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Tuesday - January 05, 2010

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: Texas Bluebonnets: The Peak o' the Season
Answered by: Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

Hi. Question about bluebonnet blooming in the Austin, Texas area. I've read that early April is usually the prime time, but that weather can bump that around. We had a very wet fall. Now we are having a cold winter. Your best guess please on the prime blooming time for bluebonnets. Thanks a bunch.

ANSWER:

Early April is very consistently the height of the flowering season for Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet) in Central Texas. Weather conditions can vary the season by just a few days either way, but not enough to really notice. Weather plays a greater role in the development of any year's Bluebonnet crop. In general, good fall rains improve the show for the following season. However, other variables such as germination rate, competing winter grasses, etc, also affect the flower crop.