Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants

See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

rate this answer

1 rating

Sunday - April 20, 2008

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Seasonal Tasks, Seeds and Seeding, Wildflowers
Title: Planting bluebonnets
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

How long do bluebonnet seeds take to mature, and when is the earliest in their development they can be harvested? When can they be scattered?

ANSWER:

Happily, people who know more about this than Mr. Smarty Plants have written an How-To article on How to Grow Bluebonnets. We have refreshed our memory by re-reading it, and believe it answers all your questions. However, for more information on the subject, we suggest you read How to Grow Bluebonnets: Rhizobium FAQs and How to Grow Bluebonnets:Scarification FAQs.

From the Image Gallery

Big bend bluebonnet
Lupinus havardii

Texas bluebonnet
Lupinus texensis

Sundial lupine
Lupinus perennis

Texas bluebonnet
Lupinus subcarnosus