Late spring/early summer wildflowers made a impressive showing after May rain revitalized central Texas. Currently in bloom, and in great profusion in some areas, are: coreopsis, firewheels, purple horsemint, Texas thistle, greenthread and sunflowers. If you can stand the heat, humidity and bugs, there are still some excellent wildflowers to see in central Texas.

Despite lack of recent rains and record high temperatures, there has been an explosion of new color around Llano. Firewheels, greenthread, bitterweed, Engelmann daisies, lazy daisies and Texas thistle are all common.

Hwy 16 from Llano to Cherokee - roadsides and many fields of firewheels, prickly poppies and Engelmann daisies. Rating 4-5.

Hwy 71 from Llano to Brady - Excellent, maasive fields of firewheels are common, also greenthread, bitterweed, lazy daisies, Engelmann daisies and prickly poppies. Rating 5.

Central Texas has seen little rain in the last several weeks. Even though a good swath of north Texas and east Texas are no longer facing drought conditions, the same is not true for the rest of the state. Central Texas and the Hill Country remain in moderate to severe drought and much of west Texas and the Panhandle are in extreme to exceptional drought. Hope for a nice batch of late spring / early summer wildflowers is fading fast for the Hill Country.

The Ennis area is having an exceptional year for bluebonnets, one of the best I've personally seen. Although I only had a chance to quickly drive through the area, there are many, many huge fields covered in blue. The bluebonnets appear to be at peak NOW. Check out the Ennis Bluebonnets Trails website for more information.

I traveled FM 85, Walker Creek Rd and Mach Rd, and they were all very impressive.

Bluebonnets in the Hill Country have faded quite a bit in the last week and most are going to seed. Peak was earlier this year due to an unusually warm winter and spring. Lack of recent rain is also putting an end to the bloom. Viewing will be OK for the next several days, but conditions for photography are no longer very good.

A second wave of wildflowers can be expected in a couple weeks. This time it will be golden yellow coreopsis and red and yellow firewheels. I spotted a great number of these that will be blooming soon. We can also expect prickly pear cacti and purple horsemint in the coming weeks.

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. Rating 2-4.

Hwy 16 from Llano to Cherokee - bluebonnets, prickly poppies, paintbrush, bladderpod, blue curls. Rating 2-3.

Llano airport - large fields of bluebonnets and paintbrush along runway. Rating 4.

FM 501 from Cherokee to Pontotoc - nice areas with assorted wildflowers, large fields of bluebonnets. Rating 2-4.

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. Rating 4-5.

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. Rating 4-5.

Headed out from Austin to the Hill Country taking FM 1431 from IH 35 to Kingland and then took Hwy 71 south from Llano with some side roads included. Found some much better areas this trip, above average to excellent. These areas look like peak bloom is now, with some areas (especially along roads) now past peak.

FM 1431 from IH 35 to Cedar Park - unremarkable, some wildflowers here and there and an occasional small field. Rating 0-1.

FM 1431 from Cedar Park to Marble Falls - very few until about 15 miles from Marble Falls, then some roadside flowers and a few pastures. Rating 1-2.

Stone house north of Marble Falls on Hwy 281 - waist high grass and a few prickly poppies, big disappointment. Rating 0.

Wirtz Dam Rd - mainly pepper grass, a few bluebonnets. Rating 0-1.

FM 1431 from Marble Falls to Kingland - some patches along road, few fields. Rating 2.

FM 3404 and CR307 from Kingsland to Hwy 71 - Excellent, many miles of solid bluebonnets along road and many areas where they extend beyond the road into pastures. Rating 4-5.

Hwy 71 south of Llano - some excellent roadside blooms and many areas where flowers cover pastures beyond the road. Rating 4-5 in spots.

FM 2323 south of Llano - miles and miles of solid blue along the road, not many fields until Prairie Mt. where there are several large field of bluebonnets and prickly poppy. Rating 4.

Headed out from Austin to the Hill Country taking Hwy 29 from Georgetown to Llano and then Hwy 71 north to San Saba county line. My opinion is that peak bloom is NOW, it might even be a bit past peak in some areas.

Hwy 29 from Georgetown to Seward Junction - unremarkable, few wildflowers. Rating 0.

Hwy 29 in Liberty Hill area - a few bluebonnet patches in pastures along the road. Rating 1-2.

Hwy 29 from Burnet Co. line to Bertram - some bluebonnets along road, nothing great. Rating 2.

Hwy 29 from Bertram to Burnet - some patches along road, few fields. Rating 2-3.

US 281 from Burnet to Park Rd 4 - some pastures with patchy coverage. Rating 3 in spots.

Park Rd 4 - some very nice heavy coverage along some parts of the road and occasional pastures with light to even moderate coverage. Best areas are around the caverns, across from the golf course and near Hwy 29. Rating 3-4 in spots.

Hwy 29 from Park Rd 4 to FM 1431 - nice spots along road and some beyond, peak is now, grasses are getting high. Rating 3-4 in spots.

Old Spanish Trail - disappointing, coverage is less dense than usual, lots of grass. Rating 3.

Hwy 29 from FM 1431 to Llano - nice but not great, too much grass and pepper grass. Rating 3 in spots.

US 71 from Hwy 29 to San Saba Co. line - good bluebonnets especially from Pontotoc to San Saba Co. line, best area I saw. Peak is now, grasses getting high and bluebonnets beginning to go to seed. Rating 3-4.

South central Texas still has many wildflowers, however, grasses are beginning to overtake them and many wildflowers are now past peak bloom in many places.

IH 37 from Loop 1604 to JCT FM 536 - very nice wildflowers along the road, but no good places to stop. A lot of phlox and nerve ray. Rating 3.

FM 536 from IH 37 to US 281 - very nice with lots of magenta phlox, paintbrush, nerve ray, bladderpod and some bluebonnets and prickly poppies. Some nice photo ops along this road. Rating 3-4.

US 281 from FM 536 to Pleasanton - good mix of flowers. Rating 3.

97 from Jourdanton to Charlotte - this area is mostly agricultural, some roadside wildflowers, but no significant fields. Rating 1.

FM 140 and FM 472 north to Bigfoot - this area is also mostly agricultural. Rating 1.

FM 462 east of Bigfoot and FM 472 north of Bigfoot - nice wildflowers including bluebonnets, bladder pod, and prickly poppy (white and rose) but grass is getting very high and the bloom is definitely past peak. Rating 3-4.

More very good viewing opportunities for great wildflower displays in the Sutherland Springs and Floresville areas.

FM 467 from Seguin (TX 46) FM 539 - many fields covered with mixed wildflowers, at peak now; bluebonnets, bladderpod, phlox, crown tickseed and paintbrush. Rating 4.

FM 539 - many fields with bladderpod, bluebonnets, phlox, paintbrush and white prickly poppy. At peak now. Rating 4-5.

There are very good viewing opportunities for great wildflower displays in the Seguin, Stockdale and Floresville areas.

SH 123 from Seguin to Stockdale - many fields covered with wildflowers, best I've seen in many years, at peak now; bluebonnets, bladderpod, phlox, groundsel and white prickly poppy. Rating 4.

SH 97 between Stockdale and Floresville - many fields with bladderpod, bluebonnets, phlox and white prickly poppy. At peak now. Rating 4-5.

Wildflowers continue a spectacular show south of San Antonio. The sandyland bluebonnets in this area appear to be at peak now, with many already going to seed.

SH 16 south of Loop 1604 to Poteet - many fields covered with wildflowers, as impressive as it was in 2010; sandyland bluebonnets, bladderpod, magenta phlox, groundsel and white prickly poppy. Rating 4.

Jett Rd from SH 16 to Oak Wood Cemetery - many fields with bladderpod, bluebonnets, phlox and white prickly poppy. Bluebonnets at peak now. Rating 4-5.

FM 476 from Poteet to Jct FM 2504 - many fields with bluebonnets, phlox, bladderpod, white prickly poppy. Abundant bluecurls along road. Rating 3-4.

FM 476 from Jct FM 2504 to Rossville (Jct FM 3175) - MUST SEE. Field after field of wildflowers including bluebonnets, bladderpod, white prickly poppy, phlox, paintbrush, and many others. Rating 5.

IH 35 from Lytle south to Moore - many fields of bluebonnets, bladderpod, phlox, yellow primrose, white prickly poppy and others. Take the feeder roads for best viewing. Rating 4-5.

Wildflowers are putting on a good show in south central Texas.

US 183 south of Luling near Palmetto State Park - good areas of bluebonnets, phlox, bladderpod and toadflax. Bluebonnets probably 1-2 weeks from peak. Rating 3.

TX 123 south of Seguin - nice bladderpod, phlox. Rating 2-3.

1604 near Elmendorf - good magenta phlox, groundsel and bluebonnets. Rating 3.

1604 near Somerset - good magenta phlox, bladderpod, groundsel, bluebonnets and paintbrush. Rating 3.

IH 35 near Lytle, Natalia, Devine - good bluebonnets, phlox, bladderpod. Some areas nearly as good as 2010. Rating 4.

New Berlin, Church Rd - some wildflowers this year but only about 20% of what was seen in 2010. Rating 2.

Spring wildflowers continue to bloom earlier this year because of a mild winter. Trees such as mountain laurels, redbud, Mexican plum and other blooming trees now in full bloom in central Texas. Reports of bluebonnets blooming along roadways are coming in from all over central and south Texas (Austin, San Antonio, and Houston). Phlox and bladderpod are reportedly blooming south and east of San Antonio in the area of Luling, Stockdale and Gonzales. Reports are also coming in of early bluebonnets in the Hill Country around Llano. Look for the peak of bluebonnets this year to be about 2 weeks earlier than typical years.

Spring doesn't officially start until March 20, however, recent rain and warm temperatures have prompted early annual wildflowers to bloom. Unfortunately, many of those early bloomers are invasive species such as giant mustard, pin clover and henbit. Mountain laurels continue to put on an impressive bloom, and redbuds are now blooming as well (those that survived the drought). Scattered reports of early bluebonnets are coming in (including a few I spotted on IH 35), with a widespread bloom most likely beginning in a week or two. Bluebonnet peak this year will likely be a bit early, most likely mid to late March in the Austin area. The Hill Country usually lags a bit.

Tom reports that there are many bluebonnets already in bloom in the Llano area. RR 2323 southwest of Llano has approximately half of the plants with blooms or florets close to opening. A few Indian Paintbrush spotted as well. He reports that most roads around Llano have good numbers of bluebonnet plants. A welcome report for the Hill Country after a very dismall spring in 2011.

Recent rains have spurred a great deal of growth in grasses and non-native weeds such as the invasive giant mustard (Rapistrum rugosum). This could prove very detrimental to native wildflowers that must compete with them. Although conditions have been good for a decent display of wildflowers this year, there may be many areas that will not be as showy because of this. Many mountain laurels in the Austin area are now heavily covered with blooms. Bluebonnet plants in the area did not see much progression in the past week, however, that may change quickly with warmer temperatures and sunshine forcast for the week ahead. I believe the bluebonnet season will be earlier this year because of milder temperatures this winter.

The past week featured a return to more seasonable temperatures. Mountain laurels remain in very early bloom and did not seem to progress much over the past week. The Austin area received more rain this past week and more is in the forecast. The outlook for spring wildflowers continues to improve. Bluebonnet rosettes spotted in the Austin area did not show any appreciable growth over the last week.

Much of Texas has continued to see good rainfall since the beginning of the year; above average, and in seeming defiance of La Nina, in many places. The rain has even begun to chip away at the lingering drought, but much more will be needed to fill Texas' reservoirs. It's good news for the wildflower forecast, and unseasonably warm weather has already caused some trees to start blooming and pollinate. Mountain laurels in the Austin area are already beginning to bloom, roughly a month earlier than normal. Redbuds that survived the drought (many did not) should not be far behind. I've spotted many good stands of bluebonnet plants in the Austin area, but they do not appear anywhere close to blooming. I do, however, believe they will bloom earlier than usual this year. This looks to be at least an average wildflower season, perhaps much better than average in some areas.

Although virtually the entire state remains in drought, recent regular rains over the last several months have given hope for a decent spring this year. It is actually much greener in many parts of Texas now during the winter than it was last spring. A recent scouting mission found many bluebonnet rosettes (seedlings) that should be blooming by late March.
Continued rains will be necessary for significant spring wildflowers, however, at this point things look far better than last year.