Texas wildflowers

Everything's bigger in the Lone Star State, including the.e pps of untamed flora

A brown-and-white horse strolls through the field, stopping now and then to sample the abundance of delicacies. We had stopped to take pictures of the spring wildflowers growing in the pasture, but to the horse the flowers were lunch.

Obviously, the horse must not have been born in Texas. Texans treat spring wildflowers with reverence. And with good cause. Every spring, the flowers bloom along the highways, creating a carpet of color that turns a mundane drive into a floral adventure. Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes are most common, often growing together in rivers of blue and red that flow through Texas meadows.

Wildflowers were common in Texas long before the bluebonnet became the official state flower in 1971, after a selection process that lasted seven decades. Two prominent species of bluebonnets grow naturally only in Texas, where more than 5,000 species of wildflowers can be found.

The Texas Department of Transportation is one of the groups that has aided the propagation of wildflowers since the 1930s.

"In the early 1930s, our engineers noticed, when they were working on the highways, that some of the first things to grow back were wildflowers," said Melody Hughes, a floriculturist with the Texas Department of Transportation. "They issued directives at that time to delay mowing until the wildflowers had set seed. That particular practice has been used since."

Since there were no wildflower seed suppliers in the 1930s, the state got permission from farmers and ranchers to mow their fields of wildflowers so the seeds could be used on the state highway rights-ofway. The state is still using its mowers to help the wildflower crops. While the flowers are in bloom, the state will not mow. However, when the flowers go to seed, the mowers help spread the seed.

"Normally, we target the urban areas with the seeding program-the roads that are more heavily traveled," Hughes said. "In rural areas, the crews don't usually seed, but there are wildflowers they can mow if they wait until the flowers go to seed. That way they can keep the wildflowers in those areas."

While the visual banquet can be seen each spring from most of the state's interstate highways, the best places to see the flowers are usually on state and county roads.

Last year's dry spring kept the bluebonnets from filling fields with their spectacular carpet of blue hues. However, more than 5,000 other species of flowering plants native to Texas gave RVers a lot of scenery to enjoy.

Because of the highway department's program, the roadside rights-of-way are often the best places to see fields of bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush and Indian blankets. Hughes said the state buys more than 60,000 pounds of wildflower seed each year, ensuring colorful spring drives throughout the state.

Texans and tourists alike look forward to the annual bluebonnet watch. Telephone hotlines and news stories chronicle the march of the maturing bluebonnets from south to north. Generally, the wildflowers begin blooming in far south Texas in February and move north at a rate of about 50 miles a day. The blooms generally arrive in the Texas Hill Country in early March and reach north Texas about mid-April. However, the wildflower season varies depending on rainfall and temperature.

If a trip to Texas is planned for another time of the year than the spring, there are other species of flowers that will be in bloom. The National Wildflower Research Center in Austin has a 42acre botanical garden to showcase the efforts of the non-profit organization that was founded by Lady Bird Johnson in 1982.

"We have more than 500 different species and we do literally have blooms all yearround," said Patricia Alholm, the public relations manager for the center. "Even in the winter there are a few things blooming and we have indoor exhibits." (More than 100,000 people have visited the grounds since it opened in April of 1995.)

"Our mission as an organization is to preserve and reestablish natural plants and planned landscapes. We have an environmental education emphasis," Alholm said. The organization also acts as a clearing house for information on native plants for those interested in planting wildflowers as part of their landscapes. Th For information, contact National Wildflower Research Center, 4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin, Texas 78739; (512) 292-4200. HOW TO FIND THE FLOWERS LAKE MINER WELLS STATE PARK

This park, which is about an hour west of Fort Worth on U.S. 180, is a great place to enjoy the wildflowers, and is built around a small lake with campsites on the west shore and some excellent rock climbing trails on the eastern side of the lake.

For a scenic drive from Mineral Wells to another state park, go east on U. S. 180 to Weatherford and south on Texas 51 to Granbury. From Granbury, take 144 south to Glen Rose. Go west on U.S. 67 to Dinosaur Valley State Park.

DINOSAUR VALLEY STATE PARK

From Dinosaur Valley State Park travel east on U.S. 67 to Park Road 21, which goes to Cleburne State Park. CLEBURNE STATE PARK The state park schedules several informative talks, slide shows and hikes that highlight Texas wildflowers each spring. Call the park headquarters for dates and times; (817) 645-4215.

From Cleburne take Texas 67 east back to Interstate 35. Go south on I-35 to Hillsboro. To reach the park from I-35, take the Hillsboro exit. In Hillsboro take State Highway 22 west to Whitney; then follow the signs to Lake Whitney State Park. The park is located 3 miles west of Whitney on FM 1244. LAKE WHITEY STATE PARK The park, located on one of the best striper fishing lakes in Texas, has scattered groves of post oak and live oak. In the spring, bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes cover the landscape.

THIS LAKE STATE PARK Inks Lake State Park is 1,200 acres of recreational facilities adjacent to Inks Lake on the Colorado River in Burnet County. Inks Lake is a constant-level lake located in the Highland Lakes chain (7 lakes), surrounded by granite hills. The next destination is the National Wildflower Research Center in Austin. The fields around the center are covered with flowers in the spring, and the center is an excellent source of information about the best places to view flowers in Texas. Ask the staff where the best patch of wildflowers are growing and head that direction. The center operates a hotline from March 15 to May 31 and staff botanists can advise callers on the best roadside viewing spots in Texas; (512) 832-4059.

The Texas Department of Transportation hotline: (800) 452-9292 (gives updates about wildflower conditions around the state). -T. M.

Copyright T L Enterprises, Inc. May 1997
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