Bluebonnet
117 images Created 24 May 2015
Bluebonnet, Lupinus texensis
From late March to mid April, the Bluebonnet attracts residents and tourists alike. Depending on the year, you might encounter some Bluebonnets, lots of Bluebonnets, or, more Bluebonnets than you can imagine. You’ll see pure stands, or mixtures with other early season varieties like Indian Paintbrush, Drummond Phlox, and White Prickly Poppy.
The Texas Bluebonnet stands 6 to 18 inches in height with as many as 50 small pea-like flowers clustered on the stem, topped by a bright white cap. Multiple pea-like pods erupt from the stem, producing the seeds for the following season – or the next season that conditions are right for germination. The Bluebonnet likes a cool, moist fall to germinate.
Six species of Bluebonnet grow in the state. All of them are designated as the Texas State Flower. Lupinus texensis is the most common species in the central Texas area.
One of the early common names for the Bluebonnet was Wolf Flower, from the observation that it often thrives on sandy and poor soil. The Wolf Flower was thought to have ‘wolfed’ the nutrients from the soil, when in fact, as a legume it does an excellent job of fixing nitrogen in the soil. You may also hear it referred to as El Conejo for its white tip resembling a cottontail rabbit.
From late March to mid April, the Bluebonnet attracts residents and tourists alike. Depending on the year, you might encounter some Bluebonnets, lots of Bluebonnets, or, more Bluebonnets than you can imagine. You’ll see pure stands, or mixtures with other early season varieties like Indian Paintbrush, Drummond Phlox, and White Prickly Poppy.
The Texas Bluebonnet stands 6 to 18 inches in height with as many as 50 small pea-like flowers clustered on the stem, topped by a bright white cap. Multiple pea-like pods erupt from the stem, producing the seeds for the following season – or the next season that conditions are right for germination. The Bluebonnet likes a cool, moist fall to germinate.
Six species of Bluebonnet grow in the state. All of them are designated as the Texas State Flower. Lupinus texensis is the most common species in the central Texas area.
One of the early common names for the Bluebonnet was Wolf Flower, from the observation that it often thrives on sandy and poor soil. The Wolf Flower was thought to have ‘wolfed’ the nutrients from the soil, when in fact, as a legume it does an excellent job of fixing nitrogen in the soil. You may also hear it referred to as El Conejo for its white tip resembling a cottontail rabbit.
