The bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. They typically grow about 0.3 m (1 ft) tall. The name is possibly derived from the shape of the petals of the flower and their resemblance to the bonnets worn by pioneer women to shield themselves from the sun.
Although Lupinus texensis is almost exclusively blue in the wild, Texas A&M University researchers were successful in breeding red and white strains, creating a Texas state flag in bluebonnets for the 1986 Texas Sesquicentennial. Further research led to a deep maroon strain, the university's official color.
The Lure and Legend of the Bluebonnet
Bluebonnets have been loved since man first trod the vast prairies of Texas. Indians wove fascinating folk tales around them. The early-day 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 cannot be true since the two predominant species of bluebonnets are found growing naturally only in Texas and at no other location in the world.
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." The late W. Lee O'Daniel, once governor of Texas wrote "you may be on the plains or the mountains or down where the sea breezes blow, but bluebonnets are one of the prime factors that make the state the most beautiful land that we know.
Texas Traditions
On March 7, 1901, Lupinus subcarnosus (also known as Buffalo clover) became the only species of bluebonnet recognized as the state flower of Texas. However, Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet) emerged as the favorite of most Texans. The flowers' deep blue blossoms can be seen from March through May in many areas of Texas. A popular spring pastime in Texas is photographing children, family members, and pets among the bluebonnets. Many families return to the same spot every year for photographs as part of a family tradition.
Another Texas tradition was started by Lady Bird Johnson, after her return from Washington, D.C. as First Lady to President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Lady Bird persuaded the government of the State of Texas to seed bluebonnets and other wildflowers along the highways throughout the state. Every spring the flowers return as a legacy of the First Lady. It is a persistent urban legend that it is illegal to pick bluebonnets in Texas, possibly because the bluebonnet is Texas' state flower. In fact, it is perfectly legal to pick them
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