Name the flower that is the state flower of Texas.

The flower that serves as the state flower of Texas is the bluebonnet. The name refers collectively to several Texas lupine species in the genus Lupinus, especially the Texas bluebonnet, Lupinus texensis.

Texas adopted a bluebonnet as its state flower on March 7, 1901. The original designation named Lupinus subcarnosus, the sandyland bluebonnet, but Lupinus texensis soon became the species most widely recognized by Texans. In 1971, the state broadened the designation to include any similar Lupinus species native to Texas.

Bluebonnets are named for the shape of their flower clusters, which resemble the bonnets worn by pioneer women. Their blue or purple blooms often cover roadsides, fields, and prairies in spring. The plants are legumes, related to beans and peas, and their flowers are arranged on upright spikes.

A common misconception is that picking bluebonnets is automatically illegal throughout Texas. No statewide law specifically bans picking them, although trespassing, damaging public property, or collecting flowers in protected areas can still be unlawful. Bluebonnets remain one of the strongest visual symbols of Texas spring.