Burnet County bluebonnets spring forth in March

Burnet County bursts into blue as bluebonnets begin to blossom each March in the Texas Hill Country. As spring sprouts and moves into summer, the Highland Lakes comes alive with the colors of a wonderland of wildflowers, including paintbrushes, purple coneflowers, giant spiderworts, buttercups, and prairie verbena, many of which first appear on the scene in March.

Now is the time to plan a March road trip to the Highland Lakes of Burnet County, where wildflowers line the roadways and fill the rocky granite hills. 

Here are a few of our recommended routes for petal peepers: 

• Take U.S. 281 north from Marble Falls or south from Burnet to Park Road 4, a hilly, winding two-lane road through beautiful Hill Country terrain. Wildflowers proliferate at Longhorn Cavern and Inks Lake state parks, which are along the way. 
• Starting in Bertram, travel FM 1174 to RR 1431, which will take you to Austin in one direction and Marble Falls in the other. On the way, explore County Road 328, also known as Cow Creek Road. 
• From Marble Falls, traveling south on U.S. 281, look for FM 962, the road to Cypress Mill. Take that to Cypress Mill Road, also known as CR 301, to find your way back to U.S. 281. It’s an amazing, twisting country road through ranchland dotted with granite outcroppings, cacti, oaks, cedar, and, yes, wildflowers. 
• From Marble Falls, take U.S. 281 south to Texas 71. Head east toward Spicewood on Texas 71 to CR 414. Follow the signs to Muleshoe Bend Recreational Area on the shores of Lake Travis. It always has an amazing display of bluebonnets in March and April. 

Here’s a look at some of the wildflowers you’re most likely to spot in March: 

• Bluebonnet — Can begin blooming as early as mid-February and last into April, though it fades in May. 
• Paintbrush — The Texas Hill Country variety is red-orange and looks similar to a bluebonnet except for its bright crimson color. The red parts of the flower are not petals but leaves. 
• Giant spiderwort — Confined to March and April, the bright purple flower grows in clusters of 10 or more miniature blooms.
• Goldeneye phlox — Pink with bright yellow and white centers like a golden eye, it grows February through May, the longest-blooming wildflower in the Hill Country. 
• Large buttercup — Another March/April wildflower, it grows in bright yellow clusters with a dozen petals on each and emits a pleasant, floral fragrance. 

Another group of flowers bursts forth in March and lasts through the fall and includes the prairie verbena, four-nerve daisy, and antelope horn. 

For more on wildflowers, check out the Wildflower Guide at 101HighlandLakes.com.