Bluebonnets-The State Flower of Texas
A little history and fun facts about the bluebonnet that I thought I would share with you while you look at how I created “Texas Blooms”:
The bluebonnet (lupinus subcarnosus) is the state flower of the Texas (not the yellow rose). This flower was adopted by the Texas state legislature in 1901. It is also known as the buffalo clover, wolf flower, and “el conejo” (“rabbit” in Spanish). Bluebonnets get their name from the resemblance of the individual blooms to the bonnets worn by pioneer women to shield them from the sun.
Apparently when legislature was trying to choose the state flower of Texas, there were a few choices for them to vote on. They were the cotton plant and the pear cactus (nominated by politician “Cactus Jack”). It is said the National Society of Colonial Dames of America were horrified by the ugly flower choices, so they nominated the bluebonnet. Everyone thought cotton would win, but this group of strong women made sure the blue beauty won. They brought in bluebonnet paintings and had them displayed on the floor of the legislature as well as making bluebonnet floral arrangements for each of the politician’s desk. Many years after the bluebonnet won, it was brought to the legislations attention there are more than one species. They took care of this by writing a piece of legislation in 1971 that would cover any species of bluebonnets as the flower of the Great State of Texas.
If you drive around in Texas in the month of April, I’m sure you have spotted them on the side of the highways and roads, as well as large fields of blue. (Although they say the best places to see them are Ennis, Chappell Hill and Burnet.) We can thank Lady Bird Johnson for all of our beautiful highways. In 1969 she started handing out the Texas Highway Beautification Awards and writing personal checks to the winners. Soon everyone was planting bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes (this is one I definitely need to add to my South Texas Flower Series), and Black-eyed Susans. Lady Bird thought that people would not have the nerve to throw garbage on a field of bluebonnets. I definitely think it helps!
A few other interesting things…bluebonnets are poisonous if you eat them, and it is not illegal to pick them (although it is illegal to walk on someone’s private property). So, if you do go into a field of bluebonnets, make sure you watch out for rattlesnakes! They love them too!
Anyway…hope you enjoyed this little bit of info about bluebonnets. And I hope you enjoy “Texas Bloom.” If you love it like I do, swing by the shop and pick up a print for yourself! Please feel free to leave a comment, say Hi, or ask a question.
Reference:
Texas State Flower: The Bluebonnet & The Amazing Story Behind It - Texas Proud