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Take Hwy 71 westbound to see streams of blue along the highway and a more rugged landscape than you’ll find east of Austin.One of the most acclaimed wildflower routes is the 20-or-so-mile Willow City Loop, located about 12 miles northeast of Fredericksburg off Hwy 16. In addition to the abundant wildflowers, you are likely to see blooming peach trees in the numerous orchards. Take Hwy 290 heading west through Dripping Springs before detouring on Hwy 281 into Johnson City and then on to Fredericksburg.One of the many trails at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center The area around La Grange offers a number of prime bluebonnet routes just an hour’s drive from Austin Take Hwy 71 to Fayette County, southwest of the Brenham area.If you head this way during the weekend of April 11-12, don’t miss the state’s official Bluebonnet Festival in Chappell Hill, just 10 miles further east on Hwy 290. In addition to the numerous nearby viewing routes and associated wildflower attractions, Brenham also features a historic downtown with numerous shops, restaurants and even places to stay overnight. Brenham, the county seat, is about 90 miles from Austin, roughly halfway to Houston, and is considered the hub of the region’s bluebonnet tourism. Take Hwy 290 to the east to what many claim is center of bluebonnet viewing, Washington County.Here are our favorite day trips to enjoy the season: Milkweed, Hill Country Penstemon and Giant SpiderwortĪs to where to find the best wildflower displays, the good news is that a drive into rural areas in any direction should work. Indian paintbrushes with their distinctive orange are typically the second most prominent wildflower blooms, with other species adding pink, yellow and burgundy accents. For one thing, this Texas native is our state flower, but it also hits peak blooming season in mid-April and its abundant blooms can give entire fields a distinctive indigo hue. So get out and enjoy it!īluebonnets are always at the top of the bill for wildflower lovers. And many are predicting that the chilly, wet winter couples with recent sunny days and cool nights is going to produce a banner wildflower season this spring.
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Here in Central Texas, our open spaces and roadsides become carpets of color with the likes of bluebonnet, Indian paintbrush, pink evening primrose, scarlet phlox, Texas star, wine cups and rain lilies on display during March and April before giving way to later blooming species such as Mexican blanket. Spring means wildflower season around the entire state of Texas as our landscapes proudly display the blooms of many of the state’s 5,000 species of native flowering plants.