Ocotillo in Big Bend country

Fouquieria splendens

Ocotillo usually blooms from mid-March to early May in Big Bend country, with the best color from late March into mid-April.

mid-March – early May Best: late March into mid-April Out of season

The show usually starts around mid-March. Check back closer to the season.

Based on reports from iNaturalist naturalists. 120 flowering reports from Brewster County shape this curve. The shaded band marks the best weeks; the dashed line is this week.

Where to see them

Red flags on whip-thin canes, usually right as the bluebonnets fade. Ocotillo leafs out and flowers on rain, so the desert decides the exact week.

Big Bend National Park
Big Bend Ranch State Park

We name public reserves, parks, and roads only — never exact pins, never private land.

Nearby on the calendar

Big Bend bluebonnets in Big Bend country — best early March into late March

Updated August 14, 2026. Bloom timing varies with the year's weather — the curve shows the usual rhythm, and in-season updates sharpen it.