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.

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Friday - January 31, 2003

From: Freeport, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: When the bluebonnets bloom
Answered by: Stephen Brueggerhoff

QUESTION:

Can you tell me when the bluebonnets are in bloom?

ANSWER:

Early to mid-April is usually the showiest time and is fairly dependent on the weather. So far, we have had the unexpected pleasure of witnessing a "more than average" amount of rainfall this past Fall, which is a start to supporting a more floriferous display of wildflowers this Spring. If our Spring rains come on time, that and other factors will give us an excellent showing of wildflowers at the aforementioned time. Look for our annual Wildflower Forecast from the Wildflower Center web page during early Spring, a service providing info on travel routes for best wildflower viewing in Texas. Another resource is provided by the Texas Department of Transportation. They have a Travel Information line that provides up-to-date information of seasonal road conditions on Texas public highways. Their phone number is: 1-800-452-9292. They also support and have partnered with Lone Star Internet, Inc. with a "Wildflower Sightings" web-page, where you can view past years sightings.