Sunflowers have been grown in Texas for some time. However, thanks to a combination of a major increase in the number of sunflower meadows in North Central Texas and Instagram, Texas sunflower fields are now a major industry!
Today, many farms in Texas are offering visitors the chance to come and visit one of the best states for sunflower fields viewing and even picking. Plus the farms tend to also offer loads of additional activities and some even have cafes stocked with their own produce.
Sunflowers plus the blue skies across Texas towns make for a fantastic photo opportunity. If you’re nearby, a road trip to a sunflower field near Fort Worth or Dallas can be particularly exciting.
Here is everything you need to know about Texas sunflower fields plus the 13 best places to see sunflowers in Texas.
Texas Sunflower Fields
Sunflowers love dry hot weather so they are perfect for farmers in Texas to grow in locations that don’t suit other crops. And when done well, they can bring the crowds. The bright colors of the sunflower are perfectly set off by the blue skies of Texas.
Traditionally, most of the sunflower crops in Texas are grown in the North of the state such as in the High Plains close to Lubbock and the Rio Grande Valley. This means that many of them can easily be visited as a day trip from Dallas.
However, from 2008 to 2013 the number of sunflowers planted in the Ellis, Hill and Navarro counties of North Central Texas grew from 2,000 to nearly 24,000. These areas are easily accessed from both Fort Worth and Dallas.
When to visit Texas Sunflower Fields
Sunflower season in Texas in spring and summer. However, some sunflowers also flourish in the fall, so do check on the various farm websites in this post. It is generally agreed that the best time to see sunflower fields in Texas is in mid-June.
Depending on the time of year, you may even be able to pick them some bright yellow blooms to take home with you. Sunflowers mature before the Texas summer really cranks up so they can be picked and brought in before the sun becomes too hot.
13 Best Texas Sunflower Fields You Can Visit
Whether you are looking for fields for sunflower and maze fun or flower fields nearby for pictures, these fantastic farms have it all. Find the best sunflower fields Texas has to offer below.
1. Lone Star Family Farm
Located about 90 minutes southwest of Fort Worth in Stephenville Texas, this farm was officially founded in 2013. Like many other farms in this post, they started with pumpkin patches. They are now a fantastic place to see Texas sunflowers when they’re in bloom.
A great way to keep track of the status of sunflower growth at the Lone Star Family Farm is to follow their Facebook page.
2. Bloomer’s Garden
Formerly known as Wild Berry Farm, one of the best known places in Texas to pick sunflowers, Bloomer’s Garden are the same folks just under a different farm name.
Bloomer’s Garden is located in the small town of Sadler, which is 60+ miles north of Dallas.
In Texas, sunflowers also flourish in the autumn. Typically, there are sunflowers to see at the farm in spring, summer, and well into the fall.
They also grow red and white sunflowers as well as a variety of zinnias. Mid-June is generally the best time to visit to see sunflowers, and sunset will make for some amazing photos. Plus, there are loads of other plants, berries, vegetables and farm animals to keep you occupied.
There is a cost for sunflower picking, and understandably photographers are also asked to make a payment. The best way to keep up to date with which and when crops bloom and new prices/activities are check the Bloomer’s Garden website.
3. Robinson Family Farm
Located in central Texas about 40 minutes south of Waco is the Robinson Family Farm. This is a great place to go and enjoy and even pick sunflowers if the timing is right. Robinson Family Farm is holding You Pick Sunflower Weekends in October.
Plus they have a pumpkin patch, a pumpkin barn, a corn maze, farm animals, and lots more fun things to do in addition to admiring and potentially picking sunflowers.
4. Maxwell’s Pumpkin Farm
Located on the outskirts of Amarillo, Maxwell’s Pumpkin Farm will be open between the last weekend of September and the first weekend of October 2022. It is possible to buy tickets on their website ahead of time to secure your spot.In addition to their sunflower fields,
Maxwell’s Pumpkin Farm offers loads of other activities, including a giant maze, farm animals, a bunny village, and lots, lots more.
5. Wildseed Farms
Wildseed is the largest working wildflower farm in Texas. It has been operating in Fredricksburg Texas for 35 years. Their farm is over 200 acres and open year-round with no entry charge. They do, of course, ask photographers to be respectful of their crops.
Wildseed Farms also sell sunflower seeds so you can grow your own at home. The autumn beauty and chocolate cherry look amazing plus they have seeds for teddy bear sunflowers. These Texas sunflower fields are in one of the largest garden centres in the region.
Plus, Wildseed has its own vineyards and a tasting room which is open daily.
You might enjoy reading my article on the Cowboy Capital of the world, Bandera Texas.
6. Mainstay Farm
About 45 minutes south of Fort Worth in little Cleburne is Mainstay Farm. This family owned farm is known for its spectacular sunflower fields. They tend to begin to bloom in late September for a limited time.
Keep up to speed with the dates and buy your tickets ahead of time on their website.
7. Dewberry Farm
Unlike most of the other farms in this article, Dewberry Farm’s closest big city is Houston. This sunflower field near Houston is about 45 minutes west of Bayou City. Dewberry Farms fills four acres with 25 different varieties of sunflowers.
The best time to see the sunflowers at Dewberry Farm tends to be May and early June and the colours range from yellow to red. The farm holds a sunflower festival each year in May. Visitors can pick sunflowers for a fee and take photos with the sunflowers.
Like the other farms in this post, Dewberry Farm also offers loads of activities in addition to admiring sunflowers. Plus they run three different concessions at peak season: the Sweet Shoppe, Mattie’s Kitchen and Annabelle’s.
8. Froberg’s Farm
Just 30 minutes south of Houston, Froberg’s began as a strawberry farm. They are now just as well known for their five-acre sunflower trail. When their sunflowers bloom the trail is open every day with a small fee for entry and picking.
Froberg Farm is open all year round. The sunflowers typically start blooming in May. There is also a fall festival that features some stunning sunflowers in October.
When you’re visiting don’t miss Froberg’s fresh seasonal market, its bakery with 35 flavours of pie and its smokehouse.
9. P-6 Farms
Located in Montgomery Texas, about a 30-minute drive from Houston, P-6 Farms offers both sunflowers and zinnias. Visit early October or November to avoid the heavy crowds at this popular southeast Texas farm.
Once here, have fun picking their sunflowers as well as blackberries. If you do pick some sunflowers, it will cost you $3 per bloom, while the blackberry buckets are $1.50 per bucket. Of course their pumpkin patch, corn maze and rides offer the best fun and photo opportunities.
If you’re visiting for the fall blooms, visit a few pumpkin patches in Houston to get the full colourful nature experience.
10. Yesterland Farm
A few years ago, one hour east of Dallas in Canton, Yesterland Farm held their first-ever sunflower days event in September. Since then, it seems they’re continuing the tradition in 2022 with their third annual festival.
Besides this fall event, the farm has over 30 activities to enjoy as the weather calls down, including flower picking, rides, and spooky Halloween-themed games. Subscribe to their newsletter to stay informed about the exact dates of events.
11. Sweet Eats Fruit Farm
If you’re looking for an extravaganza in a sunflower field, Texas’ Sweet Eats Fruit Farm is the place to be. It is just 45 minutes north of Austin and hosts an eight-day sunflower festival.
This Georgetown sunflower festival starts at the end of June 2022, with the last few weekends of July incorporating some wine tasting into the experience.
Sweet Eats has 6.5 acres of sunflowers over two fields with over 35 varieties. Expect to find between three to nine feet tall yellow, black, purple, and green sunflowers.
12. Western Belle Farm
This family-owned farm is full of family fun in Waco, Texas. To get here, just travel about a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Dallas.
Western Belle Farm has so many activities for young and old through all seasons. Walk through their sunny sunflower patches or pack a picnic basket to enjoy alongside the sunny farm full of fun activities included in admission. Their acres of sunflower fields are open seasonally throughout May and June, depending on the scorching heat of the Texan sun.
They love their sunny sunflower patches so much that in 2022 they held their very first Sunflower Festival. Hopefully, this is an annual event as guests had over 15 fun activities like ziplining, duck and horse races, barn slides, and so much more.
The farm also stayed open later than usual, allowing photo ops like those gorgeous golden hour shots perfect for your Instagram feed. Fingers crossed, they have these every year.
13. Hamilton Farms
Hamilton Farms is in a small town about 10 minutes north of Lubbock on Route 84 called Shallowater. While the town may be small, the scenic drive up to the farm is almost as beautiful as the golden sunflower blooms of the farm — almost!
Open only for a few weeks in summer, this farm’s Sunflower Days is something you cannot miss. During these summer days, you can visit over 28 acres of bright sunflowers from Thursday to Sunday until 9 pm. There are also concession stands, farm animals and many more fun activities.
There is an admission fee, at the time of writing it cost $6 per person but children under three can enter for free. There is also a farmers market on-site that sells everything from fresh produce and grass-fed beef to preserves, vegetables, and homemade salsa. It’s the perfect place to pick up a few treats for a date night picnic.
Areas in Texas to hop in the car and drive around to look at sunflowers
If you ever find yourself thinking around summertime: ‘where can I find sunflower fields near me?’ you can find quite a few in Texas.
The traditional areas in Texas for the growth of sunflowers are near Lubbock and in the Hill Country so you could explore these areas. Try Highway 84 between Lubbock and Slaton.
As I mentioned earlier, there has recently been high growth in the number of sunflower fields in the counties of Hill, Ennis, and Navarro so these can also be good areas to explore. Take the I35 West from Waco to Dallas as a starting point.
Many of the farmers need the income that will come from selling their sunflowers. Remember not to pick the blossoms from a sunflower field in Texas without permission.
While you’re looking for the best angles for your pictures, please do your best to in no way damage the crops as this can impede their growth. Most won’t mind if you just take pictures as long as you are considerate.
Photographing Texan sunflower fields has become a popular hobby. Do be careful with other vehicles as drivers may be paying more attention to the best place to take a photo than the road.
Fun Facts about Sunflowers
- Not all sunflowers are yellow – they also come in purple, red, orange, brown and cream.
- Sunflowers can range in height. There are two categories of sunflowers: tall and dwarf. Tall sunflowers tend to be yellow and durable and will grow between 12 and 16 feet high. Dwarf sunflowers tend to be grown in clusters in small gardens and pots. They are referred to as dwarfs because they tend not to grow taller than 3 feet. However, both sizes love the full sunlight.
- Young sunflowers track the sun. Their face will follow the sun from sunrise to sunset every day and keep repeating this until they mature.
- Mature sunflowers face East. Once a sunflower reaches maturity its internal clock starts slowing down. Also, sunflowers are more productively warmed when facing East and once warmer they can attract up to five times more pollinators.
- Sunflowers are native to the United States. Although it is now harvested around the world, the sunflower plant is native to North America. North Dakota is the leading US state for sunflower production.
- Thousands of tiny flowers create a sunflower’s head. Each petal on the circumference of a sunflower is a unique flower. The long petals are called “ray florets”.
- There is a Teddy Bear Sunflower. These sunflowers are particularly bushy and spherical. They tend to produce double blooms which gives them a full fluffy head that looks like a teddy bear.
- Sunflower Seeds are highly nutritious. They are loaded with minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron as well as vitamins. Plus they are a valuable source of protein, fiber and polyunsaturated fat.
What Can I do with Sunflower Seeds?
Sunflower seeds are most commonly used in two ways. One is to eat them and two is to grow more sunflowers. Here’s how!
How to Cook with Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are often forgotten in the pantry but they are super nutritious and can also add great flavour to food. Here are six ways to cook with sunflower seeds:
- Add to dough when making bread
- Sprinkle on your salads like broccoli salad for some extra crunch
- Add to baked goods like muffins before putting them in the oven
- Add to vegetables for more flavor – toast the sunflower seeds before or add them to the cooking method
- Mix them in with your breakfast cereal
- When making pesto
How to Grow Sunflowers at Home
It is relatively easy to grow sunflowers at home. Sunflowers like full sun but they also need a bit of shelter so they don’t fall over. A good tip is to try and grow them against a wall or a fence.
Literally sow the seeds where you want the sunflowers to grow. Place the seeds about 12mm deep and 45cm apart. Mid April to May is the best time of year to sow sunflower seeds. Don’t forget to give them a good thorough watering at least once a week.
If you want to cut your sunflowers do so early in the morning and make sure you use a tall vase to support their heads.
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