From late March to the middle of May is the best time of year to go hunting for native wildflowers. It may surprise you all the fun and colorful species that pop up to welcome spring. Here are our top picks for hunting down native wildflowers in Knoxville.

Ijams Nature Center
The trails at Ijams Nature Center weave through a patchwork of diverse habitats with varying soil types and light conditions. This results in a wide array of native species appearing throughout the nature center! Explore woodlands and wetlands along the Discovery Trails, and reclaimed mining sites along Imerys Trail. Wildflower species such as Solomon’s seal, trilliums, wild geranium and phloxes have all been spotted.

UT Arboretum
The University of Tennessee’s arboretum offers beautiful walking trails, gardens and picnic areas to explore. With many tree species labeled, it is a great place to learn about the native trees in our area. It is also a wonderful place to look for wildflowers in the spring. You will find a wildflower garden, as well as bloodroot, little brown jug and rue anemone popping up along the Oak Hickory Trail. The Lost Chestnut trail is home to squawroot, cranefly orchid, and mayapple.

William Hastie Natural Area
In the heart of Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness lies a wildflower hotspot that many are not aware of. In April and early May, all of the trails in William Hastie Natural Area will be dotted with pops of color. You will find yellow trillium, blue phlox, yellow trout lily, and many other flowering plants nestled under flowering dogwood trees.

Dean’s Woods
Dean’s Woods is a well-kept secret near Alcoa Highway. The UT-owned property consists of roughly 20 acres and is situated along Woodson Drive in South Knoxville, the trail is accessible from a small parking area. A single, main trail runs the long axis of the property (from Woodson Drive toward Bunker Hill), and there are two side trails: one along the Deanbrook Creek at the front and the other to a limestone outcropping near the middle of the property.  Plants that thrive on the site include Canada Violet, Celandine Poppy, Columbine, Dutchman’s Breeches, Golden Seal, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Shortia, Spring Beauty, Squirrel Corn, Virginia Bluebells, and Yellowroot. The property is open to the public but please be respectful of this sensitive habitat for threatened plant species.

HAPPY HIKING!