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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. Caros Amigos
Tuesday, November 11
Forest Bathing
Sunday, November 16
Mycorrhizal Fungi in Flux
Tuesday, November 11
Homeschool Day: The Water Cycle and Our Aquifer
Wednesday, November 19
GARDEN VIEWS
An inside glimpse of the gardens from our Instagram feed
Saturday’s Discovery Day: Fire turned learning into action, inviting families to explore the science behind prescribed burns, wildfire ecology, and how fire sustains healthy Texas landscapes. Guests met three Smokey Bears, tested real fire hoses, and got hands-on with activities led by local fire and conservation experts.
A huge thanks to our partners — @austinfiredept, @wildlandsforwater, Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office, @texasforestservice, and @texasmasternaturalist — for helping make it possible.
Mark your calendars for our next Discovery Day on Sunday, January 25 — Into the Wood, where we’ll dive into the world of trees with planting demos, career chats with tree climbers, and insights into rare oak research.
#DiscoveryDay #StayWild #WildflowerCenter #AustinEvents #TexasKids #NaturePlay #CommunityPartners
Nov 10
Happy Texas Arbor Day! 🌿 In our Hall of Heroes, you’ll find young oaks grown from acorns of Texas legends like Treaty Oak and Big Tree on Goose Island. These seedlings carry forward the history and the roots of some of our state’s most iconic trees.
#TexasArborDay #WildflowerCenter #TexasOaks #NativeTrees #StayWild #ConservationInAction
Nov 7
Experience winter nights in a whole new light ✨
Luminations returns Dec. 5 – Jan. 3 — our annual celebration of winter’s natural beauty!
Stroll glowing garden paths and enjoy live music, hot chocolate, churros, and more. 🌙
🎟️ Tickets available now at the link in our bio!
#Luminations #WildflowerCenter #AustinLights #AustinEvents #StayWild
Nov 6
The light hits different this time of year. Come catch those last golden rays with live music, good food, and friends at Tuesday Twilights 🌾
Tonight’s set: BEN + SHIGIDEE SHIGIDEE, plus eats from @konfusedesindianfoodtruck, @ikenaves1, and @dulcefridaatx. Only two nights left — tonight (Nov. 4) and next week (Nov. 11)!
🎟 Free for members | Reservations encouraged
🍸 Take-and-walk drinks available (21+)
🌅 Music and food wind down around 7:30 p.m.
Reserve your spot at the link in our bio.
Thanks to our sponsor, @titosvodka!
📷: 2-5 @ticomendoza, 1 & 6-10 Wildflower Center
#WildflowerCenter #StayWild #AustinLiveMusic #TuesdayTwilights
Nov 4
🍂 November at the Wildflower Center
Fall’s in full swing out here! This month’s all about discovery, from the science of fire and fungi to the simple joy of being outdoors. Whether you’re joining a class, catching live music, or wandering Fortlandia, there’s always something new to learn (and love) in the gardens.
Plan your visit: wildflower.org/events
#WildflowerCenter #StayWild #ATXThingsToDo #ExploreTexas
Nov 3
OooOOoo… it’s not all treats out here. To mark Halloween, here are a few strange and spooky sights from the gardens, from the familiar to the unexpected.
🕸️ Banded garden spider (Argiope trifasciata) – Spins perfect orbs that shimmer with dew on cool autumn mornings.
🍊 Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) – Bumpy, lime-green fruit once believed to repel spiders.
🍁 Flameleaf sumac (Rhus lanceolata) – Its red fall foliage could give Dracula garden envy.
🌾 King Ranch bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) – Introduced for cattle forage, this invasive grass has spread across much of Texas, displacing native prairie species. The Center is working to reduce its presence and restore native diversity.
🌿 Lichen – A partnership between fungus and algae, slow-growing and quietly anchoring life to bark and stone.
🌼 Crab spider (Misumena vatia) – Perfectly camouflaged on petals, waiting for an unsuspecting pollinator to land.
🩸 Devil’s claw (Proboscidea louisianica) – Its hooked seedpods twist and scatter across dry ground.
🦉 Athena – Our resident great horned owl who returns each spring, keeping a watchful eye on us all. 👀
💀 Texas skeletonplant (Lygodesmia texana) – Morning blooms fade by midday, leaving slender, bone-pale stems.
🚯 Litter – A spooky sight we don’t want to see. Remember to leave no trace in our natural spaces!
Which do you think is the spookiest? 👻
#StayWild #WildflowerCenter #SpookySeason #TexasNature #NativePlants #HalloweenNature #LeaveNoTrace #TexasWildlife #NaturePhotography
Oct 31
🔥 Prescribed burn notice: Today and tomorrow (Oct. 30 & 31), you may notice light smoke near the Wildflower Center. Our Lands & Operations team, together with researchers from @utaustintx and the @austintexasgov Wildfire Division, is conducting a series of prescribed burns as part of the GRAMA — Grassland Recovery After Multiple Alterations project.
This long-term study, led by Drs. Amelia Wolf and Sean Griffin (our Director of Science & Conservation), examines how grasslands respond to factors like drought, nutrient changes, biomass removal and fire. Controlled burns are one part of this experiment, helping scientists understand how these ecosystems recover and adapt over time.
Prescribed burns also mimic natural processes that clear built-up fuels, return nutrients to the soil and encourage healthy regrowth.
🌾 More about prairie restoration and prescribed fire at the link in our bio.
📸 Dr. Sean Griffin
#WildflowerCenter #PrescribedBurn #FireEcology #StayWild #AustinTX #UTResearch
Oct 30
Everything we depend on — from our homes and food to our water — starts with soil. 🌱
There’s more life in a single inch of healthy soil than anywhere above ground. Together, those tiny organisms clean our water and nourish our plants.
Join Leslie this Saturday, Nov. 1, for Dig Your Native Soil and discover how taking the #LeaveSomeLeaves challenge supports the living network beneath our feet.
Register at wildflower.org/event/dig-your-native-soil (Link in our bio!).
#WildflowerCenter #StayWild #TexasNativePlants #SoilHealth #SoilEcology
Oct 28
🦋 Butterflies. That’s the post.
Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) and queens (Danaus gilippus) can’t resist Gregg’s mistflower (Conoclinium greggii), a native favorite for late-season nectar.
#WildflowerCenter #StayWild #Pollinators #TexasNativePlants
Oct 27
Join our Leave Some Leaves Fall Challenge! 🍂 Fallen leaves aren’t yard waste — they’re nature’s mulch, shelter, and fertilizer. When we let them stay in our landscapes, we support healthy soil, wildlife, and the dynamic habitats that keep nature resilient.
This fall, we’re giving the rake a rest and letting nature do its thing. Will you join us? 🌱
🔗 Learn more at wildflower.org/leave-some-leaves
🎨 Natalie Luz Elorza-Welling
#LeaveSomeLeaves #LeaveTheLeaves #WildflowerCenter #StayWild #TexasNativePlantWeek #NativePlants
Oct 25
Saturday’s Discovery Day: Fire turned learning into action, inviting families to explore the science behind prescribed burns, wildfire ecology, and how fire sustains healthy Texas landscapes. Guests met three Smokey Bears, tested real fire hoses, and got hands-on with activities led by local fire and conservation experts.
A huge thanks to our partners — @austinfiredept, @wildlandsforwater, Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office, @texasforestservice, and @texasmasternaturalist — for helping make it possible.
Mark your calendars for our next Discovery Day on Sunday, January 25 — Into the Wood, where we’ll dive into the world of trees with planting demos, career chats with tree climbers, and insights into rare oak research.
#DiscoveryDay #StayWild #WildflowerCenter #AustinEvents #TexasKids #NaturePlay #CommunityPartners
Nov 10
Happy Texas Arbor Day! 🌿 In our Hall of Heroes, you’ll find young oaks grown from acorns of Texas legends like Treaty Oak and Big Tree on Goose Island. These seedlings carry forward the history and the roots of some of our state’s most iconic trees.
#TexasArborDay #WildflowerCenter #TexasOaks #NativeTrees #StayWild #ConservationInAction
Nov 7
Experience winter nights in a whole new light ✨
Luminations returns Dec. 5 – Jan. 3 — our annual celebration of winter’s natural beauty!
Stroll glowing garden paths and enjoy live music, hot chocolate, churros, and more. 🌙
🎟️ Tickets available now at the link in our bio!
#Luminations #WildflowerCenter #AustinLights #AustinEvents #StayWild
Nov 6
The light hits different this time of year. Come catch those last golden rays with live music, good food, and friends at Tuesday Twilights 🌾
Tonight’s set: BEN + SHIGIDEE SHIGIDEE, plus eats from @konfusedesindianfoodtruck, @ikenaves1, and @dulcefridaatx. Only two nights left — tonight (Nov. 4) and next week (Nov. 11)!
🎟 Free for members | Reservations encouraged
🍸 Take-and-walk drinks available (21+)
🌅 Music and food wind down around 7:30 p.m.
Reserve your spot at the link in our bio.
Thanks to our sponsor, @titosvodka!
📷: 2-5 @ticomendoza, 1 & 6-10 Wildflower Center
#WildflowerCenter #StayWild #AustinLiveMusic #TuesdayTwilights
Nov 4
🍂 November at the Wildflower Center
Fall’s in full swing out here! This month’s all about discovery, from the science of fire and fungi to the simple joy of being outdoors. Whether you’re joining a class, catching live music, or wandering Fortlandia, there’s always something new to learn (and love) in the gardens.
Plan your visit: wildflower.org/events
#WildflowerCenter #StayWild #ATXThingsToDo #ExploreTexas
Nov 3
OooOOoo… it’s not all treats out here. To mark Halloween, here are a few strange and spooky sights from the gardens, from the familiar to the unexpected.
🕸️ Banded garden spider (Argiope trifasciata) – Spins perfect orbs that shimmer with dew on cool autumn mornings.
🍊 Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) – Bumpy, lime-green fruit once believed to repel spiders.
🍁 Flameleaf sumac (Rhus lanceolata) – Its red fall foliage could give Dracula garden envy.
🌾 King Ranch bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) – Introduced for cattle forage, this invasive grass has spread across much of Texas, displacing native prairie species. The Center is working to reduce its presence and restore native diversity.
🌿 Lichen – A partnership between fungus and algae, slow-growing and quietly anchoring life to bark and stone.
🌼 Crab spider (Misumena vatia) – Perfectly camouflaged on petals, waiting for an unsuspecting pollinator to land.
🩸 Devil’s claw (Proboscidea louisianica) – Its hooked seedpods twist and scatter across dry ground.
🦉 Athena – Our resident great horned owl who returns each spring, keeping a watchful eye on us all. 👀
💀 Texas skeletonplant (Lygodesmia texana) – Morning blooms fade by midday, leaving slender, bone-pale stems.
🚯 Litter – A spooky sight we don’t want to see. Remember to leave no trace in our natural spaces!
Which do you think is the spookiest? 👻
#StayWild #WildflowerCenter #SpookySeason #TexasNature #NativePlants #HalloweenNature #LeaveNoTrace #TexasWildlife #NaturePhotography
Oct 31
🔥 Prescribed burn notice: Today and tomorrow (Oct. 30 & 31), you may notice light smoke near the Wildflower Center. Our Lands & Operations team, together with researchers from @utaustintx and the @austintexasgov Wildfire Division, is conducting a series of prescribed burns as part of the GRAMA — Grassland Recovery After Multiple Alterations project.
This long-term study, led by Drs. Amelia Wolf and Sean Griffin (our Director of Science & Conservation), examines how grasslands respond to factors like drought, nutrient changes, biomass removal and fire. Controlled burns are one part of this experiment, helping scientists understand how these ecosystems recover and adapt over time.
Prescribed burns also mimic natural processes that clear built-up fuels, return nutrients to the soil and encourage healthy regrowth.
🌾 More about prairie restoration and prescribed fire at the link in our bio.
📸 Dr. Sean Griffin
#WildflowerCenter #PrescribedBurn #FireEcology #StayWild #AustinTX #UTResearch
Oct 30
Everything we depend on — from our homes and food to our water — starts with soil. 🌱
There’s more life in a single inch of healthy soil than anywhere above ground. Together, those tiny organisms clean our water and nourish our plants.
Join Leslie this Saturday, Nov. 1, for Dig Your Native Soil and discover how taking the #LeaveSomeLeaves challenge supports the living network beneath our feet.
Register at wildflower.org/event/dig-your-native-soil (Link in our bio!).
#WildflowerCenter #StayWild #TexasNativePlants #SoilHealth #SoilEcology
Oct 28
🦋 Butterflies. That’s the post.
Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) and queens (Danaus gilippus) can’t resist Gregg’s mistflower (Conoclinium greggii), a native favorite for late-season nectar.
#WildflowerCenter #StayWild #Pollinators #TexasNativePlants
Oct 27
Join our Leave Some Leaves Fall Challenge! 🍂 Fallen leaves aren’t yard waste — they’re nature’s mulch, shelter, and fertilizer. When we let them stay in our landscapes, we support healthy soil, wildlife, and the dynamic habitats that keep nature resilient.
This fall, we’re giving the rake a rest and letting nature do its thing. Will you join us? 🌱
🔗 Learn more at wildflower.org/leave-some-leaves
🎨 Natalie Luz Elorza-Welling
#LeaveSomeLeaves #LeaveTheLeaves #WildflowerCenter #StayWild #TexasNativePlantWeek #NativePlants
Oct 25
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