Bluebonnet Fever in Central Texas

by Caroline Ulbrich

2010-04-19 12:42:55

It’s bluebonnet season in Central Texas. For those not from here, that means on any given Saturday or Sunday families flock to the shoulders of the highway to get the requisite ‘bluebonnet shot.’

Yes, you heard correct - I said the shoulder of the highway. I’m not referring to a tiny little state highway out of town (although those do have gorgeous fields of bluebonnets on the farms you see). I mean IH-35 or other major thoroughfare. The State has done a great job of beautifying our roadways by sprinkling wildflowers on all the shoulders, so some of the most plentiful patches are right along the road. It looks like a parking lot on the weekends on the side of some of the highways in our area.

In Texas, it’s an annual tradition to take photos in the bluebonnets. You’ll find that these family photos always have everyone wearing white shirts and jeans. I guess it’s good to coordinate and not distract from the colors of the flowers, but personally I’d prefer a little variety. After all the rain we’ve had this year it truly is a spectacular crop of bluebonnets. The bluebonnet is a gorgeous flower with its indigo shades and it is usually accompanied by the beautiful reds of the Indian Paintbrush and the bright yellow petals of Black-eyed Susans; so who wouldn’t want this as the backdrop for a family photo?

As I watch thousands in Central Texas trample over these fields and smile for the camera and send them to us for printing on canvas, I wonder… Do people do this everywhere? In other parts of the country, is there a similar springtime tradition when it comes to family photos? According to Wikipedia, Bluebonnets also grow in California, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico - do residents there seek out fields of this blue beauty to take photos in? The fiery orange California Poppy will cover endless fields when in bloom, yet we don’t see customers sending in family photos sitting in those scenes…

I’d like to know if this phenomenon is unique to Texas. Share with us your local springtime family photo traditions. Are there fields of flowers in your area that have yet to be used for this activity? Start a new trend! Send in your photos so we can see how you do it, or just let us know that we’re all nuts down here!

By the way, Texas DPS says that it is NOT illegal to pick Bluebonnets in Texas. It is illegal to trespass or block traffic or damage public property but if your two year old runs up to you with a clump in her hands you don’t have to look over your shoulder for the police!