Native Plants

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Friday - March 14, 2003

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: More on bluebonnets
Answered by: Stephen Brueggerhoff

QUESTION:

How did the bluebonnet get its name?

ANSWER:

I have not specifically seen any written attribution of how the Bluebonnet received its common name. I am assuming that the name was derived from the shape of the flower; the part of this 5-petaled flower that makes up the "bonnet" shape is called the banner, showcasing this lupines beauty as they dot the landscape during the Spring season.

From the Image Gallery

Texas bluebonnet
Lupinus texensis