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Capitol Comment
by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
The Oceans of Texas
May 7, 2006
Spring in Texas offers a wonderful opportunity to take in the natural beauty of the Lone Star State. An afternoon drive down a highway or a backcountry road is made more enjoyable by the sight of flowers blooming along the roadside. And each year, around this time, we are graced by the return of our state flower – the bluebonnet.
There are over 5,000 species of wildflowers in Texas, but there is something special about bluebonnets. Texas Monthly recently listed “75 Things We Love About Texas,” and bluebonnets topped the magazine’s rankings at number one. Texas offers so much to appreciate, and I commend the magazine’s editors for their choice.
As spring arrives, small patches of bluebonnets form. Soon these patches grow into plentiful fields of blue that rival any body of water. The vivid color of bluebonnets makes a wonderful backdrop for a photo. Fields of bluebonnets in bloom are picturesque settings that entice countless families each year to pull off on the side of the road and photograph children, loved ones, and even pets among these wonderful flowers.
This time-honored tradition is an experience that is almost obligatory to be considered a true Texan. Most people who have lived in Texas for any period of time have their own story about taking photos in a field of bluebonnets. When I lived in Austin during my time as State Treasurer, my house had a small patch of bluebonnets in the yard, where I often found parents taking pictures of their children – a welcome sight.
The original bluebonnet, Lupinus Subcarnosus (or buffalo clover), was adopted in 1901 by the Texas Legislature as the official state flower. However, Lupinis Texensis, the bold, blue flower most popular today, was such a favorite of Texans that the Legislature in 1971 formally recognized Lupinus Texensis and any other varieties of bluebonnet as equally the official state flower.
The Texas Department of Transportation does its part to support Texas wildflowers. Each year, the department spreads more than 33,000 pounds of wildflower seeds along the 79,000 miles of the Texas highway system and Texas roadways. Each pound has 170,000 seeds from over 30 varieties of wildflowers. The department also provides information on the best spots to find wildflowers through a wildflower hotline at (800) 452-9292 that is updated each week as well as an online database (http://www.dot.state.tx.us/wflwr/main.htm) featuring current information from district offices.
Texans also owe a debt of gratitude to Lady Bird Johnson for her contribution to wildflowers in our state. As First Lady in the 1960s, Lady Bird worked to beautify our nation’s roadways. She planted bulbs and trees on roadsides and parkways, and was instrumental in the passage of the 1965 Highway Beautification Act, known as “Lady Bird's Bill.” In 1982, Lady Bird founded the National Wildflower Research Center in Austin, and it was renamed in her honor in 1998. The center is full of wonderful programs and exhibits on Texas’ natural assets.
Across the state, festivals celebrate bluebonnet season. One of the biggest is in Ennis, “The Bluebonnet City of Texas,” where preparations are underway for the 55th Annual Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival. An estimated 100,000 visitors come to Ennis each April to explore over 40 miles of Bluebonnet Trails sponsored by the Ennis Garden Club. In 1997, the state legislature designated these trails as the official Bluebonnet Trails of Texas.
Of course, there are factors beyond our control that dictate to what extent the bluebonnets bloom. Texas has not received much rain over the past few months, which has led to projections of a low bloom this season. There will always be bluebonnets in Texas; there just may not be as many as in years past, or their color may not be as bold.
For this reason, it especially important this year not to pick the bluebonnets. In fact, it is “against the law” to do so. While this offense does not carry any criminal charges, Texans have a particularly strong sense of right and wrong. This has been proven by generations of Texans over the years, which is why this state treasure is abundant year after year.
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