The blue bonnets are blooming at Purple Ranch Lavender Farm. I went out this morning to catch the dew on the blooms. I hope you enjoy viewing as much as I did taking the photo. Until next time. Lavender Up!
That's a lovely bloom, they look a bit like the lupins. Do you know the Latin name for it? I'm no good at common English names I'm afraid.
In 1901 the State Legislature chose the Lupinus subcarnosus (Bluebonnet) as the official state flower. But for the next 70 years many people argued that it was the least attractive of the species and since it grew only on the Gulf coast and far south Texas they didn't think it was the proper flower to be given that honor. They wanted the Lupinus texensis instead. In 1971 the legislature decided to lump those two Lupines plus "any other variety of bluebonnet not heretofore recorded", into one state flower. So Texas has 5 official State Flowers. Lupinus subcarnosus is the first official Texas State Flower. Lupinus texensis is the BlueBonnet most people think of as the real state flower and grows abundantly in Central Texas. Lupinus Havardii, aka Big Bend Bluebonnet. Up to 3 feet tall it grows down in far south-west Texas in the Big Bend area. Lupinus concinnus is the smallest and is a combination of white/rosy purple/lavender instead of the standard blue. Grows in the Trans-Pecos region. Lupinus plattensis grows in the sandy plains of the Panhandle and is also known as the Nebraska Lupine.
Thanks Toni... I am a native Texan and didn't know that. I have only known the flower that PRH posted as the state flower.Wish the ones around East TX got 3' tall.
lupines I love bluebonnets. When fields & fields of them bloom simultaneously, it is a sight to behold. My father lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and they have wild lupines growing there - about 2 feet tall with various colored blooms. Incidentally, bluebonnets do not grow in this part of Texas naturally - too dry & too cold, at least for lupinus texensis. I found my pix from last Easter. We spent a few days near Wimberly with friends from all over Texas and on the way home, took pictures of our daughter in bluebonnets. This is a Texas tradition for many, many families: kids in the bluebonnets. Obligatory picture of offspring in bluebonnets: You can see the cloudy sky here - got cold! [/img] And you can see that it actually snowed in Central Texas on April 7th & 8th, 2007. I had never seen bluebonnets blooming in snow in my life until this day. It doesn't snow in this part of Texas much anyway, but snow in April is unheard of! [/img] If somebody has pictures of fields of bluebonnets, please post them. The blue against the green trees is stunningly beautiful! This year, we've ot had much rain, so the show won't be all that good. Check out this site for reports of Texas wildflower displays: http://www.txdot.gov/travel/flora_conditions.htm
I can see why people photograph their cildren in all those flowers. It's a stunning background. Here, we photograph children in front of birch or flowering fruit trees om May 17th.
I have Lupins!!!! yah!! now i know whats it called. They come up every year here and there is a huge square of them. but mine don't have that white in the center and are a darker blue almost purple. They are huge too, about 2-3 ft tall, almost 1 meter or meter. We don't have any kids to photograph here in Norway, mine are in the states and iraq. but when they get here thats one of first things i plan on doing is the photo infront of the birch. Every yr before May 17 if the birch hasn't bloomed yet i cut a few branches and bring into the house to force bloom so we have our blooming birch for that day.
Enjoyed the pics of the Texas Bluebonnets, PRH and WTxDaddy . . . I l would love to see more pics of your Purple Ranch Lavender Farm . . . you have my "lavender" curiosity up . . . I love purple.
I must remember to photograph the dandelion fields when they're blooming. That yellow is simply gorgeous!
