When Does Wildflower Season Start?

[CypressPhotog]

I already have a couple clients ready to schedule wildflower shoots. How do y'all usually handle this? Wait til flowers come out and then schedule? Or do you know when they will be out and schedule well in advance?

[CypressPhotog]

No one knows???

[OversighT]

I don't know, but would love to hear what others do as well.

T.

[bbailey]

My guess would be late March, through May, but the lack of rain may mess with the normal timetables.

[gardener]

As noted already, a late March to mid April start may be the best guess you're going to get right now and even that will vary by area because of the dry fall and relatively dry winter.
While most people tend to think of wildflower season as bluebonnets, it's actually a series of waves depending on species. The bluebonnets are usually close to first with Mexican Hat, native coreopsis, and others following close behind as the weather warms.
I posed the TXDOT wildflower hotline # on a previous bluebonnet post and that may be your best bet.

[johnastovall]

Mid-march through May but due to the lock of rain it may not be very good. Last year with all the rain was very good.

There are usually several websites which start listing large bloomings and the condition of various wildflower trails in March.

Just google "Texas Wildflowers"

[fatmaxxv]

If you plan your time around mid-Apr (there abouts), you should be able to get blue bonnets. We went to Fredericksburg last year around then..... It was really, really pretty.

[Steelsun]

And don't forget - there is a differance in what zone your are in: They start earlier around the south of the state than they do in the north end.

[jerrykr]

Nothing there right now, but they should be posting reports as the flowers start to bloom.

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/wflwr/

Burnet's bluebonnet festival is the first week of April this year and is a good indication of when bluebonnets will be peak.

In bluebonnet time, be sure to take the Willow City Loop, and check out the stone house just north of Marble Falls right along 281.

Google will turn up a number of wildflower report sites where people from all over the state report sighting locations and dates. Check them out.

Hope to get down there for a week-end this April.

-=- Jerry -=-
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[johnastovall]

Here are some resources for wildflower areas and blooming.

http://www.phototravel.com/wildflower/wf_tx.htm

http://www.wildflower.org/ (of interest to those in the Austin area if they don't know about it)

http://www.txdot.state.tx.us/txdotne...wr-hotline.htm

http://www.lone-star.net/wildflowers/

[CypressPhotog]

Thanks everyone! THis sure helps with my burgeoning biz!