Bluebonnet Madness

Mamas don’t let your babies eat bluebonnets. Don’t let your kiddos roll down highway embankments, either. 

I know you don’t have eyes in the back of your heads and must check light meters and swap out camera lenses, but make sure there are no fire-ant mounds in the vicinity before you settle your infant amidst the foliage.

Daddies don’t park on the left shoulder of the highway. Yes, it’s the side closest to the flower-studded median, but it abuts the passing lane, and a lot of Texas drivers take a 75-mph-speed-limit as a suggestion meant for little old ladies from Louisiana, not us.

It’s bluebonnet season in Texas, and the sight of those perky blossoms in highway right-of-ways induces madness. That clot of cars up ahead doesn’t represent an accident. Instead, it marks the location of a particularly bright, wide swath of wildflowers.

This year, the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush along State Highway 71 from La Grange past Bastrop are eye-popping. Are the bluebonnets extra blue this year or do they just look that way because the Indian paintbrush carries an extra-orange zing?

Two Sundays ago, the people stopped by the side of the road ranged from teenage girls in dress jeans, nice tees, and stilettos to three-generation groups, to brand-new parents and their infants.

It’s a tradition in southeast and central Texas to pose babies among the bluebonnets. The same parents who painstakingly research safety ratings of car seats, strollers, and cribs go a little wild during spring wildflower season, park by the side of the highway, and carry their little ones up embankments and down gullies in search of the perfect bluebonnet-filled site.  For a few minutes, at least, mom and dad don't worry about outside threats like ticks, bees, and fur-covered critters. The bluebonnet’s a powerful draw.

Some of those parked by the side of the road pose for selfies while others set up cameras on tripods. Some bring props for their photo sessions: a guitar, dogs, hats of all kinds. Some dress to blend with the bluebonnets, while others aim for contrast.

The Texas Department of Transportation sows about 30,000 pounds of wildflower seeds along rights of way every year.

In a state sometimes wracked by partisan politics, we can all agree our wildflowers are gorgeous. Thanks, TxDOT. 

Let's drive extra friendly during bluebonnet season. The camera-toting dude we have to swerve to avoid is in the grip of seasonal madness. He's got bluebonnets on the brain.

My Blue Texas

Bluebonnets in Houston's Terry Hershey Park

Come spring, Texans pile into cars and trucks and hunt down stands of bluebonnets in fields, parks, and alongside highways, where the Texas Department of Transportation sows seeds. In fact, TxDOT's website includes a regularly updated map that shows where wildflowers like bluebonnets can be found. 

It's a tradition for parents to photograph little ones sitting, running, or playing among bluebonnets. As soon as the perfect shot is taken, though, the parents must brush off the kids to whisk away fire ants and other pests. Spring in the Lone Star state may carry a sting.

Texas schoolchildren learn the "Please Don't Pick the Bluebonnets" message. If the flowers survive long enough to broadcast their seed, we'll get a glorious show of color next year. Of course, Mother Nature has to cooperate with rain and the right temperature. It helps, too, that municipalities and individuals join TxDOT in sowing seeds.

Here in southeast Texas, winters are mild, so bluebonnets don't signal the end of bitter cold. Why then do Texans so look forward to them? I can think of at least three reasons. One, the flowers are pretty, perky, and a striking shade of blue. Two, the legend of bluebonnets' start in Texas begins with the little Comanche girl who gave up her prized possession to end a drought. Not only is the little girl's story touching, but the specter of drought is as pertinent today as it was then. Finally, spring is outstanding in southeast Texas, and the bluebonnet reminds us to stop and savor the season. The blistering heat of summer is around the corner, so we have to wring every bit of enjoyment out of balmy temperatures, the sight of trees in bud, and, of course, those bluebonnets.

Here's a charming article about Texans' fascination with bluebonnets by the Houston Chronicle's Kyrie C'Connor. 

Texans aren't the only ones in stalking a favorite blossom. Here, Melinda Van Lone writes of her quest to see and photograph Washington D.C.'s cherry blossoms. 

What's the weather like in your part of the world? Does your area boast an iconic spring blossom? If so, what is it?