Many of the conditions that cultivate a robust wildflower season seem to be happening this year. While generous rainfall means more flowers, when they bloom depends on when we start getting warmer days.
Nothing says spring has sprung in Texas with a prettier flourish than fields full of bluebonnet blooms, and according to experts at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, this season will not disappoint.
Apparently a combination of last summer’s drought conditions and a wetter-than-normal fall and winter season — brought on by the transition to the El Nino climate pattern — seeded and fed the meadows of wildflowers that will be sprouting from roadsides and fields all over Central and North Texas in the coming weeks.
“On a scale from one to 10, this year looks like it could be an eight, for bluebonnets in particular, if not even better,” says Andrea DeLong-Amaya, the Center’s Director of Horticulture. “This fall and winter we’ve enjoyed adequate rainfall that’s been well-spaced, which is really key to wildflower development.”
And the drought conditions we experienced during the oppressive heat of last year’s summer withered the competition from plant species in the wild, said Matt O’Toole, Director of Land Management for the Wildflower Center.
“When we have extreme weather the prior summer, we see some plant mortality, which reduces competition in the soil and creates space for spring blooming wildflowers,” O’Toole said.
Many of the conditions that cultivate a robust wildflower season seem to be happening this year. While generous rainfall means more flowers, when they bloom depends on when we start getting warmer days.
In this Texas is blessed. Earlier in the week, North Texas recorded its first 90-degree day. Hopes for an early spring were buoyed as the Dallas-Fort Worth area began to enjoy warmer days. Questions, nay, demands, of winter’s demise have even been thrown out into the ether of late.
So, what are bluebonnets and where they did come from?
The purple blooms are the pride of Texas, adopted by the 27th Texas Legislature as the state flower on March 7, 1901. Bluebonnets get their name from the flower’s individual bloom’s resemblance to the sunbonnets women wore to guard against the grueling Texas sun.
“The Bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland,” historian Jack Maguire wrote. “It’s not only the state flower but also a kind of floral trademark almost as well known to outsiders as cowboy boots and the Stetson hat.”
Local lore suggests the lupines were brought over to the New World by Spanish priests because observers noticed how the priests would care for the blooms around mission houses. But American Indian mythology contradicts that telling, planting the beautiful bluebonnets front-and-center in the telling of their stories and referring to the blooms as “a gift from the Great Spirit,” according to the Texas State Historical Association.
Bluebonnets come from a few species of lupines that include the Texas bluebonnet, Lupinus texensis, sandyland bluebonnet, Lupinus subcarnosus, and the Big Bend bluebonnet, Lupinus havardii. The three species along with the rarer Lupinus concinnus and Lupinus plattensis comprise the state flower of Texas.
The blooms thrive on poor, rocky soil under a full sun, which is why they thrive in Texas on pastures that have been heavily grazed, experienced recent fires and land that have been mown, such as roadsides.
Where are the best places in Texas to see bluebonnet blooms?
In North Texas, finding bluebonnets is as easy as driving most highways or a detour into nearby rural farm towns. Really. It’s that simple. But if you’re looking for an awe-inspiring excursion with the purple blooms as your star, here are seven places that need to be on your must-visit itinerary. Do not leave your camera at home. It will be a shutterbug’s paradise.
1. Kingsland
Each spring, this town nestled near Llano explodes in bluebonnet blooms that can last for two months. Follow a trail of the flowers from Llano to Kingsland on Texas 29, then south on Ranch Road 1431. This peaceful town is not typically flooded with tourists, making it an ideal spot to view the pretty purple blooms.
2. Marble Falls
This picturesque town on the Colorado River is where you will find President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ranch. Marble Falls takes pride in this, extolling the fact the when Lady Bird Johnson, the wife of the 36th president of the United States, planted bluebonnet seeds across America, they love to point out that they got a little more love in the process. ts proximity to Kingsland and Burnet makes for a convenient trio of stops.
3. Burnett
Recognized as the “Bluebonnet Capital of Texas,” Burnet is a must-visit. Its annual Bluebonnet Festival, held from April 12-14, is a major attraction. Thousands converge on this Hill Country hamlet on the intersection of Texas 29 and U.S. 281 each spring, mostly because of the bluebonnets.
4. Brenham
This town in Washington County is located in the heart of bluebonnet country. The town watches for the first signs of the purple blooms, anticipating a spring full of flowers. Brenham is located halfway between Houston and Austin, and is known for its picturesque countryside and charming historic downtown.
5. Ennis
Only an hour drive from Fort Worth, Ennis is a convenient destination for folks from the Metroplex looking to view bluebonnets. The town is home to the Ennis Bluebonnet Trail and Festival, Ennis. The Ennis Garden Club meticulously tracks flower growth, making it a reliable source of bluebonnet sightings.
6. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin
This wildflower park is home to nearly 900 species of native Texas wildflowers and plants. The Center also offers educational programs for adults and children.
7. Big Bend National Park
Though not on the traditional Texas bluebonnet trail, Big Bend National Park offers a unique bluebonnet experience. The tallest of the bluebonnet species is named after the area: Big Bend bluebonnet, Lupinus havardii. It grows thickly along the park’s paved roads. We may see a superbloom this year, which could paint the hillsides blue.
David Montesino
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