Bluebonnets Come to Lakewood
As all good Texans know, the bluebonnet is our official state flower, but how was it chosen? It was adopted by the Texas legislature in 1901 after a series of fierce debates known as the “flower wars.” Nominees included cotton (for its impact on economic growth) and the prickly pear cactus (for its hardiness and strength), but the National Society of Colonial Dames of America campaigned for the lovely sapphire bluebonnet, delivering beautiful bouquets to each legislator on voting day, and the rest is history. Because of how the law is written, all six known bluebonnet species in Texas are technically the state flower: Lupinus subcarnosus, L. texensis, L. havardii, L. concinnus, L. plattensis, and L. perennis.
Last fall the Lakewood Elementary students participated in a bluebonnet “stomp,” planting bluebonnet seeds by gently “stomping” them into the soil with their feet into the new native prairie area. This spring we have delighted in the results!
Special thanks to our amazing Dallas County Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, students, families, teachers and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, who granted us funds to purchase seeds from the Native American Seed Company!
To learn more about bluebonnets and how to include them in your garden, check out these resources:
