Texans love wildflowers – especially bluebonnets. After all, bluebonnets are more than just our state flower – they’re a cherished treasure that fills us with Texas Spirit. Fields full of these stunningly beautiful wildflowers bloom most spectacularly from April through May, flooding the Austin landscape with a vibrant blue you have to see to believe.
Crowds of people and pets clamor up hillsides and trek out across open fields in their Sunday best hunting for the perfect spot to capture heirloom photos amidst the mighty Texas Bluebonnet. You can find your own field of wildflowers around Austin in these special places:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is the premiere destination for visitors to experience authentic Texas landscapes. Be sure to treat yourself to the tower view that overlooks the preserve’s 279 acres of wildflower pastures, native grasslands, cactus and milkweed. Also, visit the butterfly house, where you can immerse yourself in butterflies as they evolve and flutter about. Location and visitor information is provided below.
Are 297 acres too much ground for you to cover at once? Then, stop by the 30-acre Zilker Botanical Gardens – a lush world of themed gardens flowing from one beautiful design to another. Wildflowers, coneflowers, passionflowers and rose beds enhance the dazzling waterfalls, koi ponds, and lazy streams you’ll need to skip across on rock steps. For extra fun, stop by the fossilized dinosaur footsteps and visit the blacksmith’s shed. Location and visitor information is provided below.
Looking for bluebonnets on a smaller scale? Prefer a drive-by wildflower viewing? No problem, these spots are sure to satisfy your wildflower cravings in no time:
Round Rock and Pflugerville areas: Take Heatherwilde just south of Toll Road 45. Two large country fields are spilling over with Engelmann daisies, greenthread, wooly white and verbena.
Hutto area on State Highway 130: Treats you to mixed displays of bluebonnets, pink primrose, foxglove, Texas dandelion, gaillardia, Engelmann daises and verbena.
Georgetown area: Visit the disc golf course in the eastern edge of San Gabriel Park for huge mixtures of prairie poppy mallow.
Weir area along County Road 156 North and Farm to Market Road 971: Bluebonnets and huisache daisies line these back roads in stunning Texas glory.
Granger Lake: Endless strips of bluebonnets and pink primrose line the grassy slope just beneath the dam in Friendship Park.
Visitor Information:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is located at 4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin (512- 232-0100), and is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. Entrance fees: $9 Adults; $7 Seniors 65 and older; $7 Students 13 years and older; $3 Children 5 through 12 years old.
Zilker Botanical Gardens is located at 2220 Barton Springs Road, Austin (512-477-8672), and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (7 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time). Admission prices: $2 Adults; $1 Seniors 62 and over; $1 Children 3 to 12 years old.
Ellen lives in Austin, Texas, and is hopelessly addicted to the beauty of Texas wildflowers. Each year, she scours the Austin area to locate the most gorgeous wildflower displays and shares her best finds with other wildflower enthusiasts.