Virginia bluebells along the Potomac

Mertensia virginica

Virginia bluebells usually bloom from late March to mid-April along the Potomac, with the best color from late March into mid-April.

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

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

Based on reports from iNaturalist naturalists. 517 flowering reports from Fairfax County shape this curve. The shaded band marks the best weeks; the dashed line is this week.

Where to see them

Floodplain woods along the Potomac turn watercolor-blue for about two weeks in April. Bull Run's Bluebell Trail is the biggest stand on the East Coast.

Bull Run Regional Park (Bluebell Trail)
Riverbend Park, Great Falls
Shenandoah River State Park

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

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