While the bluebonnets are a sight for the eyes, there is much more to the wildflower than looks. There is a history that includes debate and mythology, according to Guerrero. To find out all you need to know about bluebonnets, and enjoy photos sent in by readers of their experiences in the fields of blue, click through the gallery above.
Also, be sure to share you best bluebonnet and wildflower photos with us. Email them to news mysanantonio. Read More. You can pick 'em! Just don't overdo it Despite urban legend, picking bluebonnets is not illegal And, they're all a little hard to pronounce if you're not wild about wildflowers: Lupinus subcarnosus, Lupinus texensis, Lupinus havardii, Lupinus concinnus, Lupinus plattensis and Lupinus perennis.
Lonny Haschel, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said that picking bluebonnets is not a crime, but trespassing to get your perfect bluebonnet photo is. He also urged caution when parking on roadsides or marching into fields that could be full of fire ants or other critters. What do you wonder about the culture, people and institutions of North Texas -- and the rest of our great state?
Help us investigate stories that matter to you. Charles Scudder , Staff writer. Charlie Scudder is a general assignment reporter and has worked on the features and news desks for seven years. My son said people love to put their children in those flowers and take photos Just for clarification, it is NOT against the law to pick bluebonnets in Texas, but it's definitely frowned upon.
See, after the pretty blue flowers fade away, they leave behind fuzzy brown seed pods. These pods have the seeds for the next generation of flowers. If everyone who stopped to take pictures also took flowers, then there would be fewer and fewer flowers for everyone to enjoy in the following years. When the seed pods burst open and cast their seeds, the seeds may take several years to sprout.
Some might come up the next season, but many don't. They often just hang out in the soil, waiting for another year or two or even more before they come up and bloom. If conditions aren't good for the seeds to sprout and grow, the following year may be rather poor in terms of a good display. We Texans love our bonnets and we want them to grow. If people pick them, then nobody else gets to love on them like we do. There are laws against destroying plants on public property, but it isn't just about bluebonnets.
It may not be illegal to destroy the state flower, but it's almost certainly bad Texas karma. Gina Rokas, tourism director for the city of Ennis, laughs when she hears the anti-picking myth. Ennis is the Official Bluebonnet City of Texas and brings in thousands of tourists for the annual Bluebonnet Trails Festival , which this year is April This is the 65th year for the Ennis festival, Rokas said, but it's really taken off in the last 10 years since the advent of social media.
Go to Ellis County during peak-bloom best estimates say second week of April this year, Rokas said and you'll find bumper-to-bumper traffic along the trails as people try to get their perfect portrait. Rokas said she jokes with visitors who ask about picking the flowers, but she hopes people won't actually go through with it.
Lonny Haschel, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said that while actually picking the wildflowers isn't a crime, it's important to be safe while setting up for photos. The grassy area near a busy highway might offer a pretty backdrop, but make sure to pull completely off the roadway before getting out for photos. Haschel also said to avoid private property, because picking bluebonnets may not be a crime, but trespassing sure is. Parents should keep an eye out for other dangers in wildflower patches as well.
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