Greg Grant

GREG GRANT, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Bluebonnets have been loved since man first trod the flower-strewn prairies of Texas. Indians wove fascinating folk tales around them. The early Spanish priests gathered the seeds and grew them around their missions. This practice gave rise to the myth that the padres had brought the plant from Spain, but this isn’t the case, as the two most common species of bluebonnets are native to Texas.

As historian Jack Maguire so aptly wrote, “It’s not only the state flower but also a kind of floral trademark almost as well known to outsiders as cowboy boots and the Stetson hat.” He goes on to affirm that “The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland.”

Texas actually has five state flowers, more or less, and they are all bluebonnets. Here is how it happened.

In the spring of 1901, the Texas Legislature got down to the serious business of selecting a state floral emblem, and the ensuing battle was hot and heavy. The National Society of Colonial Dames of America in Texas won the day. Their choice was Lupinus subcarnosus (“generally known as buffalo clover or bluebonnet,” stated the resolution) and it was passed into law on March 7, 1901, without any recorded opposition. And that’s when the polite bluebonnet war was started.

Lupinus subcarnosus is a dainty little plant that paints the sandy, rolling hills of coastal, eastern and southern Texas with sheets of royal blue in the early spring. It’s actually the most adapted bluebonnet to East Texas, but some folks thought it was the least attractive of the Texas bluebonnets. They wanted Lupinus texensis, the showier, bolder blue beauty that covers most of Central Texas and gives inspiration to many an artist.

So, off and on for 70 years, the Legislature was encouraged to correct its oversight. But the wise solons weren’t about to get caught in another botanical trap, nor did they want to offend the original supporters of Lupinus subcarnosus. So they solved the problem with typical political maneuvering.

In 1971, the Legislature handled the dilemma by adding the two species together, plus “any other variety of bluebonnet not heretofore recorded,” and lumped them all into one state flower.

Among the many things the Legislature did not know then was that the big state of Texas is home to four other species of lupines and the umbrella clause makes all six of them the state flower. And, if any new species are discovered, they automatically will assume the mantle of state flower as well.

The six state flowers of Texas are:

– Lupinus subcarnosus, the original champion and still co-holder of the title, 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. The plant’s leaflets are blunt, sometimes notched with silky undersides. This species, which reaches peak bloom in late March, is not easy to maintain in clay soils.

– Lupinus texensis, the favorite of tourists and artists, provides the blue spring carpet of Central Texas. It is widely known as the Texas bluebonnet. It has pointed leaflets, the flowering stalk is tipped with white (like a bunny’s tail) and hits its peak bloom in late March and early April. It is the easiest of all the species to grow.

– Lupinus Havardii, also known as the Big Bend or Chisos Bluebonnet, is the most majestic of the Texas bluebonnet tribe with flowering spikes up to 3 feet. It is found on the flats of the Big Bend country in early spring, usually has seven leaflets and is difficult to cultivate outside its natural habitat.

– Lupinus concinnus is an inconspicuous little lupine, from 2 to 7 inches, with flowers that combine elements of white, rosy purple and lavender. Commonly known as the annual lupine, it is found sparingly in the Trans-Pecos region, blooming in early spring.

– Lupinus plattensis sneaks down from the north into the Texas Panhandle’s sandy dunes. It is a perennial species and grows to about 2 feet tall. It normally blooms in mid to late spring and is also known as the dune bluebonnet, the plains bluebonnet and the Nebraska Lupine.

Lupinus perennis is the most recently discovered species in Texas. This bold, beautiful perennial bluebonnet grows in sandy soils in the southeastern United States and occurs sparingly in Southeast Texas.

I once worked with legendary horticulturist Dr. Jerry Parsons in San Antonio on his bluebonnet colorization project where we developed red, white and blue Texas bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) to plant a Texas flag. I even got to help develop an Aggie maroon bluebonnet. I’ve always loved bluebonnets and wrote the following poem about them years ago. It was actually a third verse to an old song that I thought needed a bit more:

“Texas Bluebonnets”

Oh the blue of our Texas bluebonnets,

is food to my weary old eyes.

Deeper than the blue ocean,

and bluer than summertime skies.

Oh how I love the bluebonnets;

no other flower compares.

I’m sure that I’ll see bluebonnets,

at the foot of the heavenly stairs.

Greg Grant is the Smith County horticulturist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. You can follow him on Facebook at Greg Grant Gardens, read his “Greg’s Ramblings” blog at arborgate.com or read his “In Greg’s Garden” in each issue of Texas Gardener magazine (texasgardener.com). For more information on local educational programming, go to smith.agrilife.org.