Where to See Beautiful Spring Flowers in the USA

The California poppy is the flower to see in California. It grows in a seemingly unlikely place—the Mojave Desert. Witnessing the sprawl of poppies in the middle of the desert is an especially incredible sight. You can catch the flower in bloom as late as the end of May, so there is still time to start packing your bags for a trip to the desert to see the breathtaking sight of the California poppy.

Colorado has many beautiful flowers that bloom in the spring, but the most unique and majestic may be the Alpine sunflower, which lasts throughout the summer. Crested Butte is an ideal place in which to see the flowers—the town hosts a festival in July to celebrate the beautiful flowers blossoming all over the area.

The Great Smoky Mountains are home to a range of gorgeous and vibrant flowers that bloom in the spring. Perhaps the most stunning ones are the violets, which carpet the ground in waves of purple. Guided tours are available in the park with staff who can tell you all about the violets and the other flowers in the park.

Although the Texas state flower is the yellow rose, the bluebonnet is actually the star flower in the state when spring rolls around. It was a favorite of former first lady Lady Bird Johnson, who founded a charity to help preserve them throughout the state and America. Come and see the fruits of her labor when the bluebonnets bloom—they are especially gorgeous in the Texas Hill Country.

Mount Rainier National Park just might be the best of many locations in Washington State in which to see spring flowers. The beautiful avalanche lily is perhaps the most special of the flowers in the park—the delicate stalks look especially striking juxtaposed with the mountains for which the park is known.

New Hampshire is most famous for its lupine flowers. The small town of Sugar Hill hosts an annual festival to celebrate the flower, including lupine walks, markets with flowers and products made from them, and a photography contest to see who can best capture the beautiful blooms. But hurry—the lupines will be gone by early June.

Cherry blossoms are some of the most famously beautiful flowers in the world, and outside of Japan, Washington, D.C. is quite possibly the most famous place to see the spectacular sight of hundreds of blooming cherry blossoms. They are all over the city, but are particularly magnificent against the striking architecture of D.C.’s many monuments and government offices.