Paul's Tips & Techniques

Texans have long been fascinated by bluebonnets. Join us as we travel virtually through the bluebonnets - you might just learn something new about Texas' favorite flower. 

• In 1901, the Texas Legislature named the bluebonnet, a legume, the state flower.
• Many say it got its name because it resembles a sunbonnet.
• It's also been called buffalo clover, wolf flower and el conejo, or rabbit in Spanish. Five species of bluebonnet grow in Texas: Lupinus subcarnosus, L. havardii, L. concinnus, L. perennis, and L. plattensis.
• The flowers typically peak in mid-April, but they should last through the end of April - and perhaps into early May if we're lucky.
• Why do we have so many wildflowers along the highways? Credit the Texas Department of Transportation. The agency says: "Shortly after the Texas Highway Department was organized in 1917, officials noted that wildflowers were among the first vegetation to reappear at roadside cuts and fills. In 1932, the department hired Jac Gubbels, its first landscape architect, to maintain, preserve and encourage wildflowers and other native plants along rights of way. By 1934, department rules delayed all mowing, unless essential for safety, until spring and early summer wildflower seasons were over. This practice has stayed in place for more than 60 years and has expanded into today's full-scale vegetation management system." TxDOT buys and sows about 30,000 pounds of wildflower seed each year.

The bluebonnet continues to be a favorite subject for artists and photographers, and at the peak of bloom, festivals featuring the flower are held in several locations.