Bluebonnet season has arrived in the Houston area, and along with it, the age-old myth that it's illegal to pick the Texas state flower.
There is no law against picking bluebonnets in most places in Texas, according to University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus. However, some laws do prohibit it depending on where the flowers are growing, according to Rottinghaus.
"No Texas statute flatly bans picking bluebonnets in a pasture or roadside field," Rottinghaus said during a recent episode ofHouston Public Media's"Texperts" podcast. "In fact, though, state law, once in the 1930s, made it unlawful to pick bluebonnets and other wildflowers on enclosed or state-mandated land without permission."
This law was later repealed in 1973, according to Rottinghaus, who said people should still only pick them from public land and in moderation.
"For example, bluebonnets that grow on state park grounds or any national or state parks are protected. Removing or destroying any plant in a park is illegal," he said. "Likewise, picking bluebonnets on private property without permission can be prosecuted as trespass."
When do bluebonnets bloom, and where to find them
TheTexas Department of Transportation(TxDOT) plants more than 5,000 species of wildflowers and native grasses, including bluebonnets, along the state's highways. Every year, the department sows up to 30,000 pounds of wildflower seed across 1.2 million acres of state property.
According to TxDOT, the bluebonnet season typically spans from early March to late April.
TxDOT splits the state into four different regions, spanning from Region 6 in the northern tip of the Texas Panhandle to Region 9 in the southern part of the state, near Corpus Christi and McAllen.Bluebonnets can typically be found in Regions 7 and 8, which span across the middle of Texas and include areas like Houston, Austin and San Antonio.
Although it may seem counterproductive to mow over the bluebonnets and other wildflowers, TxDOT said it conducts mowing operations twice a year.
"Once in summer to scatter mature seeds, and again in fall to provide optimum sun and soil conditions for seeds to sprout," TxDOT said on its website.
For Houstonians wanting to see the state flower blooming, bluebonnets can be found in or around the following locations throughout the season:
- Buffalo Bayou Park
- Sections of Memorial Drive
- Along Interstate 610 near 18th Street
- Houston Botanic Gardens
- White Oak Bayou
- Stude Park
- T.C. Jester Park
The flowers also can be spotted along highways outside of the city.
Climate change's effects on bluebonnets
While the state flower is still widely common in certain regions of Texas, the plant — of which there are actually five native species in Texas — has not been unaffected by the Earth’s warming climate.
Last year,Houston Public Mediareportedthat the number of bluebonnets was lower than in the previous season due to little rainfall.
The year before that, in 2024, warmer-than-average temperatures caused the bluebonnet season tobegin earlier than normal, with some flowers blooming over a month early in February.
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