Bluebonnet is a name given to any of a number of purple-flowered species of the genus '' Lupinus'' predominantly found in southwestern United States and is collectively the

state flower This is a list of U.S. state, federal district, and territory flowers. See also *List of U.S. state trees * Lists of U.S. state insignia References External linksList of state flowers {{USStateLists * U.S. state flowers Flowers ...

of Texas. The shape of the petals on the flower resembles the bonnet worn by

pioneer women ''Pioneer Women'' is a memorial in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Located in Piedmont Park, the memorial, designed by Steffen Thomas, was dedicated in 1938 by the Atlanta Pioneer Women's Society to honor former members of the group. Hi ...

to shield them from the sun. Species often called bluebonnets include: *'' Lupinus argenteus'', silvery lupine *''

Lupinus concinnus ''Lupinus concinnus'' is a species of lupine known by the common name Bajada lupine. It is native to the southwestern United States from California to Texas, and northern Mexico, where it is known from many types of habitat. This is a hairy erect ...

'', Bajada lupine *''

Lupinus havardii ''Lupinus havardii'' is a species of lupine known by the common names Big Bend bluebonnet and Chisos bluebonnet. It is native to Texas and Chihuahua, where it blooms between January and June. Its habitat includes gravelly, fine talus, and the al ...

'', Big Bend bluebonnet or Chisos bluebonnet *'' Lupinus perennis'', wild lupine or blue lupine *''

Lupinus plattensis ''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur i ...

'', Nebraska lupine *''

Lupinus subcarnosus ''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur ...

'', sandyland bluebonnet or buffalo clover *''

Lupinus texensis ''Lupinus texensis'', the Texas bluebonnet or Texas lupine is a species of lupine found in Texas, and the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. With other related species of lupines also called bluebonnets, it is the state ...

'', Texas bluebonnet or Texas lupine On March 7, 1901, ''Lupinus subcarnosus'' became the only species of bluebonnet recognized as the state flower of Texas; however, ''Lupinus texensis'' emerged as the favorite of most

Texan Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by bo ...

s. So, in 1971, the Texas Legislature made any similar species of ''Lupinus'' that could be found in Texas the state flower. Despite the common belief among Texans that picking bluebonnets is illegal in the state, this is a myth, and there are no laws that specifically prohibit picking them. As an extension of Lady Bird Johnson's efforts at highway beautification in the United States (see

Highway Beautification Act In the United States, highway beautification is the subject of the Highway Beautification Act (HBA), passed in the Senate on September 16, 1965 and in the U.S. House of Representatives on October 8, 1965, and signed by the President Lyndon B. Joh ...

), she encouraged the planting of native plants along Texas highways after she left the White House. Bluebonnet blooms are now a common sight along these highways in the springtime. They serve as a popular backdrop for family photographs, and the Department of Public Safety issues safety recommendations with regard to drivers pulling off highways to take such pictures.

Bluebonnets in media

Books

* 1983: ''The Legend of the Bluebonnet'', by

Tomie dePaola Thomas Anthony "Tomie" dePaola (; September 15, 1934 – March 30, 2020) was an American writer and illustrator who created more than 260 children's books, such as '' Strega Nona''. He received the Children's Literature Legacy Award for his lifeti ...

College football

The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

postseason bowl game in Texas, played in Houston in late December from

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

through

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

References

{{US state flowers Texas culture Plant common names Lupinus