Free Republic

Snakes! Snakes in the bluebonnets! This is your annual reminder to look twice before popping a pose in a patch of bluebonnets. We all love seeing them, but sometimes there's danger among the flowers: This year-old video shows two Diamondback rattlesnakes duking it out over a female snake in a patch of bluebonnets. Whether you're taking pictures or being photographed, it's best to always check for any dangerous critters, slithering or otherwise. Here's what the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department suggests if you are bitten by a venomous snake: "Keep the victim calm. Keep the bitten arm or leg below...

Rumors of Aggie mischief circulate as maroon bluebonnets pop up on University of Texas campus By ANDREA SALAZAR andrea.salazar@theeagle.com | Posted 4 days ago The land of burnt orange has received some unwanted maroon in the form of the state flower. Maroon bluebonnets have popped up in flower beds outside the University of Texas Tower, causing enough student reaction to prompt groundskeepers to remove the seeds, said Markus Hogue, program coordinator of irrigation and water conservation at UT. Rumor has it that an Aggie is behind it. After all, the only place on campus that has bloomed the Aggie-cultivated maroon...

Kerrville Texas - The usual splashes of blue along roadsides have become more scarce due to limited rainfall. However, a quick drive down Interstate 10 between Comfort and Kerrville shows a few patches of the state flower popping out along the median. Standing out against yellow coreopsis and orange Indian paint brushes, the bright blue flower can bloom in fields spanning acres or appear with a few flowers scattered here and there. “But they’re not the big patches we’re used to,” said Patrick Williams, with the Kerrville Convention and Visitors Center. In 1901, the Texas Legislature adopted the bluebonnet as...

DALLAS -- Bluebonnets, bluebonnets everywhere. The state flower is out in full force. Five species of Texas bluebonnets dot the state. Their prevalence along 79,000 miles of state highway is no accident. The Texas highway department began planting seeds along roadways in 1930. They now sow more than 33,000 pounds of wildflower seeds, including bluebonnets, each year. Late March through early April is the best time for viewing roadside fields of blue. Viewing locations stretch from the Rio Grande Valley north to Childress. For more information Texas Department of Transportation wildflower map or call the wildflower hotline at (800) 452-9292.