Wildflower forecast predicts varied spring blooms
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Uneven rainfall across Texas could mean a varied season for blooms this spring, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's annual wildflower forecast.
Why it matters: Spring is arriving in Texas. Bluebonnets are already beginning to pop up in the Hill Country, and Texas mountain laurels are blooming across Central Texas.
- But what Texans see along highways and in fields over the next few months will depend largely on where — and how much — rain has fallen.
What they're saying: "In a state as geographically vast and varied as Texas, it's rare that we can make a forecast that suits the whole state," Andrea DeLong-Amaya, the center's horticulture educator, said in a statement.
- "We have wild fluctuations in weather and lots of microclimate scenarios, and this year's bloom season will be just as varied as that."
Zoom in: Much of Texas, including Travis County, has been experiencing drought conditions, which can affect early-blooming wildflowers like Texas bluebonnets and Texas paintbrushes.
Yes, but: If early spring bloomers are sparse, late spring and summer flowers — like firewheel or purple horsemint — could have more room to flourish, according to the center.
- Spring rainfall can help boost those later-blooming flowers.
- "We may just have to look a little harder for bluebonnets on the side of the road this year in many locales," DeLong-Amaya says.
Between the lines: Microclimates can still produce strong blooms even in dry conditions.
- That can happen because of irrigation, heat from hardscapes, and other landscaping practices, said Kyle Cheesborough, the center's director of gardens and collections.
- "We can also think of most residential gardens as microclimates, because each homeowner does things a bit differently," Cheesborough said in a statement.
The bottom line: Even if blooms are thinner this spring, Texans will still see wildflowers.
- "I've never seen a year where nothing is blooming," DeLong-Amaya said. "That just doesn't happen. We can always expect some spring wildflowers."
What's next: The center will host its spring native plant sale next month. The sale is open to the public beginning April 4.
- Plus, Athena the great horned owl has returned to her perch above the entrance to the center's courtyard.