More colorful wildflower profusion
Two days ago the dense wildflowers on the east side of TX 36 in Somerville, about a hundred-mile drive east of home, kept causing one driver after another to pull over. At one point there must have been 10 cars by the side of the highway. The flowers were phlox (Phlox drummondii), bluebonnets (maybe Lupinus subcarnosus), Texas groundsel (Senecio ampullaceus), and Indian paintbrushes (Castilleja indivisa).
© 2023 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
What a beautiful mix of colors, I think I would also stop and take pictures.
picpholio
March 13, 2023 at 4:40 PM
I’m sure you would, just like all the people who stopped there did.
Steve Schwartzman
March 13, 2023 at 10:52 PM
“Wildflowers cause traffic jam.” Sweet.
Bernadette
March 13, 2023 at 4:53 PM
Sweet it was, even on a wide highway where the traffic didn’t back up. But you can fantasize.
Steve Schwartzman
March 13, 2023 at 10:53 PM
They are of course beautiful! Of course I wish I could see them in person! But I live in Flagstaff, AZ so that is not possible. Thanks for sharing the pictures! C. Smith.
Caroline Smith
March 13, 2023 at 5:51 PM
Roads do connect Austin and Flagstaff. I know, because we drove to Flagstaff some years ago and spent three nights there. Come on down to Texas when you can.
Steve Schwartzman
March 13, 2023 at 10:56 PM
Fantastic. I witnessed a crowd like that for a natural event once. A moose was hanging around a pond next to the road near Quabbin.
Steve Gingold
March 13, 2023 at 6:11 PM
We were out for seven hours today and found more scenes like this one. Didn’t see a moose, however. The last one of those we saw was in Canada in 2017.
Steve Schwartzman
March 13, 2023 at 11:01 PM
I would purposely pause for such profusion!
Robert Parker
March 13, 2023 at 6:25 PM
Positively!
Steve Schwartzman
March 13, 2023 at 11:01 PM
That is a stunning array of colours. I too would have had to stop!
Heyjude
March 13, 2023 at 6:58 PM
I know you would. It’s harder to understand why many people drove right past without stopping.
Steve Schwartzman
March 13, 2023 at 11:02 PM
WOW!!!
Eliza Waters
March 13, 2023 at 8:45 PM
Yes!
Steve Schwartzman
March 13, 2023 at 11:02 PM
Beautiful carpet of many wildflowers!
Alessandra Chaves
March 13, 2023 at 10:14 PM
A carpet we were careful not to tread on.
Steve Schwartzman
March 13, 2023 at 11:03 PM
I didn’t realize Somerville’s so relatively close. I made it as far as Bellville on Sunday, so Somerville is within striking distance. That said, it’s not a destination for a day trip, given my preference for back roads and lingering. That is a beautiful color. Most of the phlox I found were shades of pink. This magenta combines well with the bluebonnets.
shoreacres
March 14, 2023 at 5:51 AM
Speaking of Somerville, if you do go there and continue to the Birch Creek Unit of Lake Somerville State Park you’ll pass through Lyons. At the intersection of Silver Maple Dr. and FM 60 is a pretty good field of wildflowers. It was better last year, but still worth a look.
And speaking of phlox, some of the places I mentioned in the e-mail I just sent you offer brilliantly red phlox.
Steve Schwartzman
March 14, 2023 at 9:00 AM
I fear my traveling for spring wildflowers is over, or nearly so. It’s time to get back to work, even though I’d love to spend a full week — or even another long weekend — roaming around. We’ll see. The weather this weekend is looking iffy, but if it stays cool for a bit, the flowers might linger longer than they otherwise would. Even better would be some rain.
shoreacres
March 14, 2023 at 9:06 AM
Yes, the practicalities of life. Even so, a day trip, while not your preference, could prove rewarding, and it’s much easier to work into your schedule. In the past few weeks I’ve often had to contend with the wind, of which there might be less with the iffy weather you mentioned, unless that means outright rain (which, as you said, has a longer-term advantage).
Steve Schwartzman
March 14, 2023 at 9:18 AM
Gluttony is said to be one of the seven deadlies, of course, and when it comes to wildflowers, I certainly can tend toward gluttony. I certainly have a nice clutch of photos already, but knowing what’s going on out there — even from day to day — can make staying put difficult!
shoreacres
March 14, 2023 at 9:27 AM
I see nothing wrong with wanting ever more more wildflower pictures. Call me a wildflower glutton, too, and I’ll gladly own the title.
Steve Schwartzman
March 14, 2023 at 12:28 PM
Or, we could go with ‘enthusiastic appreciator.’
shoreacres
March 14, 2023 at 6:15 PM
That certainly puts it in a good light (as we photographers hope will also be true for our subjects).
Steve Schwartzman
March 14, 2023 at 6:36 PM
Hello.
Beautiful description of the wildflowers, thank you for sharing!
michellenielsen98
March 14, 2023 at 8:03 AM
You’re welcome. Spring wildflowers in Texas are a natural wonder.
Steve Schwartzman
March 14, 2023 at 9:01 AM
Wow! It looks like a superbloom for you guys!
circadianreflections
March 14, 2023 at 9:01 AM
I could be smug and say nah, just a run-of-the-mill Texas spring. We have been finding some great sights in the past week, this being just one of them.
Steve Schwartzman
March 14, 2023 at 9:04 AM
I am hoping for a superbloom this year and will be going to find spring flowers soon. The rain is melting all the snow, and we can actually see our lawn and to our astonishment it’s green!!
circadianreflections
March 14, 2023 at 9:07 AM
Happy green, and happy superbloom if it comes your way. I’ve seen pictures of how good it can be in your part of the country.
Steve Schwartzman
March 14, 2023 at 9:11 AM
I can see why so many people pulled over to see them!
Lavinia Ross
March 16, 2023 at 4:37 PM
Yes, of all the world’s mysteries, that’s not one of them.
Steve Schwartzman
March 16, 2023 at 5:04 PM
What a fabulous sight! I’d certainly stop to see these – might find it hard to tear myself away again!
Ann Mackay
March 16, 2023 at 4:56 PM
From hundreds of miles of driving around south-central Texas in the past week, I can attest that sights like this are to be had in many places.
Steve Schwartzman
March 16, 2023 at 5:06 PM
Fantastic! You just don’t see that sort of thing over here. (Though there are still bluebell woods.)
Ann Mackay
March 16, 2023 at 5:25 PM
That’s why I keep telling people from other places that they have to come and see Texas in the spring.
Steve Schwartzman
March 16, 2023 at 5:29 PM
Sounds like a lovely way to spend some of spring! 🙂
Ann Mackay
March 16, 2023 at 6:47 PM
What? Only some?
Steve Schwartzman
March 16, 2023 at 6:59 PM
Ah, but there’s all the other places with spring flowers to visit… 🙂
Ann Mackay
March 16, 2023 at 8:01 PM
Point taken.
Steve Schwartzman
March 16, 2023 at 10:12 PM