AUSTIN, Texas — You’ve seen the weather forecast, but what about a wildflower forecast? While horticulture experts with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin are predicting less wildflowers early in the season due to drought conditions throughout the state, that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of chances to see showstopping blooms.
According to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center horticulture educator Andrea DeLong-Amaya, “wild fluctuations” in weather and microclimate scenarios can cause this year’s bloom season to be varied.
But if early spring wildflowers are sparse, there is no need to panic, as this can mean later spring and early summer wildflowers will have more room to grow. The Center predicts that later-in-the-season blooms like firewheel and purple horsemint could show up stronger this year if we get enough spring rainfall.
When it comes to the most recognizable Texas wildflower, the bluebonnet, DeLong-Amaya says “we may just have to look a little harder” for it on the side of the road in many locales.
For guaranteed bluebonnet sightings, a visit to the Center is recommended.
“Staff, including professional horticulturists and a large team of hands-on volunteers, work tirelessly throughout the year to cultivate native Texas plants and encourage maximum flowers,” the Center says.
The Center recently chose the Carolina jessamine as its Wildflower of the Year due to its sweet fragrance, adaptability, vital role as a source of food for pollinators and ability to bloom off and on throughout the growing season.