The bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. It got its name because its petals are shaped a little like bonnets, or sun hats, that women wore long ago.

Bluebonnets are mostly blue with a white tip at the top. In early spring, they cover fields and the sides of roads in many parts of Texas. Some families drive out to see them and take pictures of their children sitting in the flowers.

A bluebonnet’s life starts in the fall. The seed sprouts after the fall rains, and the small plant stays close to the ground all winter. When the weather warms up in spring, the plant grows taller and blooms. Later, it makes seeds inside pods. The pods dry out and pop open, and the seeds fall to the ground. There they wait for the next fall.