Wild sunflowers across the Kansas prairie

Helianthus annuus

Wild sunflowers usually bloom from mid-June to late September across the Kansas prairie, with the best color from late August into mid-September.

mid-June – late September Best: late August into mid-September In bloom now

The bloom is underway and still building toward late August into mid-September. Reports are running late this year.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Based on reports from iNaturalist naturalists. 503 flowering reports from Kansas shape this curve. The shaded band marks the best weeks; the dashed line is this week.

Where to see them

The Sunflower State earns the plate in late August, when the wild annuals crowd every fencerow and section road. This is the one great bloom that peaks when everything else is done.

  • Flint Hills National Scenic Byway (K-177)
  • Konza Prairie Biological Station

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.