When and Where Will the Bluebonnets Bloom?

SAN ANGELO, TX — The Bluebonnet season may be quite good in 2018. Nearly all of the experts agree that the colder winter weather has protected the bluebonnet flowers’ roots and that means they may be in great abundance.

Why are bluebonnets important? It is because these blue flowers are the official flower of the State of Texas. On March 7 1901, the twenty-seventh Texas Legislature named the Lupinus subcarnosus the state flower. In 1971, other flower varieties commonly referred to as “bluebonnets” were added to the State’s flower list.

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Bluebonnet season is almost upon us. Where will we see them?

The water unleashed on Central Texas and the Gulf Cost regions by Hurricane Harvey helped keep bluebonnet roots well watered. Bluebonnets are seeded in October but bloom in March through mid-April.

According to The Dallas Morning News, heavy rains, a dry fall, and a cool winter are promising signs for a good bluebonnet crop.

Jason Weingart is an award-winning Austin-based photographer. His passion is chasing thunderstorms looking for tornados. In his downtime, he has moments to contemplate bluebonnets and wildflowers, as both provide excellent subjects for his photography skills.

He generally concurs with the horticultural experts The Dallas Morning News cited, and based on that, and his experience in past years viewing bluebonnets, he created a statewide list of probable areas where bluebonnets will be in abundance in 2018. Call it his bluebonnet day trip list. It includes Ennis, Muleshoe Bend in Spicewood, Fredericksburg, Marble Falls, Terlingua (a different species, he wrote), TX 29 between Mason and Burnet, Kingsland, and Brenham near Houston. You can see Weingart’s entire list of bluebonnet viewing locations here.

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Closer to San Angelo, will we see any local blooms? Likely. And based on past years, here are a few places to look:

• College Hills Blvd, The dog park is always flooded near the Red Arroyo. Did roots set? Also, south College Hills beyond Southland may have blooms this year.
• Civic League Park
• Along Loop 306 near Knickerbocker Rd.
• U.S. 87 from Eden to Junction
• San Angelo State Park

Bluebonnets will begin blooming soon, as March is just a week away. Where have you seen them? Post your sightings below.