Discover the Best Time of Year to Plant Wildflower Seeds

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Written by Patrick MacFarland

Published: March 16, 2024

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You’ve all seen them when you’re hiking valleys or out in nature. There are beautiful wildflowers that are just amazing to look at. They could be of different colors, from red to purple to blue and yellow. You start wondering to yourself if you can plant those wildfires in your backyard. The answer is yes. You can buy wildflower seeds at any plant or flower store. But the question remains, when is the best time of year to plant wildflower seeds? The best time to plant wildflower seeds is around March or April. Planting is all about timing. You don’t want your wildflowers to not grow because you didn’t plan them at the right time. Let’s take a look at the best time of year to plant wildflower seeds and other fun facts. 

When To Plant Wildflower Seeds

California wildflower super bloom at Diamond Valley Lake in Riverside County, one of the best place to see poppies, lupines and other colorful wildflowers

There are thousands of species of wildflowers in the world.

Let’s get straight to the point. The best time to plant wildflower seeds is around March or April. Make sure you plant them in early spring so that they can bloom by the middle of spring. They will last through the end of spring and even into summer. They will eventually die and you can probably plant them again in autumn. The early autumn months of September and October are the second best time to plant wildflower seeds.

How To Plant Wildflower Seeds

The important thing to remember when you are planting wildflower seeds is that you need to make sure that everything is near perfect. There is a handy checklist that you can use that will get you to have the best wildflower bloom.

  • Make sure you have the space available where there are no weeds or grass in the way. The soil also has to be good, but crumbly and not as fertile.
  • Sprinkle the wildflowers onto the soil and to make your life easier, follow the instructions on the packet you have bought.
  • Settle the seeds into the soil, but only lightly with a rake. If you put them in too deep, they may not sprout up from the soil.
  • Water the spots where you planted the wildflowers and make sure you do so with generous amounts of water.
  • When it comes to fertilizer, you might think that’s the best way for them to grow, but with wildflowers, the opposite is true. Don’t use fertilizer.
Wildflowers at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Southern California.

Wildflowers grow in all types of areas like valleys, grasslands, and other places.

There is an abundance of species of wildflowers out there in the world. But there are a few that are quite popular. Let’s take a look at a few popular wildflower seeds you may buy.

  • Betony Seeds (Stachys officinalis): blooms from June to August
  • Birdsfoot Trefoil Seeds (Lotus corniculatus): blooms from May to October
  • Bladder Campion Seeds (Silene vulgaris): blooms from June to August
  • Bluebell Seeds (Hyacinthoides non-scripta): blooms around April or May

Conclusion

And there you have it, the best time of year to plant wildflower seeds is in March or April. Springtime is the perfect time to plant these wildflowers because then they will end up blooming shortly after. Having beautiful wildflowers bloom during the springtime could be an exciting thing and they don’t just grow out in nature. Your backyard or front yard will look beautiful with wildflowers of different colors blooming when you invite guests over for a delicious barbecue.


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About the Author

Patrick MacFarland

Patrick Macfarland is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering travel, geography, and history. Patrick has been writing for more than 10 years. In the past, he has been a teacher and a political candidate. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from SDSU and a Master's Degree in European Union Studies from CIFE. From San Diego, California, Patrick loves to travel and try new recipes to cook.

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