April in Texas = Bluebonnets

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When late March arrives, I start looking for bluebonnets. Where I live in Abilene, we don’t get the dramatic fields of flowers that you see in the Hill Country. Our bluebonnets come later in the spring and are harder to find, but you’ll hear me cry, “Bluebonnets!” and point out the car window whenever I happen to drive past a patch. In fact, just a few days ago, I saw a family pulled off the side of the road to take pictures of their toddler daughter in a thick patch downhill from the highway. Made me smile since I did the same when my kids were small.

As the state flower of Texas, bluebonnets are as iconic as longhorns and the lone star flag. I thought you might enjoy some quick facts about these beautiful wildflowers.

  1. The bluebonnet was named the Texas state flower in 1901, but it was a contested race. The cotton boll and prickly pear cactus bloom were also in the running. In the end, however,  the bluebonnet prevailed, and I’m so glad it did!
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  2. The bluebonnet is a variety of lupine that grows only in Texas.
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  3. Some believe it got its name because the individual buds resemble a lady’s sunbonnet.
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  4. It is also been known by the names Buffalo Clover and Wolf Flower.
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  5. Blue is the most prevalent color, but on rare occasions this flower can also be seen in white and pink.
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  6. Legend has it that you will only find pink bluebonnets near San Antonio. The story goes that the flowers were originally white, but changed to pink when the river ran red with the blood spilled at the Alamo.
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  7. Texas was the first state to plant flowers along state highways. The Texas Highway Department was organized in 1917, and officials quickly noted the abundance of wildflowers along the roadsides. In 1932, they hired a landscape architect to maintain, preserve, and nurture these wildflowers. In 1934, the department outlawed all mowing during spring and summer wildflower season unless required for safety purposes. In addition, the Texas Highway Department purchases and sows about 30,000 pounds of wildflower seeds each year!
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  8. Ennis is known as the Official Bluebonnet City of Texas. Up to 100,000 people visit the small town each year to travel the scenic 40 miles of the Official Texas Bluebonnet Trail. The trail changes each year depending on where the best growth is found.
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  9. Bluebonnets are toxic. Don’t eat them!
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  10. Historian Jack Maguire once said that the bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland.

 

What wildflowers grow in your area?

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For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She is an avid cross-stitcher, and makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.

60 thoughts on “April in Texas = Bluebonnets”

  5. Hey Karen! How beautiful! I’ve always wanted to see the bluebonnets of Texas! We have different color of flocks(our wildflowers)along our highways, but my favorite are the black eyed susans! They are also in abundance along the highways here in north and central Florida. And it was also the beautications made to our highways many years ago. You will also see families taking pictures of their toddlers and children during this time too.The daisies, zinnias, and sunflowers are my favorite flowers, but the black eyed susans are a very close favorite also!

  6. yes we have orange – roadside lillies here in Indiana – they will come on later in the spring!

  8. Maryland is known for the black-eyed susan. At Preakness, second leg of the Triple Crown, the horse is given a blanket of black-eyed susans. But they don’t actually grow that time of year, so they take a similar yellow flower and paint the center the brownish color.

    But we do have several seasons of sunflowers, too, and people flock to the fields for photo ops.

  9. This is so pretty, Karen. If there’s one thing I love about Spring, it is all the color and flowers…oh, my, so beautiful. I love the pictures of your kids in the flowers. Wonderful.

  10. We have tiger lilies that grow in the ditch sometimes and morning glories. I know one house actually plants daffodils along their property next to the road. I don’t know if we have any real wildflowers where I live though.
    I thought you were supposed to stay out of the flowers in Texas because of snakes.

  11. I have no idea what wildflowers we have in Florida!! I’ll have to go check and see if I can find info!

  12. There are some blossoming trees at the rear of our property which I would misname if I tried. AS far as ground flowers here in KY I do not know. I just enjoy what the previous tenants planted, namely ,the yellow daffodils. (I guess that’s what they are.) Call me a dummy.

  13. Where I grew up in southeastern Colorado there were always sunflowers alongside the roads. Haven’t been back in many years so don’t know if that is still the case.

  14. We’re in a city and don’t have fields of wild flowers anywhere near us, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have flowers coming up on their own.

    The most spectacular was at mother-in-law’s house. She planted nasturtium edging her garden. She was having health issues so did not care for her yard as she usually does. She just let it go.

    The nasturtium has, mostly, remained in place in the front yard, but took over the entire garden area in the back.

  15. I live in upstate NY and we have daisies (which are my favorite flower), black eyed susans, Queen Ann’s lace, phlox, and while I’m not sure they are wild, you can see tiger lillies along the roads. My back yard is filled with violets in the late spring and early summer.

  16. The pictures are gorgeous, Karen! Loved seeing your kiddos surrounded by them when they were little. I hope to see bluebonnets in all their glory some day. Wish Texas wasn’t so far away!

    We are getting hit with, um, dandelions, but sunflowers and daisies grow wild along our highways.

  17. You know..if you want it in your yard…it’s a (wild)flower and if you don’t, it’s a weed.

    • So true, Kate. I have a friend who likes dandelions, so she gives them free rein in her yard. Not sure her neighbors are fans, but if they make her smile, I’m in favor. 🙂

  18. We have an abundance of dandelions and clover in my part of Virginia! There are some pansies that grow wild in my yard, but I think they may have come from birdseed. There are also some larger purple flowers in my yard, I think they are wild but I don’t know the name.

  19. My favorite spring flowers are daffodils and lilacs. When they start blooming, I know that spring isn’t far away.

  20. Oh! I LOVE bluebonnets! When they first started to bloom the Spring after I moved to Texas, you would have thought I’d found gold I was so excited. Haha!

    When we get enough rain in Southern California we end up with fields of orange…California Poppies.

  21. Beautiful Karen. The state flower for Florida is the orange blossom. Unfortunately, the orange groves are slowly disappearing due to urbanization. It is getting harder and harden to get a whiff of that wonderful scent, driving down the highway. Progress is not always so good.

  23. I keep trying to get down there to see them – will be flying over in a couple of weeks on my way to San Antonio, but probably won’t to be able to see much. The state flower for Colorado is, of course, the columbine which is also a beautiful flower. God has blessed us with so much and the mountains come alive with wildflowers, too.

  26. The Passion Flower is the state flower of Tennessee. We have Black-eyed Susan, Daisy, Trillium, Joe Pye Weed, Dog Hobble, Dwarf Crested Iris, Evening Primrose, Fire Pink, Giant Ironweed, Ghost Pipes, Jack-In-The-Pulpit, Nashville Breadroot, Trout Lily, Virginia Bluebells, Wild Bergamot, Wild Columbine, Wild Oat, Eastern Purple Coneflower, and so many more. The Rhododendrons grow prolifically in the wild, especially in the mountains of East TN.

  27. The bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes are gorgeous this year. But more states are growing bluebonnets now, unfortunately! One thing you didn’t say is that it is against the law to pick the bluebonnets.

    The prickly pears are really pretty when they bloom.

    I love most flowers, but Desert Rose, hydrangeas, peonies and roses are some of my favorites.

    • Hi, Billye. So glad to have you chime in. There is technically no law against picking bluebonnets; however, there are laws against destroying plant life in state parks or on private property, so it’s best not to pick them. 🙂 Besides, it such a joy to see the fields full of them, they are much more beautiful in nature than in a vase.

  28. California poppies, sweat pea, three-cornered garlic, and more! I LOVE wild flowers, even the ones that are “weeds” or “invasive species”.

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