Wildflower maps: Pro tips on when and where to find blooms around the Texas Panhandle

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – With the arrival of April and its warmer weather, wildflowers dotting the landscape of the Texas Panhandle are beginning to unfurl for a blooming season set to last long into the summer.

While it may be a surprise to some that the semi-arid mesas of the High Plains have many wildflowers to speak of, especially since the region doesn’t share the iconic March-April bluebonnet season of the rest of the state, there are dozens of long-lasting blooms native to the southwestern US and Texas Panhandle that blanket parts of the grasslands for most of the year. The flowers, much like the area’s shortgrass-dwelling native animals and migratory birds, only need the proper timing of keen-eyed sightseers to show off their colors.

Here’s a look at a few of the native wildflowers of the Texas Panhandle and High Plains, as well as when and where to spot them.

What blooms when?

Although there are wildflowers that bloom during every season across the Texas Panhandle and High Plains, as noted by the Native Plant Society of Texas, more than 40 begin blooming in spring and last through the summer.

Below is a gallery of spring-summer native wildflowers around the Texas Panhandle and High Plains region, compiled using the Native Plant Society of Texas database and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center database.

Where can you find Texas Panhandle wildflowers?

As noted by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, vegetation around the High Plains is highly dependent on location. Hardlands, mixed lands, sands, caliche lakes, clay soils, varied elevation and myriad other factors in the Texas Panhandle alone mean that wildflowers may differ from square mile to square mile. That also means that unique wildflowers can be seen on roadsides and in public parks as well as in curated nature preserves.

Texas travelers and locals alike can visit parks and preserves in the region including the Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and Wildcat Bluff Discovery Center among others to see and learn about their varied collections of native plants and wildlife.

Further, for those who are interested in scenic drives around the Texas Panhandle for wildflower viewing opportunities, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center published two “loops” around the ecoregion with a focus on some of the more favored spots for blooms.

The High Plains Loop

As described by the center, the 135-mile “High Plains Loop” includes stops at both the WBDC and Lake Meredith, and includes flowers including sunflowers, western tansymustard, nine-anther prairie clover, winecups, daisies and yucca. Travelers may also see yellow puccoon, antelope horns, prairie verbena and others.

The route heads north on Highway 87/287 from Amarillo before turning right on FM 1913, then right onto FM 1319. After heading south toward Sanford and south again to Fritch, the route follows TX 136 south back again to Amarillo. Full directions for the route can be found here.

The Pristine Prairie

The “Pristine Prairie” route from the center includes a stop at the Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to multiple habitat varieties around the dry lakebed-turned-shortgrass prairie. Visitors may be able to spot prickly poppies, flowering cactus and sunflowers from April through June among the native species, according to the center.

The route takes I-27 south from Amarillo before shifting westward on Route 60. Then, travelers can take FM 168 southward through the wildlife refuge and head toward FM 1075 east. Following FM 1975 east will guide travelers north and east toward Happy, then back to I-27 to round out the trip. Full directions for the route can be found here.

For the latest Amarillo news and regional updates, check with MyHighPlains.com and tune in to KAMR Local 4 News at 5:00, 6:00, and 10:00 p.m. and Fox 14 News at 9:00 p.m. CST.