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.
- 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!
. - The bluebonnet is a variety of lupine that grows only in Texas.
. - Some believe it got its name because the individual buds resemble a lady’s sunbonnet.
. - It is also been known by the names Buffalo Clover and Wolf Flower.
. - Blue is the most prevalent color, but on rare occasions this flower can also be seen in white and pink.
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- 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.
. - 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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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.
.- Bluebonnets are toxic. Don’t eat them!
. - Historian Jack Maguire once said that the bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland.
What wildflowers grow in your area?
