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The Natives are Friendly
Texas Bluebonnets
The Natives are Friendly
Texas Bluebonnets
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The best know and most beloved of the wildflowers in State of Texas is, of course, the Texas
Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis). It graces our fields and roadsides every spring with its stunning blue
display and is enjoyed by almost everyone. While it is one of the most easily identified of the Texas
wildflowers, there is lots of things about this special little flower that most people don’t realize.
There are actually six species of Bluebonnet which are designated as our state flower here in Texas.
The Annual Lupine (Lupinus concinnus) which is found in in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, the
Big Bend or Chisos Bluebonnet (Lupinus havardii) which is the largest and darkest blue of all the
bluebonnet species, the Perennial Bluebonnet, which is found in the Big Thicket area of Texas, the
Dune Bluebonnet (Lupinus plattensis) which is a very rare bluebonnet fount only in the panhandle, the
Sandyland Bluebonnet (Lupinus subcarnosus) and the Texas Bluebonnet ((Lupinus texensis) which is
by far the most common of the types of bluebonnet and is only found naturally in the State of Texas.
All of the variety of Bluebonnets are in the Legume or Bean Family (Fabaceae) and grow well in poor
soils due to their ability to fix nitrogen from the air to help them grow. They all grow in best drained
areas and prefer full sun in order to bloom well. Most of the Bluebonnet species are cool season
annual plants, which germinate in the fall and put on their root growth during the winter, so that as soon
as it starts to warm up in the spring they can grow quickly and produce their lovely blooms and make
seed before they are killed off by the summer heat. Because they are annual plants it is very important
that they are allowed to produce seed each year, so that there will be another crop of bluebonnets the
following season. If the blooms are mowed down before the seed for next year are fully developed the
population of bluebonnets in that area will slowly dwindle away until they are all gone.
Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis). It graces our fields and roadsides every spring with its stunning blue
display and is enjoyed by almost everyone. While it is one of the most easily identified of the Texas
wildflowers, there is lots of things about this special little flower that most people don’t realize.
There are actually six species of Bluebonnet which are designated as our state flower here in Texas.
The Annual Lupine (Lupinus concinnus) which is found in in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, the
Big Bend or Chisos Bluebonnet (Lupinus havardii) which is the largest and darkest blue of all the
bluebonnet species, the Perennial Bluebonnet, which is found in the Big Thicket area of Texas, the
Dune Bluebonnet (Lupinus plattensis) which is a very rare bluebonnet fount only in the panhandle, the
Sandyland Bluebonnet (Lupinus subcarnosus) and the Texas Bluebonnet ((Lupinus texensis) which is
by far the most common of the types of bluebonnet and is only found naturally in the State of Texas.
All of the variety of Bluebonnets are in the Legume or Bean Family (Fabaceae) and grow well in poor
soils due to their ability to fix nitrogen from the air to help them grow. They all grow in best drained
areas and prefer full sun in order to bloom well. Most of the Bluebonnet species are cool season
annual plants, which germinate in the fall and put on their root growth during the winter, so that as soon
as it starts to warm up in the spring they can grow quickly and produce their lovely blooms and make
seed before they are killed off by the summer heat. Because they are annual plants it is very important
that they are allowed to produce seed each year, so that there will be another crop of bluebonnets the
following season. If the blooms are mowed down before the seed for next year are fully developed the
population of bluebonnets in that area will slowly dwindle away until they are all gone.
Here are some tips for growing your own Texas
Bluebonnets.
• Plant the seed where there is a little or no
competition with exotic grasses, such as St
Augustine or Bermuda. These grasses will
choke out the bluebonnet seedlings.
• Plant in, at least, a half a day of direct
sunlight.
• Plant in a well drained area. Texas
Bluebonnets are thought to have originated in
the Texas Hill Country in the gravely granitic soil
around the Enchanted rock area. So a hill side
or rocky area is usually best. If that isn’t
possible spreading a 4 or 5 inch layer of
decomposed granite, makes a good well
drained bed for starting bluebonnets.
• Be very generous with the amount of seed
that you put out. For a minimum planting rate,
use 1 lb of seed for every 2,000 square feet. But
to get that picture perfect display, use up to 10
lbs per 2,000 square feet.
• Be sure and press the seed firmly into the
soil, but do not bury the seed more that 1/8 to ¼
inch deep.
• Plant the seed between September 15th
and November 15th for the best results the
following spring.
• And lastly, be patient. Not all of the seed
will germinate the first year and sometimes it
takes a couple of years to get that really knock
out display.
Bluebonnets.
• Plant the seed where there is a little or no
competition with exotic grasses, such as St
Augustine or Bermuda. These grasses will
choke out the bluebonnet seedlings.
• Plant in, at least, a half a day of direct
sunlight.
• Plant in a well drained area. Texas
Bluebonnets are thought to have originated in
the Texas Hill Country in the gravely granitic soil
around the Enchanted rock area. So a hill side
or rocky area is usually best. If that isn’t
possible spreading a 4 or 5 inch layer of
decomposed granite, makes a good well
drained bed for starting bluebonnets.
• Be very generous with the amount of seed
that you put out. For a minimum planting rate,
use 1 lb of seed for every 2,000 square feet. But
to get that picture perfect display, use up to 10
lbs per 2,000 square feet.
• Be sure and press the seed firmly into the
soil, but do not bury the seed more that 1/8 to ¼
inch deep.
• Plant the seed between September 15th
and November 15th for the best results the
following spring.
• And lastly, be patient. Not all of the seed
will germinate the first year and sometimes it
takes a couple of years to get that really knock
out display.
