Texas state parks are having an early spring this year thanks to recent heavy rains and warmer temperatures.
Texas has more than 5,000 species of wildflowers, and this spring has seen a bevy of populations.
At Lyndon B. Johnson State Park, Superintendent Iris Neffendorf said the facility has seen an abundance of Texas bluebonnets along trails, plus Indian paintbrush, evening primrose and wine cups.
In central and north Texas, visitors also will see Engelmann daisies, bee blossoms, Carolina woolly whites, blue-eyed grass, yellow stars, Dakota vervain, Drummond’s skullcaps and more.
Spring started early, with some wildflowers sprouting up an entire month earlier than average – complete with a brilliant display of color.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department botanist Jason Singhurst credited this year’s display to an unseasonably warm winter, even by Texas standards. In turn, soil temperatures were above normal as well.

Learn turkey hunting basics on May 14

There will be a workshop about hunting for spring turkey on May 14 at the Grand Prairie Gun Club.
The workshop will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the club, located at 2330 Lower Tarrant Road in Grand Prairie. Read more in the May 11 Bowie News.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. (Logo provided by the TPWD, used with permission)