Wildflower Viewing Etiquette

Wildflowers can be quite fragile. We are the caretakers of our open space lands; please follow these simple guidelines to make sure everyone can enjoy their beauty as they bloom.

• Stay on established trails. Visitors venturing off trail can trample wildflowers and their habitat, preventing other visitors from enjoying the displays. Midpen may close certain areas to off-trail use in order to protect wildflowers. When soils become compacted this prevents wildflowers from growing in these areas in the future. Please tread lightly and don’t DOOM the BLOOM!


• Take photos not flowers! Wildflowers wilt quickly after picking and can’t be transplanted elsewhere. Picking wildflowers also prevents them from going to seed, which limits future wildflowers blooms. Please do not pick wildflowers to make sure that they are here next year, not only for yourself and other flower-seekers, but for the bees, butterflies and other wildlife that depend on them for food.  


• Take photos OF flowers not IN flowers. Photographs must be taken from the established trails only. Sitting in the flower fields will damage existing blooms and prevent the next generation from growing.


• Follow rules of the preserves/parks you visit. These rules are in place to ensure that wildflower populations and other natural resources remain healthy for years to come!


• Enjoy! The blooms of spring don’t last for long each year. But don’t despair — wildflower seeds develop after a flower blooms and when left alone will to drop to the soil to provide next year’s blooms. The wildflowers decompose and provide nutrients to the next generation of plants. Consider learning more about flowers that bloom earlier in the year, or in different habitats in order to enjoy wildflowers for a longer period!