Where to Spot Flowers in Bloom this Spring in Virginia

Welcome to the season of renewal in Virginia! It is the best time of year to explore the beautiful blossoms that make the Commonwealth so colorful this spring. While you can spot bright buds practically anywhere you look during this time of year, some destinations have impressive examples of native Virginia wildflowers, while other locations offer pristine gardens of roses, tulips, and other stunning floral displays.

Use this guide to find the most beautiful flowers in Virginia this spring.

Historic Garden Week—Locations Throughout Virginia

For more than 90 years, Historic Garden Week has filled Virginia with blooms. This week-long event offers a great opportunity to visit more than 250 different gardens across the state of Virginia. Experience spring blooms at their peak and visit historic homes with colorful arrangements created by the Garden Club of Virginia.

Don't Miss: Check out our recommendations for Historic Garden Week tours around Virginia. 

Maymont—Richmond

A gorgeous Richmond attraction, Maymont is a 100-acre property that was gifted to the community by James and Sallie Dooley, who resided in the estate from 1893–1925. Now open to the public, Maymont features several themed gardens including an Italian Garden made up of geometric flower beds, sculptures, and fountains that are reminiscent of the Villa Torlonia near Rome.

Maymont’s Japanese Garden transports visitors with fragrant cherry blossoms in full bloom, water irises, and intricate stonework surrounding a tumbling waterfall. Stroll through their Arboretum or visit one of several specialty gardens to experience the beauty of the spring season.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden—Richmond

Situated minutes away from Downtown Richmond on a historic property, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is one of the most incredible spots in Central Virginia to see a variety of spring flowers. Explore fifty acres of blooms, including a children’s garden that offers a treehouse and an adventure pathway.

Whether you are visiting for a day of family fun or to bask in the beauty and charm, this year-round garden is particularly sweet in the spring. It is no surprise that Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a top attraction in the Richmond region.

Keep planning a River City spring getaway with our complete guide to visiting Richmond. 

Edith J. Carrier Arboretum— Harrisonburg

Situated on the campus of James Madison University, the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum showcases the natural beauty that the spring season promises. Visitors are invited to walk the trails and pathways brushed with Virginia native plants, landscaped gardens and lush lawns perfect for a picnic or an afternoon of relaxation.

Offering a number of cultural and educational programs throughout the year, guests can leave with a newfound appreciation for environmental preservation. Popular native spring flowers include blue bells, blood root, trout lily, wild larkspur, true geranium, and several trillium varietals.

Need help planning a spring getaway to the Friendly City? Use our complete Harrisonburg guide.

New River Trail State Park

A 57-mile linear park that meanders along the shores of its namesake river, New River Trail State Park contains dozens of rare wildflowers that burst into bloom come spring. Hike, bike, or explore the park on horseback. Head to the Foster Falls area to rent canoes and launch your boat to see the blooms from the water. 

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens—Vienna

With 95 acres to explore, spring is an excellent time of year to enjoy the unique and elegant Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, which contain a wide collection of native perennials. The gardens boast over twenty different varieties of cherry blossom trees, along with irises, peonies and colorful tulips. Experience the spring foliage while walking along one of several maintained trails within the gardens.

The sunniest spring days offer the opportunity to visit the shade garden, home to many birds, butterflies and blooming wildflowers. Learn more about horticulture and gardening at a workshop, or partake in a tour of the grounds, while discovering all that there is to know about conservation.

Colonial Williamsburg—Williamsburg

Take a trip back in time with a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, where you’ll enjoy 90+ gardens spanning over more than 100 acres of colonial era public buildings, homes, shops, and exhibits. Partake in a guided stroll through the gardens at the Rockefellers' Bassett Hall, where an expert will share family stories and explain the design of the garden.

If you have ever wondered about gardening techniques used back in colonial days, pick a date and visit the “Meet the Gardener” program. Explore the ornamental garden at the Governor's Palace, or visit the vegetable gardens behind private homes on Duke of Gloucester Street.

Planning a Williamsburg trip? Don't forget our complete guide to help you plan. 

Blandy Experimental Farm—Boyce

During the spring and early summer, Blandy Experimental Farm offers guided wildflower walks, identifying spring wildflowers during the one-mile leisurely stroll along the Native Plant Trail. Additionally, an audio trail with eleven stops gives visitors the option of taking a self-guided tour of the property and learn about the flowers at their own pace.

Norfolk Botanical Garden—Norfolk

Norfolk Botanical Garden offers an experience that is unique to the coastal city. Surrounded by Whitehurst Lake, guests have the unique ability to tour the gardens on foot, by tram, or by boat.

During the spring season, there are 15 gardens open to visitors, including one garden entirely dedicated to showcasing native Virginia plants. Visit one of the largest, most diverse collections of roses, azaleas and rhododendrons on the East Coast.

Find more fun things to do in Norfolk with our complete guide to visiting Norfolk. 

The Blue Ridge Parkway

Many travelers choose to take the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall to admire the vibrant foliage, but spring brings bright colors in the form of stunning wildflowers.

Just south of Roanoke, Poor Mountain is one of the best places to see piratebush, a rare plant found in only a handful of areas in the United States. Mountain laurel can be seen along the entire parkway beginning in early summer, and for Bright Flame Azalea, take the Whetstone Ridge Trail, accessible from Milepost 29. Thunder Ridge Overlook is another excellent vantage point for catching emerging wildflowers blanketing the surrounding mountains.

Mount Vernon—Mount Vernon

George Washington’s Mount Vernon is the perfect place to view spring flowers if you are a history lover. Displaying a variety of colonial-era buildings, including a functioning gristmill and distillery at the historic estate, Mount Vernon also boasts unforgettable gardens and landscapes.

Originally overseen by George Washington himself, the gardens surrounding his mansion and were naturally designed with hundreds of plants, many native to Virginia, and trees, twelve of which are still alive today.

Natural Bridge State Park—Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge State Park is well known for the towering 215-foot tall stone archway created long ago by Cedar Creek, but the park is also a great place for spring wildflowers, such as trillium, Virginia bluebells, flame azalea, wild yam, cranes bill, and pennywort.

Bull Run Regional Park—Centreville

One of the best places for spotting vivid wildflowers in Northern Virginia, Bull Run Regional Park is best visited during April, when the 1.5-mile Bluebell Trail is in bloom. In addition to Virginia bluebells, the trail supports more than 25 varieties of native wildflowers that can be seen throughout the spring and summer.

Bluebell Island—St. Paul

A hiking trail that runs through the small southwest Virginia town of St. Paul, Bluebell Island is a 1.3-acre area true to its name, blanketed in Virginia bluebells come spring. The trail passes through the heart of downtown and along the pristine Clinch River, making for an easy but scenic wildflower hike.

Paradise Creek Nature Park—Portsmouth

After two decades of restoration efforts, Paradise Creek Nature Park along the Elizabeth River has become a peaceful oasis within the busy coastal area. The 40-acre park contains a wildflower meadow that is in full bloom come spring, as well as butterfly gardens, two miles of wheelchair-friendly trails through forests and wetlands, a river-themed playground, and a kayak launch for those looking to spot the wildflowers from the calm waters of the creek.

Wintergreen Resort—Nellysford

Use Wintergreen Resort as a home base during a spring getaway and explore the mountain's many trails to take in beautiful spring wildflowers.

You'll find mountain laurel, blueberries, and rose azalea along Blackrock Trail during June. Chestnut Springs Trail has wildflowers like rhododendron, bloodroot, wild ginger, and violets, all of which bloom in April, while Fortune's Ridge Trail passes through laurel thickets (blooming in June) and Trillium Field is blanketed in white and pink trillium in early May.

Whitetop Mountain—Mouth of Wilson

Wildflowers burst into color in mid-spring along Whitetop Mountain in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, but the best time to visit is in June, when the native flame azalea is at its peak. The second highest summit in Virginia, the mountain is accessible by the Appalachian Trail, and while it shares a similar landscape with nearby Grayson Highlands State Park, the mountain is typically less busy when it comes to hiking.

Seven Bends State Park—Woodstock

Seven Bends State Park sits on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River about 40 miles northeast of Harrisonburg, and has more than eight miles of hiking trails.

The riverside trails are covered in Virginia bluebells from early spring until May, and when the bluebells fade, Dame's Rocket, Dutchman's breeches, bee balm, bergamot, sunflowers, Queen Anne's Lace, rue anemone, and other lovely wildflowers sprout throughout the park. You'll also spot an array of woodland flowers, including May apples, trillium, mountain laurel, blood root, sawtooth leafwort, and various asters.

Monticello—Charlottesville

The gardens at Monticello are a true botanic showpiece. During Thomas Jefferson's lifetime, the gardens were more than just ornamental — they acted as a source of food for the estate. Documented evidence suggests that Jefferson oversaw the growth of more than 105 species of herbaceous plants.

The estate boasts several gardens, including the winding flower border that outlines the west lawn and twenty oval gardens within proximity to the house. The grove, originally housing Jefferson’s "pet trees," offers visitors the opportunity to take a trip back in time, while exploring the spring blossoms and colors.

Find more spring spots (plus top restaurants and more things to do) with our complete guide to Charlottesville. 

Gloucester Daffodil Festival—Gloucester

Take part in what has been a Gloucester tradition since 1987. Each year, the town of Gloucester hosts a Daffodil Festival to welcome the new spring season. This event offers fun for the entire family, with a parade, face painting, games, activities, and live music. Participate in the daffodil show, attend the History of Bulbs and Blooms presented by Brent Heath, or tour the farms at Brent and Becky’s bulbs.

Burnside Farms—Nokesville

Head over to Burnside Farms in Nokesville, Virginia for their annual Festival of Spring. At the opening of each spring season, visitors are welcomed onto the grounds, filled with over one million spring blooms. Fifty varieties of tulips are bursting with color in their fields.

This family-friendly event allows visitors to pick and purchase daffodils and tulips. You can even take the bulbs home to plant in your own garden. Admission includes games, activities, live music and vendors on weekends.

Shenandoah National Park

Wildflowers can be found throughout Shenandoah National Park. In spring and summer, small blue and yellow blooms of bluets and Quaker ladies can be found along the trails, while in May, wild azaleas add their colorful flowers to the mix, and mountain laurel's white flowers blossom in June.

Other wildflowers seen in the park include milkweed, ox eye daisies, goldenrods, asters, and wild sunflowers. As with most protected lands, it is against the law to pick any flowers inside the park, so please leave these spring flowers to be enjoyed by future guests.

Netherlands Carillon—Arlington

Netherlands Carillon offers a truly unique experience to visitors. Gifted to the United States by the Netherlands after World War ll, the bell tower is comprised of 50 bronze alloy bells, each delicately engraved. The bell is a symbol of the Netherlands’ friendship and gratitude towards the United States.

Located next to the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, the tower offers an excellent view of the D.C. skyline and several monuments. The tower is surrounded by a colorful collection of tulips, all of which bloom during the spring season.

Find more outdoor attractions, plus top restaurants and things to do, with our complete guide to visiting Arlington. 
 

Other Virginia Destinations Known for Spring Wildflowers:

• Pinnacle Natural Area Preserve–Russell County
• Falls on the Little Stony–Jefferson National Forest near Coeburn
• Cabin Creek Falls–Grayson Highlands State Park
• Blue Ridge Discovery Center–Troutdale
• Boxerwood Nature Center & Woodland Garden–Lexington
• Birdsong Pleasure Garden–Luray
• Mill Mountain Wildflower Garden–Roanoke
• The Well Fields–Saltville
• Museum of the Shenandoah Valley–Winchester
• Southwest Virginia State Park Museum–Big Stone Gap