First bluebonnets sighted in Corpus Christi

The first signs of spring were spotted this weekend on Hwy 37 in Corpus Christi. Patches of bluebonnets are blooming big and blue all long the highway — if only motorists on the 75 mile per hour roadway slow down long enough to see them.
Early flowers were predicted by the chief botanist at the University of Texas At Austin’s Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Damon Waitt also predicted a less impressive display than last year due to a dry fall. Recent rains won’t do much to promote that showing, since the bluebonnet growing season is actually in the fall, he said.
“I’m cautiously optimistic at this point,” Waitt said in a press release. “I think it’s going to be a descent year, just not a banner year.” 
Because last year’s crop was so bountiful, more seeds could lead to a better good crop than the dry fall would otherwise dictate, Waitt added, looking for the bright blue side to the season. 
Spring rains may not affect the early wildflowers, but will provide a boost to mid- to late-summer bloomers such as Mexican hat, blackfoot daisy and golden tickseed. 
The Wildflower Center is expecting a bumper crop of bluebonnets due to the large rosettes currently hugging the ground waiting to bloom. These highly pampered blossoms make great photo ops for visitors to the center at 4801 La Crosse Avenue in Austin. 
For more on the current wildflower season and to identify plants, visit the website at www.wildflower.org.
South Texans wanting an early look should head on over to IH 37. Or just wait a week or two — the blooms will soon be bursting everywhere.