EAST TEXAS—Palestine, Nacogdoches, and Tyler are renowned for their magnificent blooming seasons and premier flower trails. Dogwoods and azaleas are celebrated annually during the blooming season in the three towns, and each offers unique viewing opportunities from gardens and parks, to historic districts.
Due to unseasonably warm February weather, it is recommended that you call ahead for blooming patterns. Dogwoods and azaleas have both begun to bloom, which means peak blooming seasons are anticipated earlier in 2017, than in recent years.
Nacogdoches Azalea Trail
Tour Texas’ largest azalea garden, and admire over 20 miles of Azalea Trails through beautifully manicured residential and historic districts in the oldest town in Texas. Nacogdoches is the home to over 7,000 azaleas, and the largest azalea garden in Texas, the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden. The garden is situated on eight acres in a 50-year old Loblolly Pine Forest with 6,500 azaleas, 200 camellias, and 180 varieties of Japanese Maple. In less than 20 years, Nacogdoches has become the Garden Capital of Texas.
Call the Nacogdoches Convention & Visitor Bureau for a bloom report at (936)-564-7351, or email at [email protected]. Visit visitnacogdoches.org/nacogdoches-azalea-trail for more information about the annual celebration, events, and more.
Texas Dogwood Trails
Seeing the dogwood blooms in Palestine was #56 in Texas Monthly’s article “The Bucket List: 63 Things All Texans Should Do Before They Die.” After 79 years, Palestine knows travelers follow the flowers. Enjoy a drive through Palestine’s historic home district, where you’ll see dogwoods, azaleas, and other blooms, then head out to Davey Dogwood Park for rolling hills and delicate white blooms. The park is 254 acres with over five and one-half miles of hard-surfaced roads and unincorporated hiking trails to take your exploration off-road. Check the Dogwood Bloom Watch.
Call the Palestine Visitor Center for a bloom report at (903)-723-3014 or email at [email protected]. Visit texasdogwoodtrails.com for more information about the annual celebration, events, and more.
Tyler Azalea & Spring Trail
Tyler is in its 58th year of celebrating azaleas and spring flowers. Today, over 100,000 people from all over the USA visit Tyler each spring to attend the Azalea Trail. The trails also display a high concentration of white and pink Dogwoods, Redbud trees, Japanese Maples, and spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, and travels through ten miles of residential gardens and historic homes sites. Two marked routes exist today: the Lindsey Trail and the Dobbs Trail. Featured along the trails is the Azalea National Historic District. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it comprises about 950 homes built in the first half of the 20th century.
Call the Tyler Convention and Visitor Bureau for a bloom report at (903) 592-6978 or email at [email protected]. Visit visittyler.com/azaleatrail for more information about the annual celebration, events and more.