An outstanding specimen of the Big Bend Bluebonnet – Lupinus havardii. This variety, a member of the pea family, is much larger than Lupinus subcarnosus – The Texas bluebonnet. The Big Bend Bluebonnet is distinguished by its deep color and bright yellow central splotches. Much taller than most bluebonnets, this species grows 3-4 ft. high with the flowers on the upper part of the stalk. This lupine is a winter annual and can be readily found along the roadsides in late winter or early spring.
In 1971, the Legislature amended the 1901 statute to include Lupinus texensis, the Texas bluebonnet, and any other variety of bluebonnet not yet recorded. Therefore, all species of bluebonnets found in Texas, and any new species discovered, are now considered the official flower of the state
Big Bend is the home to many unique species of plants. Besides having more than 65 species of cactus, it is also the home for other succulents and even terrestrial orchids. Many of these are found mostly in Mexico and are limited in the US to the extreme southwest border.
