Bluebonnet season

Texas wildflower experts share complex forecast for 2025 blooms

Texas Bluebonnets and Texas Paintbrushes are a common sight along the Texas highway

Photo courtesy of Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

The annual Texas wildflower forecast reveals a mixed outlook for 2025, with regional changes expected across the Lone Star State. According to experts at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, persistent drought conditions will likely impact blooms this year.

"If predicting the weather is a challenge, then predicting the wildflower bloom for a big state like Texas is even more of a challenge," says Johnson Wildflower Center horticulture director Andrea DeLong-Amaya in a press release. "With fluctuations in weather and micro-climate scenarios (where one small geographical area may have received different weather than others), it's sometimes hard to make a big sweeping prediction. This is one of those years."

Eastern Texas is projected to have a more robust display, while western regions may see fewer beloved species like Texas bluebonnets and paintbrush.

Blooms at the Wildflower Center
Despite variable conditions across Texas, the Wildflower Center offers a reliable destination for flower enthusiasts who are willing to travel to Austin. It's working on an upgrade across its nearly 300 acres of gardens, so things will only get more colorful in coming seasons.

"Our experts know how to coax blooms in our gardens," says executive director Lee Clippard. "Visitors to the Hill Country can guarantee a robust floral experience by visiting our gardens and trails this spring."

While early blooms might be sparse in some areas, experts suggest this could benefit late spring and summer species like firewheel and purple horsemint, especially if Texas sees more rain this spring.

Visitors planning their wildflower viewing trips might also enjoy the added attraction of the Wine & Wildflower Journey Passport program, offering tastings throughout the Hill Country's renowned wineries during peak bloom season. Those opening up their trip around the state can also add some reliable spots from past years for a better chance at success.

Wildflower of the Year
In addition to predictions on this year’s wildflower population, the Wildflower Center named Gregg's mistflower (Conoclinium greggii) as the 2025 Wildflower of the Year. This resilient perennial, featuring striking purplish-blue blooms, stands out for its extended flowering period from March through November and its particular appeal to pollinators, especially Queen butterflies.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center houses extensive gardens, walking trails, and educational exhibits in Austin. The facility honors Lady Bird Johnson's environmental legacy and vision.

hill country nature texas bluebonnets wildflowers

REVIVING THE ALAMO

Texas landmark the Alamo reclaims historic cannon from private ownership

Photo by Gower Brown/ Unsplash

A 90-pound cannon used in the Battle of the Alamo is returning to its San Antonio home.

It turns out the Alamo's original 1836 cannons are good for more than just defense — they also make a sturdy birdbath. After serving as a garden ornament for Samuel Maverick’s descendants, an authentic piece of San Antonio history is finally returning home to the revered mission.

According to an Alamo announcement, the swivel cannon weighs 90 pounds and is approximately three feet long. The relic was originally found in 1852 when Maverick built a home near the northwest corner of the battle’s site.

The lawyer and land baron was saved from death when he was urged by William Barret Travis to ride to the Texas Declaration of Independence convention in Washington-on-the-Brazos to send reinforcements. Returning to the Alamo’s grounds, he found a cache of cannons buried where the Hotel Gibbs sits today.

From there, the cannon wound up at the Maverick family’s Sunshine Ranch on the Northwest Side, where it was eventually incorporated into the garden DIY project. In 1955, the cannon was removed from the ranch, and the current location remained a mystery until the Alamo received a call from a Maverick relative in Corpus Christi.

Alamo cannon This Alamo artifact gives an idea of what the cannon will look like once restoration is complete.Photo courtesy of the Alamo.

“The relative graciously donated the cannon to the Alamo,” wrote a rep from the mission. “Alamo Senior Researcher and Historian Kolby Lanham and Head Conservator Pam Jary Rosser drove down the very next day to take this piece of history home to the Alamo.”

Although the artillery is mostly intact, it is missing its trunnions (the pivot-point protrusions on the sides of the barrel) and cascabel (the knob and neck assembly at the rear of historic muzzle-loading cannons). The parts were removed by the Mexican army to make the cannon inoperable.

Once preservation is complete, this cannon and the Alamo Collection’s other battle cannons will make their way to the upcoming Visitor Center and Museum, where they will be joined by rocker Phil Collins' collection of Alamo artifacts. The Alamo is in the midst of a $550 million preservation project, which includes conserving the Alamo Church, Long Barrack, and the mission’s original footprint. The museum is on track to debut in late 2027.

history museums artifacts texas history the alamo