On this page...
Wildflowers are enticing treasures for wilderness lovers each spring.
Just like the weather, wildflowers can be unpredictable. Get an up-to-date list of woodland wildflowers in bloom in your inbox.
Iowa’s woodlands come to life with patches of color in early spring as native wildflowers start to bloom. Looking for wildflowers can be a fun, unique spring activity for kids and is a great way to spend time outdoors as a family.
| Report Date | Area | Description of Woodland Wildflower Blooms |
|---|---|---|
| 3/23/2026 | Northern Iowa | No blooms yet. Sharp-lobed hepatica is sprouting in Emmet County. |
| 3/19/2026 | Central Iowa | Look for American hazelnut, snow trillium and sharp-lobed hepatica in Jackson County. Crocus, snow trillium, Virginia waterleaf, violet and thistle are blooming in Sac County. Find skunk cabbage in Guthrie County. Garlic mustard rosette leaves have emerged in Hardin County. |
| Southern Iowa | Snow trillium are at the peak of their blooming in Des Moines and Henry counties, surviving last week’s blizzard unscathed. Sharp-lobed hepatica are starting to be plentiful in both the white and purple varieties. Although it's a fungi, and not a flower, scarlet cups can be found. Dutchman’s breeches are beginning to bloom. A single bloodroot and a single very early Spring beauty was found. Purple cress are starting to bloom. Virginia bluebells are budding, but it will take them several more weeks to bloom fully. Virginia waterleaf is beginning to leaf out. The large, rare putty root orchid leaves can still be easily spotted among the leaf litter, as they remain green all year long.
Sweet cisely, Dutchman’s breeches, spring beauty, and Virginia waterleaf leaves are emerging in Appanoose County. | |
| Western Iowa | No reports |
Which wildflowers will you discover this week?
One of the most encouraging signs of spring, the first wildflowers seem to bloom overnight. Get outside this spring and see what you can find!
Early spring wildflowers are commonly called ephemerals, which means “short-lived.” They utilize a short time window when sunlight bathes the forest floor before tree leaves emerge to shade them out. It's a smart ecological adaptation and pretty, too.
Wildflowers can be found by simply walking, or biking along trails, on a hike through a local or Iowa state park or just driving slowly along a county road. It's illegal to pick wildflowers in public conservation areas, so take a photo or sketch your finds and leave the plants untouched.
Spotting secretive wildflowers is a refreshing, unique spring activity for the whole family. Get outside this spring and see what you can find. Please take only pictures and leave the flowers for others to enjoy!
Common Spring Wildflowers
Wildflowers come in countless varieties and yet can be so fleeting. They sprinkle wild landscapes with color and send subtle fragrances into the nearby air.
Look for these common Iowa spring wildflowers.
- Bloodroot
- Common blue violet
- Dutchman’s breeches
- Jack-in-the-pulpit
- Rue anemone
- Shooting star
- Snow trillium
- Speckled Phlox (wild sweet William)
- Spring beauty
- Virginia bluebells
- White trout lily
- Wild columbine
- Wild geranium
Come Create Unforgettable Memories!
Sign your kids up for a fun five-day immersive adventure they will never forget. Campers will explore some of the most amazing places in Iowa and build outdoor skills that can last a lifetime.
Helpful Resources
Ready to increase your wildflower activities and knowledge? These resources can help!
Wildflower Books & Guides
- Wildflowers of Iowa Woodlands by Sylvan Runkel and Alvin Bull
- Iowa Trees & Wildflowers: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Plants by James Kavanagh
- Wildflowers of the Midwest: Your Way to Easily Identify Wildflowers by Stan Tekiela
- A Peterson Field Guide To Wildflowers: Northeastern and North-central North America by Margaret McKenny and Roger Tory Peterson
- Wildflowers of the Midwest: A Field Guide to Over 600 Wildflowers in the Region by Don Kurz
- Wildflowers of Southeastern Iowa -Volume 1 Spring by Don Weiss
Online Resources
- Celebrating Wildflowers - Just for Kids(U.S. Forest Service)
- Native Woodland Flowers for the Home Garden (ISU Extension)
- Iowa’s Spring Wildflowers (Iowa Association of Naturalists)
- Wildflowers of the United States Database
- Iowa Native Plant Society
- Native Plants Database (Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund)
- Nature BINGO (545.18 KB) .pdf
Fun Family Outdoor Activities
- A Poem's Hunt (632.07 KB) .pdf
- Animal Signs Hike (624.67 KB) .pdf
- Birding Guide in Iowa (5.68 MB) .pdf
- Create Your Own Nature Journal (2.38 MB) .pdf
- Habitat Scavenger Hunt (796.13 KB) .pdf
- Look for Nature Hunt (1.64 MB) .pdf
These quick drying mesh bags fit easily in your kayak hatch, bike bag, picnic basket, tacklebox, car trunk or backpack.
You can pick up two litter bags at sites across Iowa.
Tick Safety & Protection
- More than a dozen tick species are found in Iowa, but three are most common: Blacklegged (deer tick), dog tick (wood tick), and the lone star tick. Ticks are active March through November in Iowa.
- Prevention is best. Protect yourself from ticks by:
- Wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants tucked into socks
- Wearing light colored clothes, which makes finding ticks easier.
- Using repellent containing DEET
- Adding permethrin repellents on clothing per label
- Checking for ticks while you're out and once you're home
How to Remove Ticks
- If you find yourself outdoors without tweezers and need to remove a tick:
- Use fine weight fishing line, thread or floss tied into a simple overhand knot.
- Gently tighten the knot around the head of the tick.
- Slowly pull the ends of the line to tighten the knot and pull out the tick.
- Always check your body and hair after spending time outdoors and remove ticks as soon as possible.