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Wildflower Hunt: Bluebell Gentian - How about a 2007 Bluebell Hunt? Started by RichO at 06-09-2006 1:54 PM. Topic has 11 replies. WildflowerHaven... » Knowlege Base F... » Wildflower and ... » Wildflower Hunt: Bluebell Gentian - How about a 2007 Bluebell Hunt? Hunting Texas Wildflowers - New Book!

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06-09-2006, 1:54 PM RichO Joined on 02-15-2005 San Antonio, TX Posts 637 Wildflower Hunt: Bluebell Gentian - How about a 2007 Bluebell Hunt? Update 6/22/2007: How about a 2007 Bluebell Hunt? With all the rain this year, there should be some good spots with bluebells. These beautiful wildflowers deserve some attention from loving wildflower hunters! Same rules as last year. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Everyone! I hope you are enjoying the summer by finding some cool spots to photograph wildflowers or having fun in the sun. Too often we think of the summer months as the "off-season" for wildflower hunting, but there are a number of really beautiful wildflowers that choose the heat of the summer for their displays. Right now mountain pink is putting on a really nice show along several roads in the Hill Country. Common sunflowers are also beginning to show up and will be peaking by July. I am planning to host a "Fall Wildflower Hunt" and will be posting more details about that soon. In the meantime, I would like to challenge you to hunt for the bluebell gentian (Eustoma grandiflorum also classified Eustoma russellianum). This is a very lovely wildflower which has been on the decline for several years due to over picking. It is not yet endangered, but fewer and fewer large displays are found each year. This will not be a really tough hunt, but it will be a bit challenging. So if you are up for the "hunt" here is what you need to do. 1. Research and determine where and when the bluebell gentian is likely to bloom. 2. Research and determine if there have been any sightings of the bluebell gentian in an area where you can get access to photograph it. 3. Find the wildflower in a natural setting (not cultivated or planted) 4. Photograph the bloom, the whole plant and the setting. 5. Post your photos in reply to this message or in the Bluebell Wildflower Hunt Gallery by July 15th. UPDATE: Register users can now post their bluebell wildflower hunt photos in the Bluebell Wildflower Hunt Gallery. Are you up to the challenge? Can you capture this beautiful, but uncommon wildflower?   RichO Hunting Texas Wildflowers    Report

06-09-2006, 3:51 PM WINI Joined on 02-01-2006 Posts 1 Re: Wildflower Hunt: Bluebell Gentian I am a Bluebell lover - we used to have acres of them on FM1327 from I35 to Hwy 183, however this year I have not seen one. There is a good display of them at the Wildflower Center in Austin this year - most of them came from Madrone Nursery in San Marcos, Dan Hosage is the only one I know who can plant the seed and have good luck with getting them to blooming plants. I have tried rescueing them from the wild but they do not transplant well. I will go on a search for them this week-end. I love your book and your updates on where to find the best wildflower exhibits are wonderful.        Report

06-10-2006, 9:41 AM RichO Joined on 02-15-2005 San Antonio, TX Posts 637 Re: Wildflower Hunt: Bluebell Gentian I first saw the bluebell while returning from a trip to Dallas. This was just prior to the beginning of the 2002 Floods. The sky overhead was covered with dark ominous looking clouds and the wind was whipping around in swirls. I had just turned off of US 67 and was traveling down SH-220 when I spotted wisps of blue moving with the wind along the road. In an adjoining field the wisps turned to stretches of blue.  It was love at first sight when I finally realized that the blue wisps were the large blooms of a wildflower. At the time, I did not know what they were, but they were certainly eye catching and beautiful.   This is a "stylized photo" of the bluebells I spotted that day: http://www.pbase.com/richo/image/2842402     RichO Hunting Texas Wildflowers    Report

06-12-2006, 8:36 PM RichO Joined on 02-15-2005 San Antonio, TX Posts 637 Found a plant on Old #9. I found this plant near the south low water bridge along Old #9 Road. Old #9 is a road that runs north and south in Kendall County. The road merges with FM 473 in the south of the county and Old San Antonio Road in the north of the county. Old #9 runs by the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area at Alamo Springs. The plant was just inside the fence of private property, so I could not get a close up shot. I will have to wait and collect my close and setting shot somewhere else.   RichO Hunting Texas Wildflowers    Report

06-13-2006, 6:24 PM sandrap1964 Joined on 03-30-2005 Posts 6 Blue Bells I found these on HWY 6 North of Clifton .      Report

06-15-2006, 12:31 PM RichO Joined on 02-15-2005 San Antonio, TX Posts 637 Re: Blue Bells Thank you Sandra, These are very nicely done. Good work on the setting shot and the close up. The first shot really shows how striking these wildflowers are even in the midst of tall grass.   RichO Hunting Texas Wildflowers    Report

07-01-2006, 2:18 PM RichO Joined on 02-15-2005 San Antonio, TX Posts 637 Bluebell Meadow A friend alerted me to this area which is just south of Kerrville along RR 173. Original size: http://www.pbase.com/richo/image/62762877 The image is a composite pano of seven images taken in portrait orientation and merged together in PhotoShop CS2. I also flipped the image horizontally, because I personally prefer an image that leads the viewer into the frame from the left. The area is on private property, so I had to take the photos from the road and through the fence.     RichO Hunting Texas Wildflowers    Report

07-04-2006, 2:55 PM Bill Purcell Joined on 06-29-2005 Posts 45 Re: Bluebell Meadow I explored the northern tier of Washington County yesterday (7/3) to see how this years' crop of bluebells are doing.  I found isolated to scattered specimens in some of the locations where I've seen them previously, and managed to find some fairly decent populations of the flowers in "new" locations - places I'm well familiar with, but hadn't previously explored at this time of year.  The highest concentrations of bluebells that I discovered are near William Penn, with significant numbers on Bluff Rd., Lone Star Rd., and Schwartz Rd.   I also found a nice field of them on FM 2679, and other patches scattered along the FM 390 route. Interestingly, I also found "whitebells" - I'm not sure if these are a slightly different species in themelves or if they're albino variations of the traditional Bluebell Gentian.  In any event, they're quite attractive.  I've posted a few images at the tail end of my album here:  http://imageevent.com/mpurcell/txwf2006 - Bill Purcell.    Report

07-04-2006, 10:46 PM RichO Joined on 02-15-2005 San Antonio, TX Posts 637 Thanks Bill...nice work... Very nicely done Bill...looks like a very good size field of bluebells. As to the color they can be white, purple, blue and white with yellow or blue tinged. There were several different color bluebells in the meadow I saw as well.   RichO Hunting Texas Wildflowers    Report

07-15-2006, 3:10 PM RichO Joined on 02-15-2005 San Antonio, TX Posts 637 Also check this post... A few people have posted bluebell sightings to the following post: http://community.wildflowerhaven.com/forums/326/ShowPost.aspx   RichO Hunting Texas Wildflowers    Report

07-28-2006, 1:21 PM FlowerPower Joined on 03-08-2005 The Woodlands, Texas Posts 136 My bluebell results from this morning, 7/28/06 Thanks to the_jersey_lilly_2000 I found the bluebells this morning  and will post some photos later today when they are processed.  Leaving Montgomery on FM149 going north continue straight at the first FM1097 junction and then bear left on FM1097 at the second junction.  About three or four miles out you'll see a nice field of bluebells on the left in a farm field with a few in the soggy roadside.  Beware of the dogs from the other side of the highway!  Fortunately their owner came out about the time I needed to get back to the van and they all (about six of them) ran back across the road and under the fence to see what she was doing.  I was finished shooting so I jumped in the van and headed back towards Montgomery.  I find that my 70-200mm lens with a x1.4 tele-extender works really well when I can't get real close to the wild flowers.  I never cross a fence onto private property unless invited.  One other surprise was a passion flower vine with blooms growing in the roadside area.  I've never seen one in the wild before.  When I got back to FM149, I turned right and then left at the FM1097 junction towards Willis.  After passing Bentwater and crossing the big bridge across lake Conroe there is a vacant lot just past a large restaurant and lounge with a nice showing of bluebells that you can get as close as you want.  With the developement in this area I'd be surprised if these will be here next year.   So if you are in the area this weekend and want to see and/or photograph some bluebells this is where they are.  Here is the link to my photos and they start on page two of the gallery:  http://grigsbys.smugmug.com/gallery/1669974 Murry Flowers will brighten your day whether mild or wild, Murry!    Report

07-29-2006, 1:42 PM RichO Joined on 02-15-2005 San Antonio, TX Posts 637 Re: My bluebell results from this morning, 7/28/06 Murry, Thanks again for your report. As usual you have done a great job in finding, reporting and photographing. Congrats on getting the passionflower photo. The passionflower is a native to Texas and was used extensively by native tribes in Texas for medicinal purposes. I have yet to find one in the wild, but have photographed a few in parks or wildflower gardens.   RichO Hunting Texas Wildflowers    Report

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