How To Plant Wildflower Seeds Now For Spring Blooms

Maybe your like

Statesman LogoHearst Newspapers LogoSkip to main content

Travel

Family

How to plant wildflower seeds now for spring bloomsBy Diana C. Kirby, Special to the American-StatesmanSep 16, 2020

Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush are the quintessential spring bloomers, dotting highways throughout the state.Contributed by Diana C. Kirby

The unrelenting sun often forces us indoors at summer’s end, seeking refuge from oppressive heat. Thankfully, the recent rain and break in temperatures has us thinking about the garden again. In addition to planning for fall, it’s also time to think ahead to the spring garden.

Each year, landscapes across Texas herald the arrival of spring with bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, winecup and other wildflowers. Texas roadsides are nationally renowned for brilliant wildflowers. Those impressive highway displays are rooted in beautification efforts by Lady Bird Johnson. She was the driving force behind the Highway Beautification Act, which promoted scenic development of U.S. roadsides.

Article continues below this ad

Use several varieties of winecup as gorgeous ground cover in your garden.Contributed by Diana C. Kirby

When to Plant

How many times have you longed for your own wildflowers while appreciating them along Texas highways? But by then, it’s too late to plant spring wildflowers.

Fall is the best time to plant wildflowers, preferably from mid-September to November. Mother Nature does most of the work when you sow wildflower seeds.

Article continues below this ad

Statesman Logo

Want more Statesman?

Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search.Add Preferred Source

You can typically find individual seed varieties as well as regionally appropriate seed mixes. For the most success, look for native seeds, which will perform better.

You might want to start with a Texas wildflower mix. Bluebonnets do particularly well in our Central Texas alkaline soil and limestone. As they bloom, note which ones seem to do best in your garden, and then plant more of those seeds next fall.

With a few simple steps, you can enjoy vibrant ribbons of wildflowers, changing month-to-month as the succession of wildflowers open, each in their own time.

Article continues below this ad

Three steps to wonderful wildflowers

1. Find the right location. For most Texas wildflowers, you’ll need a sunny spot. There are wildflowers for shade as well; be sure to research which seeds are right for your conditions.

2. Clear the soil. Wildflowers need direct soil contact to germinate. Your best chance is to clear the planting area of weeds and competing plants.

They don’t like mulch. Even if one germinates under mulch, it will be less likely to push through that barrier.

Article continues below this ad

You’ll have the most immediate success if you plant in an area with a high percentage of bare soil. You can even walk around on the seeds to compress them into the soil but don’t put soil on top of them.

If you are sowing seeds in a turf area, you’ll need to scalp the grass and sow. You’ll have less contact, but over time wind and weather will also help some seeds find their way down to the ground, just like Mother Nature does every year. It may just take longer.

You may find it easiest to spread the seed with a hand-crank spreader to keep it even.

3. Water properly. Seedlings need regular water to germinate and should be kept moist until they come up and become, taller, stronger seedlings. Don’t use the jet setting on your sprayer though, as that will splash the seeds all around. You want a gentle shower setting or a watering can with multiple holes.

Article continues below this ad

Once up, you should water them very lightly about twice a week for two to three weeks. Then you can water occasionally, depending on whether or not we get rain this fall, but don’t overwater them once they’re up and going.

Most wildflowers also prefer well-drained soil, so if your garden is in heavy clay, you might want to amend the planting area with something like a little sand or decomposed granite. Unlike some other plants, they don’t want to be babied.

Once the wildflowers germinate in the fall, they start developing a little foliage to carry them through the winter. They will grow slowly, using the cold weather to grow roots in preparation for spring.

If we’re not getting any rain at all, you’ll have a much better crop of flowers if you give them a drink now and then. Don’t fertilize them once they’re growing — that will encourage lush, healthy foliage, but you won’t get many blooms.

Article continues below this ad

After your wildflowers have bloomed and are done going to seed, you can cut them to the ground. If you have a variety of seeds, you’ll want to be sure to wait until all the different flowers are done blooming and the seed pods have turned from green to dry and brown. Then leave them on the ground to open and reseed for next year.

Landscape Designer Diana Kirby helps garden lovers by educating, designing and installing successful gardens. For in-person or social-distance consulting follow her at dianasdesignsaustin.com , Diana’s Designs on Facebook or dianasdesignsaustin on IG.

Popular Texas Native Wildflowers

Bluebonnets Mexican hat Indian paintbrush Winecup Blackfoot daisy Evening primrose Purple coneflower Mealy blue sage Spiderwort Engelmann’s daisy Prairie verbena Goldeneye Phlox Buttercup Four-nerve daisy Daimianita If you’re looking for ideas about which seeds to plant or you are trying to remember the name of that beautiful bloom you enjoyed seeing along the highway in April, check out the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s website at wildflower.org. They have an online library of more than 9,000 native plants and detailed information about what to grow and how to grow it. The beautiful grounds of the Wildflower Center are open year-round to inspire and educate visitors. Right now, it is open with limited capacity, and reservations are highly encouraged. Lady Bird Johnson and Helen Hayes founded the National Wildflower Research Center in 1982, a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to the preservation and re-establishment of native plants in natural and planned landscapes. The Center was established with 60 acres of land donated by Johnson. In December 1997, it was renamed the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Mrs. Johnson was chairwoman of the Wildflower Center’s board of directors until her death in 2007.

Article continues below this ad

Volunteer Liz Wommack, left, and Susan Rankin, director of the Trail Foundation, background, plant wildflower seeds on the hillside of Vista Pointe on Lady Bird Lake.American-Statesman 2008

Diana C. KirbyMost Popular1.Crockett vs. Talarico: How the Dems running for US Senate stack up on issues2.UT's new Academic Medical Center will no longer be based at Erwin Center site3.February 2026 Social Security payments: Schedule shows key dates4.Texas native Amber Glenn to skate today despite dismal performance; see when5.Recap: Judge exonerates four men accused in 1991 yogurt shop murdersMore NewsNorth Texas native Hannah Bilka wins Olympic gold as U.S. beats CanadaShe's back, and Texas SS Vivi Martinez is happy to be playing againTexas bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor wins Olympic gold at 41Westlake to get one of Austin’s best taco spotsTexas sues local drone firm, Temu in crackdown on Chinese-affiliated companiesBest OfCommunity's ChoiceLooking for better rates? These local credit unions are worth a lookWhen every percentage point counts, these Austin credit unions deliver wins for your wallet.

Community's ChoiceThe best plumbers in Austin, according to local homeownersEven if it’s 2 a.m. or Sunday morning, these plumbers won’t leave you in distress.

Community's ChoiceThe best plastic surgeons in AustinThe community chose these surgeons for results that look real, feel right and last.

Community's ChoiceThe top 5 law firms in Austin you’ll wish you found soonerVoted the best by locals, these Austin law firms have proven results in personal injury, divorce, estate law and more.

Community's ChoiceYou won’t believe the difference these Austin eye clinics can makeThese clinics make LASIK, eye exams, dry eye relief and everyday eye care surprisingly easy.

Editor's Picks The crosswalk at Manor Road and Leona Street is pictured Thursday after it was painted over.

Local NewsAustin quietly removes several rainbow crosswalks, citing federal pressure Michael Scott hugs a woman after being exonerated inside of the courtroom.

Michael Scott hugs a woman after being exonerated inside of the courtroom.

CourtsRecap: Judge exonerates four men accused in 1991 yogurt shop murders Christy Carlson Romano at the FOX Winter Press Day on November 18, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Variety via Getty Images)