The bluebonnets (Lupins texensis) are in full bloom right now. It’s not a great year for them because we haven’t had enough rain, but they still manage to put on a show. Even though last year was better, if you keep your eyes open, you can catch patches of them scattered about.

I found this patch in an empty lot in shopping mall which is still being developed. They are truly well-adapted and are thriving in this neglected location. If you look closely, there is some interesting color variation in this batch. Some of the bluebonnets look bluer than the others. Most look closer to purple to me and some are more pale.

There are also mutations which result in white, pink, and maroon flowers. These have been selectively bred to produce commercially available color strains.

Bluebonnets in an empty lot.

I’m always amazed that they grow best in the poorest soil. No deep soils, rich in organic materials, for them! This shopping mall lot was mostly caliche, the rocky, limestone-based soil we have in abundance in Central Texas.

Bluebonnet seeds are also quite tough. They have to go through a process called scarification to germinate. Basically, the seed is covered by a hard coat, which must be penetrated by wind, rain, and the weather over the course of months and sometimes years before the seed can germinate.

Bluebonnets are the official State Flower of Texas, officially adopted in 1901.