Free Republic

Snakes! Snakes in the bluebonnets! This is your annual reminder to look twice before popping a pose in a patch of bluebonnets. We all love seeing them, but sometimes there's danger among the flowers: This year-old video shows two Diamondback rattlesnakes duking it out over a female snake in a patch of bluebonnets. Whether you're taking pictures or being photographed, it's best to always check for any dangerous critters, slithering or otherwise. Here's what the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department suggests if you are bitten by a venomous snake: "Keep the victim calm. Keep the bitten arm or leg below...

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is recommending Endangered Species Act protection for three western Colorado wildflowers, two of which it says are threatened by energy development. The proposed listings under the act are the first by the Obama administration in nearly a year, according to conservation groups who say the administration has failed to act aggressively enough to protect species. The Parachute penstemon and Pagosa skyrocket have been candidates for protection since at least 1990, and the De Beque phacelia has been a candidate since 1980. Fish and Wildlife proposes to list the Pagosa skyrocket as endangered and the...

Please help me out! My daughter grew a massive sunflower from seed in a wildflower garden that we planted late this spring. This flower was MAGNIFICENT, it had eight blooms and 3 or 4 more on the way! Neighbor boys cut it down with a tent pole this morning and Bachman's has told us that it will likely die. We are in MN (twin cities area), so I'm trying to find somewhere, anywhere, that has sunflowers (mature ones preferably). Bachman's told us no dice - they don't have any. My 2.5 year old is going to be crushed, and Mom...

My wonderful dear husband and I went for a drive yesterday (February 28) in the foothills around Fresno County in central California, and snapped a few photographs of blossoming trees and blooming wildflowers. Even thought it was a cloudy day, the colors were just magnificent and many trees were in bloom. And the hillsides were filled with orange and yellow flowers -- including poppies! Since much of the nation is still up to its ears in winter, I thought that some color would be a day-brightener for this first day of March. http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d145/Harvie_Ruth/VACATION%202009/Feb28157.jpg

A rare wildflower never before seen in the Garden State has been discovered in a forest in northwest New Jersey, state officials said Thursday. The fern-leaf scorpion-flower, or Phacelia bipinnatifida, was found on the forest floor and adjacent rock outcrops in the natural area at Whittingham Wildlife Management Area in Sussex County, a botanically rich location already home to 22 other endangered or threatened plants. "The amazing discovery of this beautiful wildflower underscores the importance of the work we are doing to thoroughly inventory the natural treasures that exist within hundreds of thousands of state-owned lands," said Lisa Jackson, commissioner...

One woman's garden lands her a $73,000 lien on her home. South Tampa, FL -- For 18 years, Patricia Davies has tended to her botanical garden on the corner of Dekle and Albany in South Tampa. "I have over 200 varieties of wildflowers and herbs. I'm here daily, there's not a weed here, I pluck any weed that may show up," says Patricia Davies. But it's grown a little too much, according to Tampa Code Enforcement officers. In 1997, they cited Davies for overgrown plants that were obstructing the view of drivers and pedestrians on the street. Davies says she...

Though spring's wildflower tourist season brings droves of admirers to the Valley's picturesque landscapes, some of the best kept secrets among our magnificent vistas are our little-known state parks. These local treasures are facing tremendous governmental budget cuts, and need as many visitors and volunteers as they can get - besides, warm weather is finally here and it's time to get outside! The California State Parks Mojave Desert Information Center at 43779 15th St. West, Lancaster, offers brochures, maps, books, information on numerous state parks, and many additional items dedicated to Mojave Desert history. Group tours can be reserved at...

DALLAS -- Bluebonnets, bluebonnets everywhere. The state flower is out in full force. Five species of Texas bluebonnets dot the state. Their prevalence along 79,000 miles of state highway is no accident. The Texas highway department began planting seeds along roadways in 1930. They now sow more than 33,000 pounds of wildflower seeds, including bluebonnets, each year. Late March through early April is the best time for viewing roadside fields of blue. Viewing locations stretch from the Rio Grande Valley north to Childress. For more information Texas Department of Transportation wildflower map or call the wildflower hotline at (800) 452-9292.

Wildflower Survey Tennessee's wildflower program is paid for with 80% federal funds and 20% state funds (about $28,000 in 2004). Should Tennessee continue its participation in the program? Yes No Enter comments you may have on the Wildflower Program in the space below. (Space Provided)