Most of us home gardeners in Louisiana are always looking for alternative plants to try. We typically get accustomed to planting the same warm-season bedding plants in the spring and the same cool-season bedding plants in the fall. Why not reach out a little bit this fall and give bluebonnets a try? Yes, I know Louisiana is not Texas, but bluebonnets will grow in South Louisiana.
There are five state flowers of Texas that belong to the genus of plants called bluebonnets, Lupinus. The species most commonly grown is the traditional Lupinus texensis. These native wildflowers are magnificent in central Texas and have blue flower spikes with white coloring at the tips. Peak bloom in Texas is late March and early April, and that would be about the time for them to shine in Louisiana also.
So, how do we grow Texas bluebonnets? We have several avenues to pursue. Bluebonnet plants are now regularly available at some retail garden centers in Louisiana during the late winter and early spring. These can be planted into the landscape at that time and will last through May. However, the method of growing that most folks prefer is fall sowing of the seed. This needs to be done from now through November in South Louisiana. Soil preparation and soil type are important. Bluebonnets do not like wet feet or clayey-type soils. A raised bed with incorporations of organic matter or a garden row composed of a good silty loam soil is preferred. A full sun location is needed. Sow seed at a rate of 1 lb per 75 square feet of bed area. Seeds need to be slightly raked into the soil or lightly covered. Keep them moist but not wet until germination occurs (15-60 days).
Bluebonnets do best when we have less-than-average or average rainfall during the cool season. Poor soil drainage is a problem. If planting a transplant, avoid planting too deep. Plant growth originates from a central crown – a buried crown leads to root rot. When planting transplants, the recommended spacing is 12 inches between plants within a row and 24 inches between plants between rows.
There are now bluebonnet varieties available. The traditional blue has been joined by other colors. Abbott Pink is a pink form, and Texas A&M horticulturist Jerry Parsons was instrumental in development of the Alamo Fire (Texas Maroon) bluebonnet. A reliable source of bluebonnet seed is Wildseed Farms (www.wildseedfarms.com) in Fredericksburg, Texas.