Natural History Wanderings

Hill Country Wildflower Bloom Peaking

Gary Regner Photography has another new wildflower bloom report for Hill Country

April 6, 2012 – Hill Country 

Wildflowers are still looking good in the Hill Country despite unusually warm weather and lack of recent rain. In some areas the bluebonnets are well past peak and going to seed (mainly roadsides), but in other areas (fields/pastures) they are still looking good but definately a bit past their prime. Some new colors are slowly being added to the spring palette with the arrival of firewheels, Engelmann daisies, coreopsis and lace cactus to name a few.

• Hwy 29 from FM 1431 to Llano – bluebonnets, prickly poppies, pepper grass, paintbrush, bladderpod.
• Hwy 16 from Llano to Cherokee – bluebonnets, prickly poppies, paintbrush, bladderpod, blue curls. Llano airport – large fields of bluebonnets and paintbrush along runway.
• FM 501 from Cherokee to Pontotoc – nice areas with assorted wildflowers, large fields of bluebonnets.
• CR 310 – beautiful road with large expanses of bluebonnets; use caution OPEN RANGE and unpaved. Not as good as 2010 but very nice none the less.
• CR 215 east of Hwy 16 – Excellent, a mile or so of solid bluebonnets along road and many areas where they extend beyond the road into pastures.

His website page Wildflower Report is a good source for Texas wildflower bloom updates.  He also has a photographic Wildflower Index for Texas wildflowers.

The Texas Wildflower Sightings website continues to post new updates on bluebonnets, paintbrush and other wildflowers across Texas including these two postings:

City: Ennis
Crossroads: I-45/287
Flower Types: bluebonnets
Comments: Went to bluebonnet heaven today – Ennis, Texas!! Go ASAP – in full bloom – stunning. Sugar Ridge Road a must-see. Unlike anything I’ve ever seen – acres of fragrant bluebonnets. Go to link below for info and maps. http://visitennis.org/Festivals/Bluebonnet_Trails.html 4/7/2012

City: Lubbock
Crossroads: Hwy 16 Willow Loop and Ranch Road 965
Flower Types: white prickly poppy, bluebonnets, indian paintbrush, prickly pear cactus,
Comments: We traveled Hwy 16 out of Fredericksburg to see the beautiful flowering Willow Loop Road early on April 2, 2012. We turned onto Ranch Road 965 to see the Enchanted Enormous pink rock dome. The wild flowers on both sides of that 9 mile road were breath-taking and absolutely beautiful! If you have ever wondered what the Road To Heaven looks like, this has to be a close second! 4/5/2012

Also check out the Wildflower Forums at Wildflower Haven for new reports throughout Texas

Related articles

• Texas Wildflower Update 3/25/12 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)
• South Texas Wildflower Update 3/21/12 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)