Gardening Flowers Annuals Texas Bluebonnet By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on December 21, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Texas Bluebonnet Overview Genus Name Lupinus texensis Common Name Texas Bluebonnet Plant Type Annual Light Sun Height 1 to 3 feet Width 2 to 2 feet Flower Color Blue, White Foliage Color Blue/Green Season Features Spring Bloom Special Features Attracts Birds, Fragrance Zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Propagation Seed Problem Solvers Drought Tolerant, Groundcover, Slope/Erosion Control Planting Texas Bluebonnet Pair bluebonnet with other dryland natives such as yucca, Indian paintbrush, and prickly pear cactus. It is easier to avoid overwatering a Texas bluebonnet planting when you partner them with other low-water plants. Spread a thin layer of fine gravel mulch over the planting bed to help preserve moisture and prevent weeds. Texas Bluebonnet Care Texas bluebonnet grows best in full sun and dry, well-drained soil. It requires 8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight per day to bloom well, and fast-draining soil is a must. Seeds or plants planted in heavy soil and clay may grow for a few weeks but never fully mature. They will turn yellow and die before they bloom due to the heavy, moist soil. Plant Texas bluebonnet in raised beds or containers if your garden soil is clay. This spring-blooming annual is easy to grow from seed or transplants purchased at a local nursery. Plant transplants in early spring and look forward to plants blooming in April or early May. If starting from seed, sow seeds in August. Water the seeds well after planting and water seedlings a couple of times in fall to encourage strong growth. Expect Texas bluebonnets started from seed to bloom in late March or early April, depending on spring weather conditions. Although Texas bluebonnet is an annual, it will come back year-after-year if planted in an ideal location and allowed to set seed. Several weeks after flowering, bluebonnet plants release seed. They produce a prolific amount of seeds that will lay dormant in the soil until fall when conditions are right for growth. Do not water the bluebonnet plantings in spring or summer; excessive moisture will spur seed to sprout and the resulting plant will not be able to survive the heat of summer. New Types of Texas Bluebonnet While most bluebonnets are blue, there are several other shades of pink, purple, and white flowers found in nature. Researchers have cultivated and crossed many of these unique selections to form new colors of Texas bluebonnets. Plant Texas Bluebonnet With: Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit