15+ Places to See Wildflowers in Georgia (the Caucasus) (original) (raw)

Travelling around Georgia in spring has many perks, including the chance to see splendid wildflowers.

Part of the Caucasus Biodiversity Hotspot, Georgia has an estimated 6,400 endemic plant species, many of which explode with colourful flowers in the spring and summer months.

Come late March and early April, cities including Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Mtskheta and Batumi are festooned with cherry blossoms and budding magnolias.

A woman in a black jacket poses for a photo in front of a flowering magnolia tree in Kutaisi, Georgia.

My friend Irma, founder of Georgian Flavors culinary school in Tbilisi, in front of a magnolia tree in Kutaisi.

As the weather gradually starts to warm up throughout April and May, everything from poppies and chamomile flowers to wild orchids, rhododendrons, irises and peonies starts to grow. You can also find lavender fields in Nukriani (near Sighnaghi) and sunflower fields across Kakheti.

And by the time June/July rolls around, Georgia’s high alpine areas are flush with flowery meadows and groves of wild mountain thyme, used to brew herbal tea.

A field of wild poppy flowers near Marneuli in Georgia.

Fields of wild poppies near Marneuli, an hour south of Tbilisi.

Whether you’re a budding botanist or you just have an eye for beautiful flowery landscapes, there are dozens of places where you can see wildflowers in Georgia.

This list is ordered in a very rough chronological order, starting with the first flowers that emerge in arid areas in March, continuing to subtropical Western Georgia where spring arrives early, through to the mountain regions where spring flowers can be seen all the way into summer (as late as August/September).

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This is by no means an exhaustive list – you can find wildflowers of some variety almost anywhere you go in Georgia. Instead, I’ve chosen to focus on specific locations known for having a unique species of flowers or a high concentration of blooms.

Udabno – cherry, plum & peach blossoms

Wild cherry blossom flowers near David Gareja cave monastery in Georgia.

Wildflowers at Davit Gareji near Tbilisi. This photo was taken in mid March.

Cherries, plums and peaches are all very popular fruits in Georgia, used to make traditional sweets such as jam and muraba preserves, and for the Georgian fruit drink compote.

The first signs of cheerful blossoms in the cities mark the real start of spring in Georgia. In Kakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions, trees are cultivated for fruit production, and in Tbilisi, they are planted in the National Botanical Garden and other parks including Rike.

In other areas, they grow independently. One spot you’re guaranteed to see cherry blossoms is Udabno, the semi-desert area south-east of Tbilisi. Here, the David Gareja cave monasteries are fringed with flowering trees, their pink and milk-white blooms a beautiful contrast to the rusty colours of the landscape.

Red Pheasant’s eyes, delicate Iris ibericas and purple Salvia garedjiis also grow in this vicinity.

Vashlovani National Park – wild pistachios & other wildflowers

Purple wild flowers in front of a cliff and river in Vashlovani National Park, Georgia.

Wildflowers in Vashlovani. Photo credit: Zura Janashvili/Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0.

Further south-east towards the border with Azerbaijan, Vashlovani is one of the most unique places in Georgia. The barren landscape is stifling hot in summer, thus spring is one of the best times to visit.

Against a backdrop of deep gorges and bubbling mud volcanoes, several hardy plant species thrive, including Pistacea mutica, wild pistachio trees. Along with fiery red pistachio buds and flowers, you can see a host of other rare and endangered plant species.

See my Vashlovani guide and travel itinerary for tips on where to see wildflowers and much more.

Bakuriani – wild orchids

A wild yellow orchid near Bakuriani in Georgia.

Wild orchids near Bakuriani. This photo was taken in early April.

Georgia has 51 species of orchid, many of which grow wild in the forests, marshy wetlands and alpine meadows of Imereti, Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti.

The fields around Bakuriani (a popular ski resort in the mountains above Borjomi) and nearby Tabatskuri Lake is a known hotspot for wild orchids including Orchis caucasica or Lady orchids. They normally come into bloom around April.

Peonies and Purple mullein (which blooms all over Georgia) can also be found here.

Poti & Kolkheti National Park – buttercups & water lilies

Waterlilies and flowers on the marshes of Kolkheti National Park in Georgia.

Waterlilies in Kolkheti National Park.

Moving to the humid Black Sea Coast, Poti and the marshy wetlands of Kolkheti National Park are a great place to see wildlife and flora at any time of year.

In spring, the shore of Poti’s Okros Tba ‘Golden Lake’ is carpeted with yellow Ranunculus buttercups. Inside the nearby national park, part of Georgia’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the nature category, yellow Nuphar lutea water lilies poke their heads above the waterline.

Marneuli – poppies

Wild red poppies growing in Marneuli, Georgia.

Poppy fields near Marneuli. This photo was taken in mid May.

The small city of Marneuli is located an hour south of Tbilisi. In mid-spring, wild poppies emerge from the earth on the outskirts of the city around the railway lines.

They are probably Papaver lateritium or Armenian poppies, a species endemic to the highlands of Armenia.

If you’re heading over the border, this guide to Armenian wildflowers is quite comprehensive.

Algeti National Park – chamomiles

West of Tbilisi, Algeti National Park is known for its flowing fields of chamomile flowers, wild sage and thyme, sea buckthorns and rhododendrons.

This area offers a multitude of one-day hiking trails and is the ideal place to escape to nature from the capital.

Shkmeri – various wildflowers

Purple wildflowers growing in Racha region against a stone wall.

Wildflowers in Shkmeri, Racha. Photo credit: Lazar Egagnidze/Wikimedia Commons CC 3.0.

Shkmeri is a remote village in Racha-Lechkhumi. As well as being the birthplace of one of my favourite Georgian dishes, shkmeruli (chicken in creamy garlic sauce), I’m told that Shkmeri is a wildflower paradise in spring.

I recently drove through Shkmeri via the new highway from Sachkhere in autumn. The fall colours here are magnificent. Come spring, the snow melts and the rusty leaves are replaced with vivid blooms.

The flora of this area is quite well documented through photos on Wikimedia Commons. Amongst the images by Lazar Egagnidze, I found Common hound’s tongues, Robust marsh orchids, Cynoglossums, Trumpet gentians, Rough hawk’s beards, Spotted nettles and Striped squills.

There are several hiking trails in the area that are suitable for viewing flowers. One goes to Mravaldzali, and the other to the spectacular Rock of Queen Tamari viewpoint.

Upper Svaneti – flowery meadows

Wild flower meadows in Svaneti, Georgia.

Flower meadows in Upper Svaneti.

In late spring, the valleys and hills of Upper Svaneti are awash with wild pink anemones, yellow azaleas and sundry other species of wildflowers. Hiking through the blossoming meadows is a highlight of visiting Mestia and Ushguli.

If you’re there a little earlier, around April or May, you can see thorn apple flowers and lots of different berries.

This guide from Svan Alp is a terrific resource for identifying plants and fruits in the area.

Kazbegi & Juta/ Truso Valleys – bluebells & other wildflowers

A giant stone head sculpture framed by pink wildflower and yellow grasses in Kazbegi, Georgia.

Wildflowers in Sno Valley. This photo was taken in early August.

Fairy floss-like Bistorts, primp Primula algidas, crowns of Daphne glomerata, tiny blue Gentiana angulosas and dozens of other flower species grow wild around Kazbegi and in the lush valleys north of Tbilisi.

Hike to Gergeti Trinity Church to see Dwarf catnips, Garden star-of-Bethlehem shrubs, and magnificent Dactylorhiza euxina plants. Near Kazbegi, Whitlow grass and Marsh marigolds bloom in the Truso Valley, and to the east, bluebells dance in the grassy meadows of the Juta Valley.

Sno village at the mouth of the valley – home to the quirky ‘Giant Stone Heads’ – has wildflowers year-round. I took this photo in July.

Tusheti – wild thyme & rhododendron

A bunch of wildflowers in a teapot in Tusheti, Georgia.

Wild thyme flowers called khondari in Tusheti, Georgia.

Spring arrives relatively late in Georgia’s highest and most remote mountain region, making Tusheti one of the best places to see wildflowers throughout the summer months.

Rhododendrons bloom first in June, joined by a rich array of alpine meadow flowers by the middle of July.

Khondari, wild thyme or summer savoury, is ubiquitous in Tusheti. Families in Dartlo, Omalo and beyond pick the small purple flowers to make a traditional herbal tea.

Didgori Valley – various wildflowers

Yellow and purple wildflowers on a hill in the Didgori Valley.

Pink wildflowers at sunset at the Didgori Battle Memorial in Georgia.

I have seen wildflowers all over Georgia – sometimes without even noticing their presence. The Didgori Valley is the first place I visited where the flowers really stole the show.

Located west of Tbilisi, Didgori is the site of a legendary 1121 battle that saw King David the Builder overcome the Seljuk-Turks, marking the start of Georgia’s Golden Age.

The Didgori Battle Memorial is a series of metal and stone monuments that spill out over the rolling hills. It is absolutely phenomenal – especially in early and midsummer when flowers frame the glimmering cross-swords.

Parvani Lake & the Javakheti Plateau – various wildflowers

Purple wildflowers and green fields in front of volcanic mountains in Georgia's Javakheti region.

Wildflowers in Javakheti. This photo was taken in August.

The Javakheti Protected Areas or Javakheti Plateau is a popular spring travel destination for birdwatching. Dozens of endemic and migratory birds (including flamingoes) visit these lakes and wetlands every year to nest.

Because of the high altitude, you can find flowers around the lakes all summer long. Yellow star-of-Bethlehem and delicate Pasque flowers are among the species on show.

Upper Adjara & Samtskhe-Javakheti – various wildflowers

Small puple wildflowers growing in front of a stone church in Samtskhe-Javakheti region, Georgia.

Wildflowers in the village of Andriatsminda. This photo was taken in August.

Another highland zone, flowers grow all over the mountains of Upper Adjara in the Lesser Caucasus and neighbouring Samtskhe-Javakheti. Taking the road from Batumi to Keda and Khulo in spring, you will see cascading waterfalls and groves of wildflowers.

Again, the high elevation means you can find flowers through summer, too. I took the photo above in the village of Andriatsminda in July.

Lagodekhi National Park – various wildflowers in Georgia

Purple wildflowers in Vashlovani National Park.

Wildflowers in Lagodekhi National Park. Photo credit: Paata Vardanashvili / Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0.

Nestled in the far eastern corner of Georgia, Lagodekhi is a very unusual nature reserve with a mix of climatic zones.

Because of the abundance of rivers and waterfalls, it’s best to hike here in summer when the weather is dry and water levels are low. You can see an abundance of flowers all along the famous Black Rock Lake trail, which leads you deep into the park to the tripartite border of Georgia, Russia and Azerbaijan.

Mount Khvamli – purple Colchicums

As the name suggests, Purple Colchicums or Autumn crocuses bloom in late summer and last until the first weeks of autumn.

You can find these flowers throughout Georgia, including at the summit of the fabled Mount Khvamli in the country’s west. The trailhead is roughly an hour by road from Tskaltubo, making this one of the best day hikes near Kutaisi.

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