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

Not Yet Rated

Wednesday - July 28, 2004

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

QUESTION:

My bluebonnets are still blooming out of season! What is the general season for bluebonnets to grow?

ANSWER:

While the season for the flowers of bluebonnets to emerge generally occurs in late March to mid-April, there are instances of plant seed germinating and flowering out of a ""normal"" season. Bluebonnet seed have a hard outer layer, and successful germination is dependant on the degradation of the seed coat to allow water to get inside the seed, get in contact with the seed embryo, and trigger the development of the plant. A disturbance due to landscaping or construction may have been enough of an event to trigger germination of the seed. It is a good general rule of thumb to remember that, given the right conditions (for example: soil temperature, adequate moisture, and sometimes adequate exposure to sunlight), plants will respond out of their expected seasons. More info on bluebonnet horticulture may be found in our on-line Native Plant Library.

From the Image Gallery

Texas bluebonnet
Lupinus texensis