http://texashillcountry.com By Jason Weingart | February 24, 2017
2017 Bluebonnet Season Forecast : ‘Early and Long,’ Says Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Horticulturists at The University of Texas at Austin’s Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center released its 2017 wildflower forecast, and it looks like we are in for an early and longer wildflower season. Recent warm temperatures have even caused a few blooms to start popping up already. “Wildflower season is taking off faster than you expect,” said Andrea DeLong-Amaya, director of horticulture at the Wildflower Center.
The Texas Hill Country saw an abundance of fall and winter rains. Wildflowers develop their root systems during these months, so sufficient precipitation is important. They start to bloom once average low temperatures begin to warm.
Warm temperatures in January and February are causing some plants to bloom early.
The three-month forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls for warmer than average temperatures for Central Texas. However, a strong cold front bringing a hard freeze to the area could be detrimental to some wildflower species. Thankfully, the forecast looks favorable.
Temperatures are forecast to be above average for the Texas Hill Country.
Bluebonnets are resistant to cold. “When a cold snap happens, bluebonnets are rarely damaged,” said DeLong-Amaya. “But when we have warm spells as we have, and plants such as mountain laurels bloom, they are vulnerable to damage during a late hard freeze. We’ve had freezes in late March and early April, and if things are blooming by then, we can lose a lot of flowers for the season.”
Will Indian Paintbrush have a banner year like they did in 2016?
http://texashillcountry.com/2017-bluebonnet-season-forecast/
