower Report - previous wildflower report from 2009

WILDFLOWER FIELD GUIDES

Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country - Best field guide for identifying wildflowers in the Hill Country
Wildflowers of Texas - Best field guide for state wide wildflower identification
Wildflowers of Texas Field Guide - A great pocket sized field guide, many of my pictures are included
Wildflowers of Houston and Southeast Texas - Good resource for Houston area and east Texas
Wildflowers of the Western Plains: A Field Guide - A good guide for west Texas including Big Bend
Cactus of Texas Field Guide - A great pocket sized guide to Texas cacti, includes some of my pictures

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