The Best Places To See Stunning Spring Blooms Across the South

Atlanta, Georgia

This 30-acre greenspace in downtown Atlanta is a haven for flower seekers. In addition to all the spring blooms (and tulips galore), the garden has a collection of rare flowers, including over 2,000 orchid species. When you visit, also be sure to keep an eye out for the glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly you’ll find throughout the gardens.

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Birmingham, Alabama

There are blooms everywhere you look at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, a 67-acre tract of gardens and pathways that’s a popular (and free!) stop for visitors to Birmingham. Check their What’s In Bloom Calendar to find out what blossoms are currently blooming in the gardens, and don’t forget to stop by the Southern Living Garden while you’re there.

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Pine Mountain, Georgia

Callaway Gardens is home to many spring blooms. Rent a bike and pedal your way through the gardens and their patches of wildflowers, hydrangeas, and azaleas. Don’t forget to stop by the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center for a glimpse of butterflies and plenty of tropical blooms too.

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Nashville, Tennessee

Cheekwood is Nashville’s destination for all things spring flowers. Don’t miss the Bradford Robertson Color Garden for a vibrant display of colorful, in-season flowers, and be sure to walk through the Carell Dogwood Garden for views of dogwoods bursting into bloom.

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Dallas, Texas

When in Dallas, a stop at the Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a must. There’s a celebration of spring flowers each year with Dallas Blooms, a big festival showcasing the garden’s vibrant plantings, including over 500,000 tulips.

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Tennessee and North Carolina

Year-round wildflower blooms blanket Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which stretches across the Tennessee-North Carolina border and is home thousands of wildflower species, including fleeting ephemeral varieties with short blooming periods.

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Avery Island, Louisiana

Visit this paradise in spring, and you’ll find a semitropical garden situated on 170 acres of picturesque Avery Island. It's filled with towering oaks and blooming flowers including camellias and azaleas. (It’s also home to the South’s most famous hot sauce.)

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Austin, Texas

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is the state botanical garden of Texas. It’s located at The University of Texas at Austin, and it’s a great hub from which to start your wildflower journey. Visit to see and learn about Texas wildflowers such as bluebonnet, firewheel, evening primrose, phlox, and prairie verbena.

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Richmond, Virginia

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden got its start as a Victorian-era resort, and it’s now a destination for gorgeous blooms across 50 landscaped acres. Don’t miss the garden’s Cherry Tree Walk in springtime, and be sure to stop for a photo op at the property’s beautiful domed conservatory.

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Charleston, South Carolina

Middleton Place is the oldest landscaped garden in the U.S., and it’s known for its camellias, which bloom in early spring and create blossom-lined walks throughout the property. Join a Camellia Walk, and enjoy a 75-minute tour through the gardens, which are animated by springtime.

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Durham, North Carolina

Duke University’s campus is home to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, where visitors are greeted by a stunning cherry tree allée, as well as path after path of blooming magnolias, daffodils, and irises. There’s also a stretch of prairie strewn with wildflowers in these sprawling public gardens.

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