Texas Bluebonnets Can Survive in Illinois

Several years ago I had the privilege of being a guest speaker at the annual conference of The Herb Society of America held in Ft. Worth, Texas. It was late spring and we had just missed the blooming of the Bluebonnets, the Texas state flower. Many of the herbalists at the conference were from Texas and I quickly noted the pride these Texans exhibited when talking about their beautiful Bluebonnets. When I visited gift shops, pictures of Bluebonnets were everywhere, on postcards, T-shirts, totes, and many more items. I asked a few of my fellow Texas conference attendees if I would be able to grow Bluebonnets in Illinois. They just gave me a little chuckle and said, “No, your planting zone is too harsh, but you can try.” And try I would, purchasing a couple packet of seeds before returning home.

On the flight home I thought about when I should plant my Bluebonnet seeds, wondering if I should wait until next spring. In Texas they are planted in August or September, but in Illinois the winter months would be too hard on the plants and they would not survive to bloom in the spring. I know it’s best to plant seeds according to the date stamped on the package, because all or none of the seeds may not sprout if planted beyond this date. The packets I had purchased had the current year stamped on them, so that indicated they would grow the best if planted now. I had planted seeds before that had ran past their plant-by date and had done all right, but I had never planted Bluebonnet seeds before. I then figured that the climate in the Illinois planting zone, zone 5b, in early June was about what it was in Texas in late March and April, and was comparable to the blooming season of Bluebonnets. I decided to plant my seeds as soon as I could, and hope for the best.

I had two packets with about 25 seeds in each. I planted them in an area where the Bluebonnets would get about eight hours of sun a day in well drained soil which is what the planting guide suggested and then I waited.

After a few days, I started to see little green sprouts of leaves poking up through the ground. Within a few weeks I was bursting with excitement and pride as I had Bluebonnets growing in my garden. Bluebonnets get their name from their color and because the petals resemble a woman’s sunbonnet. Bluebonnets usually bloom anywhere from six to eight weeks and make any garden look beautiful. I had forgotten to gather my seeds that summer so I had no Bluebonnets the next year.

A friend gave me a gift of Bluebonnet seeds after I told them how the ones I had planted the year before had not come back, due to my negligence. I planted the new seeds and vowed that this year I would gather the seeds after the Bluebonnets dried up for planting the next year. I planted these seeds the first part of May and they grew well. After they shriveled and dried up, I gathered the seeds and kept them in a bag until the next spring.

Spring after spring I would have less and less seeds and I learned that this is common. If you want 25 Bluebonnet plants, sow 100 seeds. Even the best care will not yield a 100 percent crop.

The best tips I can give for growing Bluebonnets in Illinois is to have a nice sunny spot for them, well drained soil, don’t over water, keep pillbugs away from them, and gather your seeds for the next years planting. If you run low on seeds, buy more or have a friend give you some as a gift.