COMAL COUNTY, Texas — We’re still a few months away from peak bluebonnet season but a few of the blooms have been spotted around the Hill Country.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office in Comal County shared a picture of a glorious bloom that popped up outside their door a few days ago.
“Bluebonnets truly are iconically Texas. They just have a Texas stature about them,” said Daphne Richards, a Horticulture Agent for the AgriLife Extension office in neighboring Travis County.
She predicts we’ll see more bluebonnets across the state in a matter of weeks.
“We would normally see them in March or April, sometimes as late as May,” said Richards.
Most of our bluebonnets are just green leaves right now.
“They actually grow all winter on the ground, very low to the ground before they shoot up that flower stalk and so we don’t really notice them in the garden until we notice those flowers,” said Richards.
This year, the bluebonnet season could be a hit or miss.
“We need a nice winter rain and cool temperatures to get those seeds to pop and to get them to grow properly so that they can flower in the spring,” said Richards. “We may have an off year depending on the winter rain that we still have ahead.”
The early blooms are an encouraging sign. The sightings seem to be a new trend.
“It’s not their common practice,” said Richards. “With climate change and the weather being as sporadic as it is, it’s not uncommon to see one or two pop early in the season these days.”
If you are a lucky Texan with an early bluebonnet bloom in your backyard, snap a picture and show us on social media!
Be sure to add #KENS5Eyewitness to your post.