Wildflowers will be blooming in Idaho soon. Here are 5 you can’t miss, where to find them

A historic late-March snowstorm and an unusually wet and chilly start to the year may have tricked you into thinking it’s still winter in Boise, but we promise that the start of spring has come and gone, and warmer weather will arrive eventually.

And with that warmer weather, Idaho’s trees and rolling hills will turn green, and wildflowers will dot the landscape with hues of purples, reds and yellows.

But for avid flower spotters, you must know what time of year certain flowers bloom and where to find them. We’ve compiled some of Idaho’s best wildflowers, when you can spot them, and where.

Syringa

It’s only fitting to start with Idaho’s state flower: the Syringa.

Meriwether Lewis collected the flower in the 1800s during Lewis and William Clark’s expedition of the Northwest following the Louisiana Purchase, giving the plant its “Lewisii” species name, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The flower can be found at the border of evergreen forests, according to Visit Idaho, something that the Gem State isn’t short of. The Boise National Forest around Idaho City is a short drive from Boise and is a hot spot for the Syringa during their peak bloom in the middle of summer.

Camas Lilies

The camas lily is a six-petaled, blue-purple flower that often bunches together, creating a periwinkle sea. The lilies bloom around late May and continue through mid-June.

The best place to see them is in the aptly-named Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh Wildlife Management Area near Fairfield in south-central Idaho. The management area is about a 100-mile drive from Boise.

Elkhorn Clarkia

Elkhorn Clarkia has four antler-like petals and can grow as tall as one-and-a-half feet.

The flower can be found throughout Central Idaho and blooms in late spring through mid-summer. The Elkhorn Clarkia flower was first found along the Clearwater River, which runs along the north and east boundaries of the Nez Perce Reservation, according to the Idaho Native Plant Society.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot

You don’t need to go trekking into the wild forests of Idaho to find beautiful flowers. The arrowleaf balsamroot is a bright yellow flower that grows along dry hillsides, sagebrush and flat plains.

The 6-inch tall flowers are found throughout the Boise National Forest, but you can also spot them as close as the Lucky Peak Lake area. The blooming season lasts from April to the first half of July.

Feeling peckish? The arrowleaf balsamroot is safe to eat, according to the U.S. Forest Service, and was often peeled open and eaten by Native Americans, as well as used medicinally to treat burns.

Idaho Trillium

Boise residents may know the word Trillium from the restaurant under the same name in downtown Boise, but the flower has been around a lot longer.

The Trillium is one of the first flowers of spring, blooming at lower elevations in April before slowly making its way into the mountains. The Trillium is part of the lily family, but its large leaves that change color over time — from pink to purple to red — are the main attraction.

The Payette National Forest is one of the first locations in the state where these begin to bloom.