From winter storm wildflowers may spring
The subfreezing temperatures and blanket of snow that came with Winter Storm Uri in February could have helped the wildflower crop that beautifies Texas highways and country roads.
Each spring, Texans head out for drives and stop for pictures in fields of Indian paintbrush, blanket flower, buttercups, evening primrose and, of course, the most prized blooms in Texas — bluebonnets, the state flower.
This year will be no different, experts say.
“I have great news. When you look around your yard and it looks sad, well, the wildflowers will do fine,” said Amy Galloway, a horticulturist at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.
“The snow insulated them, acting like a blanket of insulation that protected all of their leaves. You’ll see plants affected by the ice and freezing temps that got burned and look bad, but wildflowers under snow actually got insulated and, when it melted, provided water.”
Blooms of hundreds of different species should appear in early April and put on a colorful show for much of that month.
Galloway explained that wildflowers germinate in the fall, either from new seed distributed in fields and along roadways or from seeds that dropped and scarified when the prior spring’s flowers died and fell into surrounding dirt.
By fall, they’re nourished by rains, and then through winter, they root and form a base of greenery called rosettes or seedlings. Typically in March or April, flower spikes and their blooms emerge.
Texas A&M University professor and extension horticulturist Larry Stein said that last September and October were fairly dry, so the wildflowers didn’t get all of the rain they needed. But the insulating blanket of snow in February may have helped those thirsty plants.
Wildflowers have been a spring treat in Texas for decades. Back in the 1930s, the Texas Highway Department halted mowing until spring and summer wildflower seasons were over because the foliage was a great natural way to conserve water, prevent erosion and provide a habitat for wildlife.
Today, the Texas Department of Transportation sows about 30,000 pounds of wildflower seed each year, a tradition initiated by Lady Bird Johnson, the late former first lady for whom the wildflower center in Austin is named. The rite of spring draws out Texans in force for country drives.
Many kids who grow up in Texas have at least one snapshot of themselves posted in a bluebonnet field, but TXDOT urges people to venture into fields with care. When wildflowers are trampled, they can die and not turn to seed, meaning they won’t produce seeds for the next year’s flower crop.
TXDOT discourages picking wildflowers for the same reason.
Visit Brenham’s website, Wildflower Watch — visit brenhamtexas.com — which offers maps of favorite wildflower drives, as well as tips for being a respectful wildflower visitor:
• First, while roadways may be public property, many fields beyond them are not. Don’t venture onto private property or climb fences into someone else’s land.
• If you see a path or trampled flowers in a field where you want to take a picture, follow the path that’s already there to minimize the number of flowers that are killed.
• Remember that roadside berms and ditches are a habitat for wildlife and pests: Every step you take could be one already inhabited by fire ants or snakes, so tread carefully.
• And don’t leave trash behind. Littering carries a fine of up to $500. You can report cases of littering using the Don’t Mess with Texas’ Litterer app. TXDOT will send offenders a Don’t Mess with Texas litter bag and a reminder not to litter.