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Published
by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. CLICK FOR NEWSPAPER DELIVERY
Thursday, April 4, 2002
Bluebonnets under siege may have a defender in another wildflower
Reports of dying bluebonnets do not quite rate with the cry "Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?", but there is anxiety among wildflower enthusiasts about a decline, especially as Texans are poised for the yearly blooming of the state flower.
The purple blooms aren't as profuse as expected in some parts of the state. Experts blame the intrusion of the turnip weed, a gangly plant that essentially sucks out the life of bluebonnets, as well as the other Texas wildflowers that give color to roadways and fields. Some advance parties of the weed have already been spotted in Karnes and Bee counties.
The turnip weed has proven to be resistant to man-made herbicides, but ecologists think they have something better than chemicals up their sleeve. It seems that another wildflower, the red, orange and yellow Indian blanket, has shown itself to be a tough match for turnip weed, even pushing it out. If studies pan out, the chances are that motorists viewing bluebonnets surrounded by fields of Indian blanket may in fact be watching a quiet battle of survival
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