Bluebonnets, Austin area, status ?

I'm planning a trip to the Austin area to shoot the bluebonnets and

other flowers. This will be my first time. Any locals or recent

visitors that can advise the status of this years crop? I can take

off 4 or 5 days most any time during April. I would appreciate any

info especially when and where. Thanks

It all depends on the rains. We should have a good year this time but if we don't get

regular rain thru April they sort of fizzle out.

 

I live in the Hill Country W. of Austin and the BB are better out here. The SE corner of

Llano County ( bout 60 miles NW of Austin) are the best i've seen. Gotta get out and

drive the dirt roads.

 

I've heard they are even better Around Mason.

We've found that anytime beginning the second week in April the wildflowers are superb in central Texas. I usually head over that way the 15th of April. We stay in Kerrville and roam about a hundred mile radius. Willow City loop was the best I've seen in several years last season. As Mr. Fleming stated weather usually helps, but I've never been disappointed anytime I've been over there. I always find good patches, but some years are really good and some are just good. Good luck.

Check out these web sites, especially the first one. You cannot rely on general conditions or general statements about dates. You have to call and check things out.For Austin, call the Lady Bird Wildflower Center. If conditions are good, the Willow City Loop near Fredericksburg can be the best area in the state. Certain areas are restricted especially during weekends. Brenham is closer to Houston.

 

http://www.lnstar.com/mall/txtrails/wildflowers/map.htm

http://www.brenhamtexas.com/

 

Joe Smith

The bluebonnets are going strong right now.

I was at Perdenales Falls today and saw very few wildflowers of any kind. That's about 30 miles west of Austin, on the way to Johnson City. Lately I've seen quite a few around town, though, on freeway embankments and such. I don't know why they're not growing out there in the hills, but then again, I don't know much about flowers.

Oh, and I should add that the LBJ National Park would probably be a place to go. His first lady was always into wildflowers, and I remember seeing a bunch of them out there when I was a little kid. Huge fields of them, in fact.

I was out there last Weekend. I saw very few Bluebonnets. I travelled around the Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Blanco area and saw very few if any. I was at the falls and did not see any there. Actually not really any widlfowers there. Heading north toward LLano may be different.

 

Of course, mid March is a bit early. I would probably go around mid April and look north and northwest of Johnson City. I went out to HillTop Cafe, north of Fredericksburg, but it was dark so I could not tell if any flowers were out. However, that area is usually a pretty good wildflower area.

I couldn't follow J.Smith's link, but the LoneStar site he's trying to point you towards has a great "Sightings" page that gives details on wildflower status throughout Texas:

 

http://www.lnstar.com/mall/txtrails/wildflowers/sightings.htm