Spectacular “banner year” for wildflower viewing in Rockport-Fulton

Rockport-Fulton, Texas (April 6, 2010) - Enduring a long drought and then a freeze destroyed so many plants. Nourishing rains finally came and Rockport and Fulton have now been rewarded with a bountiful crop of wildflowers -- a banner year for wildflower viewing.  Listed below are some of the best viewing areas in Aransas County put together by Master Gardener Ellen Reisinger:

Copano Causeway:

• South end on the west side of SH 35: Look to your left to see a sea of the reddish-orange blooms of Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa).  Also noted at this site are Tiny Tim (Thymophylla tenuiloba, very short plant with small yellow flowers); Green Thread (Thelesperma filifolium, an erect plant with threadlike blades and yellow flowers) and Yellow Flax  (Linum rigidum, single yellow blossom with a reddish center).   
• At the north end of the Causeway near PR 13 on the right you can view Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis, an upright plant with purplish-blue white tipped pointed flowers) and more Green Thread.

Turn right on PR 13 and a short way down the road on the right is a spectacular stand of Woolly Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea lindheimeri, orange velvety-like flowers) and Drummond Phlox (Phlox drummondii, bright pink low growing flowers).  This combination of orange and pink is unusual and spectacular. From that vantage point you can also view Green Thread and White Prickly Poppy (Argemone albiflora, upright plant with large white flowers and spiny bracts). Continue further down PR 13 a short while to see Indian Paintbrush, Green Thread and Pink Evening Primrose (also known as Showy Primrose, Oenothera speciosa, short plant with pale pink flowers). Turn on Bentwood Lane to see Azaleas in full bloom.

Return back towards Rockport.  Various viewing sites include:

• Airport Road off Business 35: White Prickly Poppy and Green Thread
• Entire Loop FM 1069: White Prickly Poppy; Pink Evening Primrose; Texas Vervain (Verbena halei, slender branched plant with purple-spiked flowers), Tiny Tim and Green Thread.  Also found are Yellow Evening Primrose (Oenothera spp., short growing plant with pale yellow flowers); Arrowhead (also known as Duck Potato, Sagittaria Spp., grows in wet ditches and is a tall slender plant topped with white flowers and is known to be a favorite food of ducks) and Drummond Phlox.  Along the way there are several Huisache Trees (Acacia spp.) in bloom, (shrub-like trees covered with small yellow flowers).
• Business 35 at Loop 70, facing north on the right are: Indian Paintbrush; Fleabane (Erigeron procumbens, low growing plant with small round white flowers); Texas Vervain; Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis, low growing plant with light green leaves and blue flowers, sometimes the flowers are red but at this site they are blue); Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella, upright plant with round yellow-tipped red flowers) and Pink Evening Primrose.
• Business 35 at Ski Basin across from Little Bay: Green Thread, Indian Blanket and Bluebonnets. Further down is a stand of White Prickly Poppies.
• Continue down Business 35 and take the right split along Little Bay and turn left at Picton Street to the Rockport Cemetery: Drive through the Cemetery to see marvelous displays in purple and yellow, consisting mainly of Green Thread and Bluebonnets.  Do not miss the edge of the Cemetery on Tule Park Drive.  Along the roadway is the spillover from the Cemetery wildflowers and there are also many White Prickly Poppies.

 About the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce

The Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce constantly strives to provide the best programs and activities to improve business and build a better community, and is proud to maintain a 4-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce since 2005.

For more information on convention and corporate meeting services, community events, sponsor opportunities and places to stay contact the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce at (361) 729.6445 or (800) 242.0071, or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Directions from San Antonio and Houston

If you are traveling from San Antonio take IH-37 south to Corpus Christi, and then take U. S. Highway 181 to Gregory; at Gregory take State Highway 35 into Rockport. 

From Houston, take U. S. Highway 59 to Victoria, and then, take U. S. Highway south to State Highway 239, and then, south to Tivoli, and at Tivoli, take State Highway 35 into Rockport.

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