wildflowering

Last April was my last in Texas, and I attacked the month with a resolve to see as many wildflowers as I could. My tour began the first week in an early blooming region just north of Houston. The following week I continued by driving on a flower trail in Brenham, a Victorian county seat 75 miles northwest of Houston. The month came to a climax with a week of wildflowering, first on the Highland Lakes trail that stretches for 80 miles northwest of Austin, and then farther west to see the different species that flower on the plains and deserts of West Texas.

1989 February 19, Mitchel L. Zoler, “Blooms, Blooms on the Range”, in The New York Times, retrieved 01 Sep 2026

Alarka Laurel is a high-elevation bowl or "hanging valley" about 3 miles across. In this regard it is a sort of miniature Panthertown Valley. The headwaters of Alarka Creek are within the heart of the boggy red spruce forest. The valley floor is so level the slow-flowing current is often tinted brown with accumulated tannins. After meandering in a large arc, the small creek suddenly plunges downward and passes over a waterfall on its way to Lake Fontana. A maintained loop trail leads through the red spruce forest. Wildflowering and birding are excellent. There are pullouts along the main road (which crosses two creek fords) that are just the thing for picnics.

2014 September 24, George Ellison, “Nature Journal: Directions to an autumn paradise in WNC”, in The Asheville Citizen-Times, retrieved 01 Sep 2026

March 21st heralds the official arrival of spring in Central Oregon, and while we may still get snow until June, you can celebrate the new season with some early spring wildflower hikes. Wildflower season in Central Oregon stretches from March-August. It starts in the sagebrush grasslands of the high desert and moves to our Cascade alpine meadows by late summer. For wildflower enthusiasts, this means there is lots of time to explore and enjoy the wildflower shows that lend brilliant bursts of color to the landscape. Early spring wildflowering often takes a keen eye! These flowers tend to be small, even tiny, and they bloom out in the grasslands where the snow melts first and the soils begin to warm. So, be prepared for pops of color that you spot out of the corner of your eye as you work to develop a search image that will help you find more.

2022 March 30, Sarah Mowry, “Early Spring Hikes for Wildflowers”, in Deschutes Land Trust, retrieved 10 Sep 2026

When wildflowering, I always advise people to take their time. It’s not a race. My students laugh because we’ll spend three hours on a trail and only travel a mile. When I go out, I bring a little jeweler’s loupe with seven-power magnification. Some of these flowers are the most intricate things, and you would never know if you didn’t look closely.

2024 April 3, Brady Nash, quoting Scott Dean, “A North Carolina naturalist’s tips for spotting springtime blooms”, in Atlanta, retrieved 01 Sep 2026