When I was researching what to do in Fredericksburg and Texas Hill Country, several times I came across Wildseed Farms in the list of top recommended attractions. It sounded to me like it was just a large nursery and gift shop so I didn’t put it on my list of things to do. As luck would have it, I came across it after another plan fell through so I pulled into the large parking lot to check it out. Calling it a nursery and gift shop doesn’t begin to do it justice!
Wildseed Farms was established in 1983 by John R. Thomas to fulfill the demand for high quality and less expensive wildflower seeds. The farm has over 200 cultivated acres of wildflowers planted at this location and over 800 additional acres at other Texas locations making it the largest working wildflower farm in the US.
Mr. Thomas and Wildseed Farms pioneered the idea of planting wildflowers in rows and developed machinery to plant and harvest the tiny seeds. As a result of their efforts, you can see fields of wildflowers blooming there from March through October. I was there mid-October and the fields were winding down but there was still plenty of color.
You can see the grapevines beyond the flower fields in these photos. Read about the Vineyard below.
There is a 1/2-mile walking trail through the display gardens where you can get an idea of the flowers you might want to grow. What you will see, of course, depends on the time of year you visit.
Nursery Plants and Pottery
The nursery is one of the largest in Central Texas and always has a wide selection of live plants and gardening supplies. They have glazed pottery as well as hand painted pottery from Mexico.
Wildseed Farms Gift Shop
The Wildseed Farms Gift Shop is quite large with several rooms. In addition to some of the more common souvenirs like t-shirts and hats, the gift shop had some really beautiful and unique things. Sadly, they are not my cup of tea so I didn’t think to photograph any of them. While you are there, don’t forget to purchases some wildflower seeds for your home garden and flower beds. They even have special regional mixes for anywhere in the US.
Food and Drink at Wildseed Farms
Brewbonnet Biergarten
At the Brewbonnet Biergarten you can enjoy snacks, a cold beer and ice cream. Their famous peach ice cream is made from local peaches who some say are the sweetest in the country. Lots of Texas made products, like canned vegetables, salsas and dip mixes are available for sampling and, of course, purchasing.
Wildseed Vineyards and Tasting Room
The wine tasting room at Wildseed Farms is what surprised me the most. I saw no mention of this in anything I read about them. Perhaps that’s because it is fairly new.
In 2015, the family decided to put their farming experience to the test and planted their first grapevines. The vineyard currently has 28 planted acres. An additional 12 acres of Malbec, Grenache, and two clones of Cabernet Sauvignon will be planted in 2022.
They started wine production in 2019 and opened the tasting room in spring of 2021. They have a full range of wines with four white and a rose coming from the estate. Currently, their reds are sourced from other Texas Hill Country and High Plains vineyards.
The tasting room is a cute open space with friendly staff. I was tempted but I had just done a wine tasting and had another to do later. I put this on my list of wines for next time.
The butterfly garden was especially enjoyable. I watched monarchs and a few other species play in the flowers for quite some time. The plants in the garden are a food source as well as an aid to their reproduction.
I just missed the Monarch Celebration on October 9th which commemorates the monarchs’ annual migration to Mexico. They have a “tag and release” program and provide free demonstrations at this event. Can you imagine “tagging” a butterfly? I would love to see how this is done!
Retail Store: 830-990-1393 Hours
Sunday thru Friday – 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday – 9:30 am to 6:00 pm
Walking Trail closes 30 minutes prior to closure
Tasting Room: 830-990-6684 Hours:
Monday – Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday – 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday – 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Seed/Catalog Department: 800-848-0078
Open Monday-Friday, 8-5 CDT
Follow their Facebook page to keep up to date on events and other happenings.
My Final Thoughts
It is easy now to see why 450,000 people a year visit Wildseed Farms and why it is among the top local attractions. This was a relaxing, peaceful and beautiful place to visit while still having lots to do. Next time I’ll have to try their wine.
Fresh peach ice cream!! Sounds heavenly! This farm sounds like a good destination for gardeners and wine lovers, but I’m interested in why they call it an ‘adventure’. Are there things for kids to do there too?
Hey, Amy. I had to re-read my post to see if I called it an adventure, because if so, that was a misstatement. I don’t see that I did. Rather, I called it an attraction which more than 450,000 visitors a year attest to. There are no special activities for children, just the regular trails and butterfly garden.
I am always surprised when sites turn out to be so much better than expected. I would certainly love to wander through Wildseed Farms when the flowers are in bloom. And I know I could drag hubby along for the promise of a biergarten! Especially if I got to try the wine. I too can see why it gets to many visitors!
It truly was a complete but pleasant surprise for me! I, too, would love to go back when more flowers are in bloom. And of course for some of that wine.
We have lots of wildflower gardens in the UK a just a few wildflower farms and I love them. The fact they attract so many insects including my favourite the butterfly is a bonus. I have a patch of wildflowers in my garden but would love to see all the flowers in this huge farm in the US.
I’m sure there are other wildflower farms in the US but this was a first for me. I love that you have your own wildflowers. I need to order some seeds so I can plant a wildflower garden at my house.
This looks like such a gorgeous visit! There aren’t really any wildflowers where I live (mostly bush) so it all seems so foreign to me – I’d love to visit when the flowers are in full bloom one day.
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Calling Wildseed Farms a nursery and gift shop doesn't begin to do it justice! Click To Tweet
Fresh peach ice cream!! Sounds heavenly! This farm sounds like a good destination for gardeners and wine lovers, but I’m interested in why they call it an ‘adventure’. Are there things for kids to do there too?
Hey, Amy. I had to re-read my post to see if I called it an adventure, because if so, that was a misstatement. I don’t see that I did. Rather, I called it an attraction which more than 450,000 visitors a year attest to. There are no special activities for children, just the regular trails and butterfly garden.
I am always surprised when sites turn out to be so much better than expected. I would certainly love to wander through Wildseed Farms when the flowers are in bloom. And I know I could drag hubby along for the promise of a biergarten! Especially if I got to try the wine. I too can see why it gets to many visitors!
It truly was a complete but pleasant surprise for me! I, too, would love to go back when more flowers are in bloom. And of course for some of that wine.
We have lots of wildflower gardens in the UK a just a few wildflower farms and I love them. The fact they attract so many insects including my favourite the butterfly is a bonus. I have a patch of wildflowers in my garden but would love to see all the flowers in this huge farm in the US.
I’m sure there are other wildflower farms in the US but this was a first for me. I love that you have your own wildflowers. I need to order some seeds so I can plant a wildflower garden at my house.
This looks like such a gorgeous visit! There aren’t really any wildflowers where I live (mostly bush) so it all seems so foreign to me – I’d love to visit when the flowers are in full bloom one day.
I want to return to see the flowers in full bloom myself! Wildflowers can be so beautiful. Sorry you don’t have many there.