Bluebonnets have started blooming, NBC 5 found the state flower blooming along State Highway 360 near FAA Boulevard.
What to Know
- Bluebonnets were adopted as the Texas state flower on March 7, 1901.
- There is no law prohibiting the picking of bluebonnets, but make sure you're not on private property taking pictures to avoid a trespassing charge.
- Beware of fire ants and snakes in bluebonnets!
It's a sure sign of spring in Texas, Bluebonnets have started to spring up alongside highways in North Texas.
Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREAn NBC 5 photojournalist captured video of the state flower along State Highway 360 near FAA Boulevard near the Studios at DFW.
Bluebonnet Forecast 2025
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning with NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP Now through April marks the peak of the annual Bluebonnet season.
NBC 5 Senior Meteorologist David Finfrock said he expects to see a stunted crop of the state flower and other wildflowers this spring because of a lack of rain at the most important time for bluebonnets.
"They were late getting started because of the dry fall. But a lot germinated during the winter when rains were more generous," said Finfrock.
That sentiment was echoed by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.
'Official Bluebonnet City' is in North Texas
If you haven't heard, the Ellis County town of Ennis is the "Official Bluebonnet City" and home to the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival each year. The Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival will be held April 11-13 this year and the bluebonnet trails will be open April 1-30.
The Ennis Bluebonnet Trail website says it's too soon to see significant blooms associated with the iconic photos in the area and the peak is expected in April.
Throughout April, visitors are invited to experience 40 miles of mapped bluebonnet trails featuring uniquely Texas photo opportunities that include cows, horses, and of course, an abundance of the state wildflower.
How to find bluebonnets and other Texas wildflowers
For public sightings of bluebonnets across the state, visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's website and the Texas Wildflower Watch Instagram.
Are bluebonnets illegal to pick
Remember there are no laws against shooting photographs in the bluebonnets, nor is it illegal to pick a few, but the Texas Department of Transportation discourages picture-taking that damages the wildflowers. If too many wildflowers are trampled, they will die and not go to seed, and since many of these flowers are annuals, this means they have to go to seed to come back the next year. That's also why picking the flowers is discouraged.
When you take your pictures in the bluebonnets, share them with NBC 5 and we may use them on-air or in our online galleries. Send them to iSee@nbcuni.com.
