Wildflowers in Texas: Road trip!

A Florida friend asked me last week if I was going to take a road trip over the Easter weekend to see the Texas wildflowers.

There’s no prettier place than Texas in the spring, he said. And he’s right.

I was beginning to despair earlier in March. Cold, wet weather with nary a wildflower to be found.

Then I heard there was color in South Texas. Lots of color.

So I packed up last weekend and headed south of San Antonio.

And I found it. Colors of every hue. Covering the roadsides and the fields in a blanket of blaze.

Just east of La Coste the show started. White and purple prickly poppies, their colorful heads nodding a friendly hello as I passed.

Just past Devine, on the road to Bigfoot, I found the first bluebonnets. White poppies with yellow and black centers added a startling contrast.

Down a side road were fields of yellow, mixed with purple. And a spiky yucca for depth. Beautiful.

Then, the find of the day. Headed into Poteet, I found the paintbrush. Acres and acres. Lush orange at their peak. Set against a brilliant blue sky. A true work of art!

On to Pleasanton and headed toward home.

A patch of hot pink begged me to stop and enjoy.

And down the road, a baby basking in the sun.

What a day. The good Lord blessed the land with rain over the winter and early spring. And South Texas responded. I’ve never seen it so beautiful!

So what about the rest of Texas?

On my trip south from Waco, I saw very few wildflowers. On the way home Sunday, bits of Bonny blue. Popping up all over!

Looks like a great wildflower year in Texas.

I’m going on another road trip this weekend. How about you?

Mike Barnett

Director of Publications Texas Farm Bureau I’m a firm believer that farmers and ranchers will continue to meet the needs of a growing world population by employing equal measures of common sense, conservation and technology. Follow Mike on Twitter and Facebook.