Wildflower Café is temporarily closed for remodeling.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Find information about hours, admission, accessibility, and everything you need to know before you arrive.
BECOME A MEMBER
Support our mission and enjoy year-round admission, discounts, early access, special events, and more.
FEATURED ARTICLE
See how a student-led pollinator garden is transforming a school courtyard into habitat for birds, butterflies, and bees.
EVENTS & CLASSES
Join us for one of our exciting classes, programs or events
Tuesday Twilights Feat. Ryan DeSiato
Tuesday, May 12
Homeschool Day: Citizen Science
Wednesday, May 20
Sprouts
Wednesday, May 13
Get FIT: Summer Series
Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 5 – July 23
GARDEN VIEWS
An inside glimpse of the gardens from our Instagram feed
Behind every prescribed burn is a great deal of planning, training, and collaboration. Last month, the Wildflower Center welcomed more than 60 wildfire and prescribed fire professionals from organizations across Central Texas for the 2026 Central Texas Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher.
The day included conversations around wildfire preparedness, firefighter safety, prescribed fire practices, smoke exposure, and lessons learned from recent fire events; all a key part of the ongoing work to support healthier ecosystems and safer communities.
We’re grateful to @austin_water, @austincityparks, @bcp_traviscounty, @traviscountyparks, @laketravisfire, @tcfresd11, @txgeosciences Bureau of Economic Geology, @lowercoloradoriverauthority, @nature_tx, and @austinfiredept Wildfire Division, who joined us at the Center for the day.
May 11
A Mother’s Day update for everyone who has been following Athena’s owlet. 🦉
Today, @austinwildliferescue shared that the young great horned owl has now been placed with a surrogate owl named Eddison, who is helping care for and raise the owlet as it continues to grow stronger.
In wildlife rehabilitation, surrogate parenting can play an important role in helping young animals develop natural behaviors and species-specific skills. For birds of prey especially, being raised by their own kind can help reduce human imprinting and better prepare them for life in the wild.
We’re deeply grateful to the rehabilitation team for the expertise, patience, and around-the-clock care they continue to provide for this owlet and so many other wild animals across Central Texas.
📸: Austin Wildlife Rescue
May 10
🌼 May at the Wildflower Center
Late spring is bringing big adventures to the gardens. Explore the prehistoric world of Ice Age in the Wild, spend an evening under the stars at Ice Age Night, or celebrate curiosity and community through workshops, family programs, and the final weeks of Tuesday Twilights.
You can also learn how everyday observations support real science during our iNaturalist workshop and Homeschool Day, or simply slow down and enjoy Mother’s Day surrounded by wildflowers.
Plan your visit: wildflower.org/events
#WildflowerCenter #StayWild #ATXThingsToDo #ExploreTexas
May 10
What if your lawn could flower, too? 🌾 Buffalograss proves a lawn doesn’t have to be perfectly manicured to be beautiful.
This week, Kyle is spotlighting Bouteloua dactyloides, a soft Texas native grass that’s flowering beautifully right now in our Family Garden. Once a dominant grass of the Great Plains, buffalograss evolved alongside grazing animals like bison and is adapted to Texas heat, drought, and tough growing conditions — often staying green on far less water than traditional turfgrass lawns. Some varieties can thrive on 50–75% less irrigation than conventional lawns.
As part of our Reimagine the Lawn campaign, it’s a reminder that lawns can support wildlife, conserve resources, and still create beautiful spaces to gather and play.
Tomorrow, we travel back to the Pleistocene (where the grazers were just a little bigger) with Ice Age in the Wild, opening May 9 at the Wildflower Center!
Come explore: wildflower.org/iceage
#WhatsInBloom #NativePlants #TexasNativePlants #ReimagineTheLawn
May 8
It’s National Wildflower Week, and maybe one of the biggest opportunities for native wildflowers and more beautiful spaces is hiding in plain sight.
Across the country, millions of acres of lawn have the potential to become something more alive: spaces that support pollinators, provide shelter for wildlife, and reconnect us to the natural world right outside our doors.
You don’t have to start from scratch to make a difference. Mowing less often, planting a few native species, expanding a planting bed, or letting part of your yard grow a little wilder can all help create a healthier landscape.
This National Wildflower Week, we’re encouraging people to rethink their lawns through Reimagine the Lawn, a spring challenge focused on small, practical changes at home.
Explore more tips and resources at wildflower.org/reimagine-the-lawn
Illustration by Natalie Luz Elorza-Welling
#NationalWildflowerWeek #ReimagineTheLawn
May 6
Just a dog, a blanket, and a Tuesday evening well spent. 🐾 Dog-friendly Tuesday Twilights is happening tonight from 5 - 8 p.m.
Bring your pup (well-behaved and on a leash) and enjoy:
• Live music from @meghanmariemusic
• Stop by the @austinrecycles table to learn how to sort your waste correctly and explore the services available to Austin residents
• Free treats + a pup cup bar
• Food trucks (Kold Kutz, @garboslobster, @craigospizza, @dulcefridaatx)
• Drinks for those 21+
• Spring blooms and plenty of space to sprawl
A few quick notes: parking is limited, so consider carpooling or rideshare. Dogs must stay leashed and on trails, and we ask that you give space to other guests (human and canine).
Things start winding down around 7:30, so come early and settle in.
Get the details + reserve your spot: wildflower.org/event/tuesday-twilights-2026-05-05
Photo by @alitexas
May 5
Celebrate your mom (and Mother Nature) with us this Sunday, May 10 🌸
Spend the day in the gardens with spring-blooming wildflowers, live music, food trucks, libations, and plenty of spots for a photo with mom.
Planning ahead: today is the final day to pre-order picnic boxes from @spreadandco. Craft kits for our birdhouse activity are also available with pre-registration, where kids can paint and decorate a wooden birdhouse to take home as a handmade gift. All other activities are included with general admission, which is always free for members.
Order your picnic box before midnight and get details at the link in our bio!
May 4
This week’s What’s in Bloom looks a little different! Instead of walking the gardens, our gardens and collections team headed into the library and brought the blooms to you through field guides and illustrations.
Join Kyle, Amy, Carissa, Sophie, and Hannah as they flip through the pages to highlight what’s blooming right now:
• Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum)
• Yellow stonecrop (Sedum nuttallianum)
• White-topped umbrella grass (Rhynchospora colorata)
• Purple leatherflower (Clematis pitcheri) + scarlet leatherflower (Clematis texensis)
• Silverpuff (Chaptalia texana)
One of the guides they’re using is Wildflowers of Texas by Geyata Ajilvsgi, a favorite for its color-coded page edges that make it easy to find blooms by color as you walk.
Rain or shine, the gardens look beautiful this time of year! Come on out for a little peace and exploration: wildflower.org/visit
#NativePlants
May 3
We’ve officially passed our goal, thanks to you! 🙌 There are about 5 hours left to give during 40 Hours for the Forty Acres, and every additional gift helps support paid internships at the Wildflower Center for this summer.
You may have seen Anna and Ingrid around the gardens this year during storytime, Sprouts, or at discovery carts, helping visitors connect with native plants and the natural world.
As education interns, their work ranged from leading programs and developing lessons to creating hands-on activities and interactive tools, including a wildflower-themed Jenga and a digital experience exploring Texas ecoregions.
These internships give UT students the chance to do real work that reaches our community every day.
If you’ve been thinking about giving, there’s still time! Find more info at the link in our bio.
#UT40for40 #StayWild #WildflowerCenter
Apr 30
Something big is moving into the Wildflower Center. ❄️
Ice Age in the Wild arrives May 9 – August 15!
Travel back thousands of years and come face-to-face with 11 massive mammals, from a towering woolly mammoth to saber-toothed cats and giant ground sloths. Get ready to walk the trails and see a world long before Austin existed. These ancient creatures will be stomping, prowling, and grazing their way through the gardens for a limited time.
🧊 Included with admission. Free for members.
Meet the Ice Age lineup: wildflower.org/iceage
#IceAgeInTheWild #WildflowerCenter #StayWild #AustinEvents #ATXThingsToDo
Apr 30
Behind every prescribed burn is a great deal of planning, training, and collaboration. Last month, the Wildflower Center welcomed more than 60 wildfire and prescribed fire professionals from organizations across Central Texas for the 2026 Central Texas Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher.
The day included conversations around wildfire preparedness, firefighter safety, prescribed fire practices, smoke exposure, and lessons learned from recent fire events; all a key part of the ongoing work to support healthier ecosystems and safer communities.
We’re grateful to @austin_water, @austincityparks, @bcp_traviscounty, @traviscountyparks, @laketravisfire, @tcfresd11, @txgeosciences Bureau of Economic Geology, @lowercoloradoriverauthority, @nature_tx, and @austinfiredept Wildfire Division, who joined us at the Center for the day.
May 11
A Mother’s Day update for everyone who has been following Athena’s owlet. 🦉
Today, @austinwildliferescue shared that the young great horned owl has now been placed with a surrogate owl named Eddison, who is helping care for and raise the owlet as it continues to grow stronger.
In wildlife rehabilitation, surrogate parenting can play an important role in helping young animals develop natural behaviors and species-specific skills. For birds of prey especially, being raised by their own kind can help reduce human imprinting and better prepare them for life in the wild.
We’re deeply grateful to the rehabilitation team for the expertise, patience, and around-the-clock care they continue to provide for this owlet and so many other wild animals across Central Texas.
📸: Austin Wildlife Rescue
May 10
🌼 May at the Wildflower Center
Late spring is bringing big adventures to the gardens. Explore the prehistoric world of Ice Age in the Wild, spend an evening under the stars at Ice Age Night, or celebrate curiosity and community through workshops, family programs, and the final weeks of Tuesday Twilights.
You can also learn how everyday observations support real science during our iNaturalist workshop and Homeschool Day, or simply slow down and enjoy Mother’s Day surrounded by wildflowers.
Plan your visit: wildflower.org/events
#WildflowerCenter #StayWild #ATXThingsToDo #ExploreTexas
May 10
What if your lawn could flower, too? 🌾 Buffalograss proves a lawn doesn’t have to be perfectly manicured to be beautiful.
This week, Kyle is spotlighting Bouteloua dactyloides, a soft Texas native grass that’s flowering beautifully right now in our Family Garden. Once a dominant grass of the Great Plains, buffalograss evolved alongside grazing animals like bison and is adapted to Texas heat, drought, and tough growing conditions — often staying green on far less water than traditional turfgrass lawns. Some varieties can thrive on 50–75% less irrigation than conventional lawns.
As part of our Reimagine the Lawn campaign, it’s a reminder that lawns can support wildlife, conserve resources, and still create beautiful spaces to gather and play.
Tomorrow, we travel back to the Pleistocene (where the grazers were just a little bigger) with Ice Age in the Wild, opening May 9 at the Wildflower Center!
Come explore: wildflower.org/iceage
#WhatsInBloom #NativePlants #TexasNativePlants #ReimagineTheLawn
May 8
It’s National Wildflower Week, and maybe one of the biggest opportunities for native wildflowers and more beautiful spaces is hiding in plain sight.
Across the country, millions of acres of lawn have the potential to become something more alive: spaces that support pollinators, provide shelter for wildlife, and reconnect us to the natural world right outside our doors.
You don’t have to start from scratch to make a difference. Mowing less often, planting a few native species, expanding a planting bed, or letting part of your yard grow a little wilder can all help create a healthier landscape.
This National Wildflower Week, we’re encouraging people to rethink their lawns through Reimagine the Lawn, a spring challenge focused on small, practical changes at home.
Explore more tips and resources at wildflower.org/reimagine-the-lawn
Illustration by Natalie Luz Elorza-Welling
#NationalWildflowerWeek #ReimagineTheLawn
May 6
Just a dog, a blanket, and a Tuesday evening well spent. 🐾 Dog-friendly Tuesday Twilights is happening tonight from 5 - 8 p.m.
Bring your pup (well-behaved and on a leash) and enjoy:
• Live music from @meghanmariemusic
• Stop by the @austinrecycles table to learn how to sort your waste correctly and explore the services available to Austin residents
• Free treats + a pup cup bar
• Food trucks (Kold Kutz, @garboslobster, @craigospizza, @dulcefridaatx)
• Drinks for those 21+
• Spring blooms and plenty of space to sprawl
A few quick notes: parking is limited, so consider carpooling or rideshare. Dogs must stay leashed and on trails, and we ask that you give space to other guests (human and canine).
Things start winding down around 7:30, so come early and settle in.
Get the details + reserve your spot: wildflower.org/event/tuesday-twilights-2026-05-05
Photo by @alitexas
May 5
Celebrate your mom (and Mother Nature) with us this Sunday, May 10 🌸
Spend the day in the gardens with spring-blooming wildflowers, live music, food trucks, libations, and plenty of spots for a photo with mom.
Planning ahead: today is the final day to pre-order picnic boxes from @spreadandco. Craft kits for our birdhouse activity are also available with pre-registration, where kids can paint and decorate a wooden birdhouse to take home as a handmade gift. All other activities are included with general admission, which is always free for members.
Order your picnic box before midnight and get details at the link in our bio!
May 4
This week’s What’s in Bloom looks a little different! Instead of walking the gardens, our gardens and collections team headed into the library and brought the blooms to you through field guides and illustrations.
Join Kyle, Amy, Carissa, Sophie, and Hannah as they flip through the pages to highlight what’s blooming right now:
• Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum)
• Yellow stonecrop (Sedum nuttallianum)
• White-topped umbrella grass (Rhynchospora colorata)
• Purple leatherflower (Clematis pitcheri) + scarlet leatherflower (Clematis texensis)
• Silverpuff (Chaptalia texana)
One of the guides they’re using is Wildflowers of Texas by Geyata Ajilvsgi, a favorite for its color-coded page edges that make it easy to find blooms by color as you walk.
Rain or shine, the gardens look beautiful this time of year! Come on out for a little peace and exploration: wildflower.org/visit
#NativePlants
May 3
We’ve officially passed our goal, thanks to you! 🙌 There are about 5 hours left to give during 40 Hours for the Forty Acres, and every additional gift helps support paid internships at the Wildflower Center for this summer.
You may have seen Anna and Ingrid around the gardens this year during storytime, Sprouts, or at discovery carts, helping visitors connect with native plants and the natural world.
As education interns, their work ranged from leading programs and developing lessons to creating hands-on activities and interactive tools, including a wildflower-themed Jenga and a digital experience exploring Texas ecoregions.
These internships give UT students the chance to do real work that reaches our community every day.
If you’ve been thinking about giving, there’s still time! Find more info at the link in our bio.
#UT40for40 #StayWild #WildflowerCenter
Apr 30
Something big is moving into the Wildflower Center. ❄️
Ice Age in the Wild arrives May 9 – August 15!
Travel back thousands of years and come face-to-face with 11 massive mammals, from a towering woolly mammoth to saber-toothed cats and giant ground sloths. Get ready to walk the trails and see a world long before Austin existed. These ancient creatures will be stomping, prowling, and grazing their way through the gardens for a limited time.
🧊 Included with admission. Free for members.
Meet the Ice Age lineup: wildflower.org/iceage
#IceAgeInTheWild #WildflowerCenter #StayWild #AustinEvents #ATXThingsToDo
Apr 30
Help us spread the beauty!
EXPLORE MORE
Expert advice, plant nerdery and inspiring stories
A Garden Grows at Ann Richards School
How one student got the courtyard blooming
Beyond the Blossoms
The team of volunteers documenting Wildflower Center fauna
Power the Migration
Thirteen plants to help monarch butterflies