10 Best Southern Destinations For Spotting Spring Blooms

From an azalea garden in Asheville to a world-renowned floral festival in Texas, here are some of the best places to get your flower fix this spring.

Springtime in the South always seems to take too long to arrive, and then the summer pushes it away far sooner than we’d hoped. It’s a fleeting chapter, but one that arrives with warmer temperatures, a feeling of levity, and an entire roster of beautiful flowers. Whether they’re hardy annuals or highly anticipated perennials, it’s these bursts of color that signal the seasonal shift and its accompanying festivals, events, and general merriment.

While you’re nearly guaranteed to find a stunning array of flowers throughout the region, there are a few specific destinations every Southerner should experience this time of year. Washington, D.C., of course, is known for its cherry blossoms, and the Blue Ridge Parkway awakens from its winter slumber to show off its bloodroot, buttercups, and birdfoot violets. Then there are the magnolias in Charleston, the azaleas in Savannah, and a Texas wildflower that transforms the Hill Country into an ocean of richly colored blooms. Read on to start planning your flower-filled trip across the South.

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville may reign supreme as the queen of the fall, but it also refuses to be outdone by other Southern cities in the spring. Come March, April, and May, there are countless spots to see the area’s bright colors, especially if you’re interested in wildflowers. For an almost scavenger-hunt-like adventure, follow Asheville’s Wildflower Bloom Schedule. Or, if you prefer to see everything in one place, you can’t miss the Biltmore estate or The North Carolina Arboretum. The former witnesses thousands of tulips and daffodils come to life and boasts an impressive azalea garden; follow the Bloom Report for the most up-to-date timings.

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Savannah, Georgia

Already one of the most romantic places in the South, Savannah turns it up several notches in early March. It’s an exceedingly walkable city, so a stroll through the historic district’s squares and photogenic streets will bring you face-to-face with the swaths of pink azaleas. Or you can head directly to Forsyth Park and Bonaventure Cemetery, where the flowering shrub returns each year. Once you’ve grown tired of all that walking, make your way to Perry Lane Hotel and its rooftop bar, Peregrin, which was recently reimagined into a conservatory-inspired spot complete with a garden theme and botanical cocktails.

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Mobile, Alabama

Of course, Mobile, Alabama, otherwise known as the Azalea City, had to make this list. Your first stop? A tour of Bellingrath Gardens and Home. And while the 65-acre estate's azaleas bloom in March, they’re not the only flowers you’ll find in the garden. There are also tulips, petunias, and pansies; April welcomes roses and verbena; and in May, zinnia and Southern magnolia make their appearances. Mobile Botanical Gardens is another must-visit this time of year, especially if you’re interested in seeing daffodils, salvias, yarrow, and Dutch irises.

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Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina and Virginia

Some travelers head to Blue Ridge Parkway exclusively for its overlooks and mountain air. Others use it as a means of getting from point A to point B. In the springtime, it has another purpose. The scenic byway connecting Virginia and North Carolina is home to a wide range of flowers, including (but not limited to): mountain laurel, flowering dogwood, buttercups, bluets, columbine, bloodroot, birdfoot violet, wild geranium, squirrel corn, and dwarf iris.

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Wilmington, North Carolina

The Tar Heel State has no shortage of places with spring blooms, though Wilmington is certainly one of the best. Anthophiles who are distinctly interested in tulips and azaleas may have Airlie Gardens on their radar—if not, it’s high time that changes. As with all gardens, the exact blooming schedule differs every year (depending on what kind of weather the area has experienced), but it’s usually in mid-March through mid-April. According to the property, 60,000 bulbs are planted to live alongside the 75,000 azaleas.

Charleston, South Carolina

There’s never a bad time to visit Charleston — although July and August can bring rather brutal levels of humidity — but spring is particularly magical. With a bit of luck, you may get to experience the short-lived “wisteria hysteria,” when the non-native plant hits peak bloom in mid-March. In April, May, and early June, azaleas, star jasmine, and the Southern magnolia add their own enchanting touches to the Holy City — find them in Hampton Park or the Historic District, or get an inside look at the gardens featured in The Charleston Festival (formerly known as the Festival of Houses and Gardens).

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Texas Hill Country

Texas bluebonnet season is a time to celebrate in the Lone Star State, and there are many cities, towns, and highways throughout the Hill Country to get glimpses of the stunning display. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin is one of the easier destinations for out-of-towners to reach. If you have a car, head to Burnet, the “Bluebonnet Capital of Texas” that hosts the annual Bluebonnet Festival in April. Dripping Springs is another excellent option; just plug Mercer Street or Dripping Springs Ranch Park into your GPS, and prepare to be blown away by the blue buds.

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Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

The spring flowers of Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park don’t hit peak bloom until May, which means you have a bit of time to plan your trip this year. Following a rainy April, you’ll see the buttercups, bluets, violets, wild geraniums, trilliums, hepatica, and pink lady's slippers — plus several other species — that give the area a complete, colorful makeover. To cover as much ground as possible, hop on the scenic Skyline Drive to explore the 105-mile roadway’s views and overlooks.

Washington, D.C.

Spring may be brief, but the capital’s famous cherry blossoms are even more evanescent. The estimated 3,800 trees grow around the Tidal Basin, in East Potomac Park, and on the grounds of the Washington Monument. To time your travels around peak season, keep tabs on the Cherry Blossom Watch; it provides all the info you need to follow along with the status of the trees and get a good idea of how the weather is affecting the timing of peak season. There’s also the National Cherry Blossom Festival to attend; in 2024, it takes place from March 20 through April 14.

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Dallas, Texas

If you’re confused as to why Dallas, the concrete jungle of the South, is on this list, just hear us out. The Texas metropolis plays host to the “largest annual floral festival in the Southwest,” Dallas Blooms. Located at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, the event, which runs through early April, showcases half a million spring-blooming bulbs. There are tulips, hyacinths, cherry trees, and daffodils—each variety with a slightly different bloom schedule.

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