I recently made a day trip through east and north central Texas and compiled this 1-minute video - Texas from the Roadside: Wildflowers. These delicate blooming perennials have also inspired artists through the ages; the Bluebell in Scotland (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) having first been identified in 1753 and often associated with ancient woodlands or "Bluebell woods." please have a listen to my podcast. Its pale to violet-blue flowers have 4, 6, or 7 petals fused into a bell shape, but they lack the distinctive reverse curving tips so distinctive of the common bluebell. A Glen in Glenbogle!In 2013 I stumbled upon the BBC drama "Monarch of the Glen" and became an instant fan. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. In Scotland, the 2006 Scottish Biodiversity List Project, in a survey of Scots seeking to identify flora, fauna, and habitats important to the country, found the harebell (bluebell) at Number 3! And I am not alone. ", Along with their vibrant blue color, bluebells and bluebonnets are steeped in folklore and legend. Office with a view! Ironically, it was once believed that Texas Bluebonnets had been brought to the territory by Spanish padres. The bluebells can be grown almost everywhere in the state except for the most desert areas and are much easier to grow in a home garden. (Before winning its independence, settlers in Texas were called "Texicans" - a cross between Texan and Mexican.). In Scotland it is quite the common practice to apply the term "bluebell" to another flower, the Campanula rotundifolia, also known as the "Harebell.". (There are actually several species of bluebonnet, but L. texensis is generally "the" Texas Bluebonnet) Another story suggests they were named for a resemblance to the bonnets worn by pioneer women. Bluebells are sometimes referred to Lira de San Pedro or Purple Prairie Gentian. That’s why some folks say, “Blue Bell … From March to September, acres and acres of both Scotland and Texas are carpeted in blue, with the blooming of Scottish Bluebells and Texas Bluebonnets. Bluebells have become very popular and can be found in nursery and garden centers in a variety of colors to be grown in the home garden. Unlike the bluebonnet and bluebell, the harebell is a summer flower, blooming from July well into September. www.davidmould.co.uk, But in Scotland a "Bluebell" is not necessarily a "Bluebell." When grasping in your mind for a name to call the pretty flowers you see, "bluebonnet" might slip out when you mean to say "bluebell." Like the Texas Bluebonnet, the Common Bluebell blooms in Spring, typically mid-March into May. The species is native to Texas. Bluebells have become very popular and can be found in nursery and garden centers in a variety of colors to be grown in the home garden. The bluebells can be grown almost everywhere in the state except for the most desert areas and are much easier to grow in a home garden. ", Note: Both Scotland and Texas enjoy a wide variety of wildflowers in every shade of the rainbow. This shared artistry of Mother Nature is just one of many commonalities that I continue to discover and explore between my native homeland of Texas, and my ancestral homeland, Scotland. Wild Lupine, however, blooms late spring to early summer. The plants grow 1-2 feet tall. Click each image to enlarge. Och no! These pieces of sky fell to earth and shattered into many pieces becoming the blooms of the bluebonnets. Photo credit: © Ievgeniia | Dreamstime.com - Field Of Harebell In The Springtime Photo Note: In Finland they are called "Cat's Bell.". For a much broader look at Scotland. In Texas, the Bluebonnet is the official state flower (all 5 varieties), having been proclaimed such by the state legislature originally in 1901. Their blue to deep purple (and sometimes even white) blooms are narrow and grow 2 to 3 feet in the air. Many felt the bolder, heartier, showier Lupinus texensis should have won the honor. "any other variety of bluebonnet not heretofore recorded." Photo Credit: By MichaelMaggs (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons, Campanula rotundifolia, or harebell commonly known as the Scottish Bluebell. In Scotland there is an equally confusing yet polite controversy surrounding the "Bluebell.". The pinching off of dead blooms will encourage new growth and extend the growing season until the first frost. At that time the National Society of Colonial Dames of America put forth Lupinus subcarnosus (generally known as buffalo clover or bluebonnet) and it won easily against its competition, the cotton boll and the cactus. This blue-spiked native flower may look like a bluebonnet if you're driving by at 55 mph. Bluebonnet photo by author, Bluebell photo by David Mould. I posed that question in a purely unscientific poll to a 50,000+ FB group of Scottish photographers. We respect your privacy. Today there is growing concern that both the British and Scottish Bluebell is being overrun by a Spanish variety, H. Hispanica that has been introduced into the UK, also leading to hybrids. Any trade in wild bluebell bulbs or seeds can lead to fines of up to £5,000 per bulb. However, the two primary varieties of bluebonnets are found only in the state of Texas, and nowhere else in the world. A carpet of Bluebonnets is a "floral trademark" of Texas in Springtime! The magic part comes from a belief that witches could turn themselves into hares and hide among them. Binge viewing the show suddenly awakened within me the desire to explore my Scot heritage and ultimately the dream to make Scotland my home.Join me on my journey to become "A Glen in Scotland.".