We Texans sure do love our Bluebonnets.  In fact, if we didn’t know better we’d think that it was a state requirement that all residents have a photo session in a field of Bluebonnets at some point in their lives.  Which would be written right below the law that orders residents to indulge in a helping of chicken-fried steak and white gravy at least twice per year (and if that one’s not a law we sure don’t want to hear about it).

But for as much as we admire this beautiful flower, most people don’t know one of the most interesting things about it.  Turns out, the Lone Star State is actually home to five species of Bluebonnets, and because of an umbrella clause in a constitution amendment circa 1971, each of these species qualify as “The State Flower(s) of Texas.”  So now that you’re enlightened about Texas’ state flower history, check out the info below for a few more specifics about each one of our great state’s official state flowers.  For visuals of these five Texas Bluebonnet varieties, check out TexaScapes’ own Green Gardener, Richard Fadal in his video segment for KEYE TV.

1. Lupinus subcarnosus is the vintage version of the Texas bluebonnet.  Originally named the state flower in 1901, it grows naturally in deep sandy loams from Leon County southwest to LaSalle County and down to the northern part of Hidalgo County in the Valley. It is often referred to as the sandy land bluebonnet.
2. Lupinus texensis is the teacher’s pet of Texas wildflowers.  As the favorite of tourists and artists, it is the flower you’ll spot providing the blue spring carpet of Central Texas. It is widely known as THE Texas bluebonnet and is the easiest of all the species to grow.
3. Lupinus Havardiiis also known as the Big Bend Bluebonnet. It is found on the flats of the Big Bend country in early spring and is similar to your typical stubborn grandpa, as it is difficult to cultivate outside its natural habitat.
4. Lupinus concinnus is an inconspicuous little lupine (a wallflower, if you will), found sparingly in the Trans-Pecos region, blooming in early spring.
5. Lupinus plattensis sneaks down from the north into the Texas Panhandle’s sandy dunes. It is the only true perennial species in the state and is also known as the dune bluebonnet, the plains bluebonnet and the Nebraska Lupine.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you already know that bluebonnets are now at peak bloom throughout much of Central Texas.  If you’re looking for some great wildflower sighting (or a spot for that state-required family photo session), head over to the roadsides of State Highway 16 between Llano and Fredericksburg to find a majestic river of blue flowers that make quite the attractive backdrop.  Just make sure you don’t wear blue…unless you want the pictures to have a “floating head” effect.

Have you had your own bluebonnet photoshoot (with or without your lovely friends and family posing as if they often sit in large open fields of flowers)?  Share your pictures with us, we’d love to see them—we’ll even let you know which of the five species of Texas Bluebonnets created your backdrop!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 at 3:56 PM and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.