Photo by: Kristin Anderson
Incredible wildflowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors grow in the protected habitats of Yosemite National Park. From rare endemic species that only flower in Yosemite, to more commonly known species, each blossom brings a sense of delight to the senses.
Below we detail some tips and tricks to locating and identifying some of the most incredible wildflower species in Yosemite. The goal of this guide is to support beginning and amateur botanists. For real plant pros, Yosemite National Park provides a species list for all vascular plants in the park.
Do you enjoy seeing flowers and want to further improve your botanical and ecological knowledge? Check out Conservancy programs where you can learn directly from Conservancy naturalists in the park.
Five classic springtime blooms in the Merced River Canyon
Located just outside of Yosemite National Park, the Merced River Canyon blossoms before Yosemite National Park due to its lower elevation. The drive along highway 140*, heading to the Arch Rock entrance, transforms into a rainbow ride for several weeks depending on the spring weather. Patches of flowers coat the canyon walls in a rich tapestry of color**.
Time of year: late-February through late-April
Species to look for:
- Poppies
- Baby blue eyes
- Fiddlenecks
- Popcorn flowers
- Redbuds
*Always to remember to use the pull outs along the highway when you want to take a moment to admire the flowers.
**Yosemite Conservancy hosts an annual wildflower walk in the spring, for anyone who wants to get to know the flowers of the canyon better.
Best hidden corner of the park for wildflowers in the spring: Hetch Hetchy
Time of year: March through May
This northwest area of the park really shines throughout the spring months for flower lovers. Mariposa lilies, clarkias, and monkeyflowers line the trail to Wapama Falls. This sunny, moderate, 5-mile hike is best started first thing in the morning before things heat up along the reservoir.
Five Flowers to look for in Yosemite Valley
Time of year: April through early-June
Flowers frame iconic rock formations and wildflowers throughout the early spring season. Lupines along Southside Drive, western azaleas in Cooks Meadow, apple blossoms in Curry Village, and dogwoods along the Lower Yosemite Fall trail make hiking in spring time a botanical delight.
- Lupine
- Dogwoods
- Redbud
- Western Azaleas
- Apple blossoms
Best “Is that a plant?” plant: Snow Plants
Time of year: April through June
Where to look: Mid-montane, think of the Crane Flat area or along Glacier Point Road, and sometimes on the Valley floor.
Snow plants are in a group of plants the do not have chlorophyll or the component that adds the green color that we see in other plants. Snow plants survive by taking nutrients from the roots of other plants.
A classic medicinal plant: Yarrow
Time of year: April through August
Where to look: everywhere
Yarrow
Five classic high country plants
Time of year: late-May through August
In the middle of the summer, when the foothills have turned to golden amber grasslands, the wildflowers are just awakening in the High Sierra. Depending on snow levels, the wildflowers listed below will be blooming throughout the short growing season. Think hikes off of Tioga Road that go to alpine lakes or follow seasonal creeks for the best wildflower vistas.
- Shooting Stars
- Pussy Paws
- Cinquefoil
- Tiger Lilies
- Paintbrushes
Three classic ‘smell it before you see it’ plants
Let your nose lead the way to these Yosemite blooms that have very distinctive scents. Wafting through the pine forest of the Yosemite Valley floor come the sweet delicate scent of lupines in the spring. Or find yourself inhaling lungs full of mountain misery while hiking along a granite crest. What other scents remind you of Yosemite?
- Lupine
- Mountain Misery
- Azaleas
Most likely to be seen on Tioga Road: Mountain Pride
Time of year: June through August
So, you’re on a Sierra road trip and you want to know — what is that bold, bodacious bounty of magenta magic along the highways? Let us introduce you to mountain pride, a precociously pink penstemon. Want to get a picture of mountain pride? Please be sure to park your vehicle entirely out of the lane of traffic in a designated pull out before taking wildflower pictures.
Little blooms next to big trees, what to look for in Sequoia Groves
We’ve covered every other corner in and out of Yosemite National Park, and we would be remiss if we didn’t offer some hints of what wildflowers grow in the shadows of the giant sequoias.
These flowers are more prominent earlier in the season for the mid-montane elevations of giant sequoia groves, late-April through June. Notable wildflowers include the periwinkle poofs of California lilac, ceanothus integerrimus, and occasional wild strawberries dotting the forest floor.
Want to learn more about Yosemite wildflowers?
Below are Conservancy Outdoor Adventures and Art Classes with a focus on the flora in the park. Each of these adventures is led by a Conservancy naturalist or a professional artist and many include guest speakers.
- Art Class: Painting and Printmaking with Sue Fierston. Daily 9 am to 1 pm, June 10-14. Artist Sue Fierston will kick off the class by teaching you to draw and paint Yosemite’s leaves in watercolor. After creating several leaf paintings on watercolor paper, you’ll practice printing Sierra leaves on soft paper using basic printmaking techniques.
- Yosemite Field School: Hetch Hetchy Springtime Flora and Meadows with Dan Webster. May 17-18, 2024. Your guide will point out spring blooms along the edges of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and help you identify diverse plants, from tall trees to colorful wildflowers to water-loving grasses.
- Relaxed Day Hikes: White Wolf Birds and Blooms with Andrea Canapary. July 19-20, 2024. During a series of slow paced day hikes in the White Wolf area, you’ll learn about and look for diverse bird and plant species that live at these elevations.
- Yosemite Field School: Alpine Immersion with Dan Webster. August 10, 2024. As you hike, you’ll learn about the life that thrives at Yosemite’s high elevations, including on “sky islands,” isolated plateaus that harbor rare plants found nowhere else on Earth.
- Art Retreat: Painting & Poetry with Joa & Kelly. October 3-6, 2024. Bring along a fresh notebook and join artists Joa Suorez and Kelly Lee for three days of progressive nature journaling in the valley. From iconic views to the smallest wildflower, you’ll have the chance to slow down and connect deeply with Yosemite in fall.
- Yosemite Rx: Forest Bathing & Nature Journaling with John Muir Laws and Dan Webster. October 4-5, 2024. However you decide to fill in your journal — with notes, poems, sketches, maps, or detailed drawings of leaves and feathers — you’ll end the day with a personal record of the day’s observations and reflections.
