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Sunny Delights
Get lost in a colorful maze of yellow and gold blooms during a visit to The Fields at Sunflower Trail. This outgrowth of Brock and Tabitha Holbrook’s reception venue in Mocksville showcases more than 30 varieties of sunflowers and opens its gates to the public twice each year: in mid-June and late September. The tradition also continues at Dix Park, where the City of Raleigh has planted 5 acres of sunflowers since 2018, inviting the public to explore the patch daily from dusk to dawn. (See them at their peak in July.)
Falling for Florals
After two summers of renovations, the Catawba Falls Trail near Old Fort sported a new boardwalk and stairs in 2024. One thing that didn't change: the March-through-May symphony of wildflowers throughout the mossy valley, including deep purple dwarf crested iris, wild geraniums in shades of pink, three-petaled trillium, lacy foamflower and delicate chickweed.
Blaze of Glory
NC's varied terrain nurtures at least seven varieties of native southeastern azalea, but Graham County is the hot spot for rhododendron calendulaceum, commonly known as the flame azalea, which glows in hues from golden to tangerine to scarlet. Approximately 400 miles east in Wilmington, the state’s azalea affection fuels April’s North Carolina Azalea Festival. Since 1948, this festival has welcomed around 300,000 people annually to a five-day affair with nationally known music acts, culinary creativity, garden tours, a parade and a fireworks finale.
Bouquet Your Way
Early August is prime time to walk the mountaintop fields of flowers and berries at family-owned Jeter Mountain Farm in Hendersonville. Assemble your own bouquet of technicolor zinnias and 10 varieties of sunflowers (some up to 9 feet tall), then kick back and enjoy a hard cider or latte while the kids explore a 6,000-square-foot indoor playground.
Lilies of the Mountain
You don’t need a rod and reel to catch trout lilies, an early spring beauty with six bright yellow petals and mottled leaves that resemble frolicking fish. Notable viewing destinations include the trails that crisscross Rocky Face Mountain Recreational Area near Hiddenite and the Pump Station Trail at Eno River State Park, a 15-minute drive northwest of Durham. Need a good trout (lily) fishing guide? The Eno River Association leads free spring wildflower hikes in search of the plants as well as other delicate blooms, such as jack-in-the-pulpits and Dutchman’s breeches.
Into the Wild
The trails, particularly Campbell Creek and Little Creek, at Raven Rock State Park in Lillington step up their appeal with a bounty of spring wildflowers. Mountain laurel in several shades of pink are impossible to miss, but keep your eyes on the ground for patches of bloodroot, yellow bellwort and trailing arbutus (which makes up for its understated flowers with an intoxicating jasmine-like scent).
A Colorful Bunch
All summer long you can wander the fields of Vollmer Farm, a fifth-generation acreage in Bunn. Pluck whatever blossoms tickle your fancy and embellish classics like zinnias and cosmos beside texture-rich show-offs including sunflowers and celosias.
Think Pink
A tidal wave of magenta washes over Roan Mountain every June. Head to Pisgah National Forest to take in miles of Catawba rhododendron, then stop in Bakersville for art, music and the mid-June North Carolina Rhododendron Festival.
Follow the Leader
Adam Bigelow, a self-proclaimed plant nerd, has been studying Southern Appalachian flora for more than 20 years. Join short walks led by Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions most Fridays from March through November. Bigelow can take you to numerous spots in and around Cullowhee to discover and photograph more than 50 species of plants and flowers.
Green Revival
Nearly 20 years ago, a community horticulture club transformed an overgrown dumping site in Yanceyville into the Caswell Community Arboretum, a 2-acre sanctuary for trees and plants. Follow a half-mile trail past water features; a restored one-room schoolhouse; and gardens dedicated to evergreens, butterflies and seed-producing plants.
Make your vacation plans bloom with The Official 2026 North Carolina Travel Guide.