UPDATE at 12:30 p.m. April 17, 2018: Updated to add information about how Lady Bird Johnson worked to protect roadside wildflowers.

Texans have been taking photos of bluebonnets for about as long as they've been taking photos.

It's an annual springtime tradition: We flock to roadside blooms and rural fields, carefully tread among the flowers and squat for a selfie.

It's a Texas rite of passage to be photographed in a field of the official state flower, and we're here to help with everything you need to know for this year's bloom.

What to expect in 2018

We'll get a good crop of bluebonnets this spring, experts say, but North Texans might have to drive south to get the perfect photo.

They're just starting to appear in some parts of the state, and experts say they should hit peak bloom in the Dallas area in the second or third week of April.

Heavy summer rains, a dry fall and a cool winter are all good signs for bluebonnet watchers in Central Texas. Late winter rains in North Texas were a last-minute boost for the crop.

"We're already seeing bluebonnets and a few other wildflowers pop up in small numbers along roadsides, particularly near the warmer urban core of Central Austin," Andrea DeLong-Amaya, director of horticulture at Austin's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, said in a statement.

"Overall, wildflowers and other spring bloomers seem right on track," she said. "We expect beautiful displays to unfold over the next month or two as is typical."

Where to go for the best photos

A good bet for next month is the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival, April 20-22 in downtown Ennis.

Each year, volunteers in Ennis have maps and regular updates for where the best fields are. Go to bluebonnettrail.org for weekly photos to plan the best time to go looking for bluebonnets. Even if you can't make the festival, keep an eye on the website for the best bluebonnet bets.

Other popular Dallas-area spots for bluebonnet fields are the George W. Bush Presidential Library at 2943 SMU Boulevard in University Park, Cedar Hill State Park at 1570 FM1382 in Cedar Hill and the J.C. Penney headquarters at 6501 Legacy Drive in Plano.

It's illegal to pick the state flower, right?

Wrong.

Although it might cause bad Texas karma, there is no law on the books that bans picking bluebonnets.

Click here to read what the Texas Department of Safety says could land you in trouble while getting that perfect photo.

Tips for the perfect family photo

"Try to fill the frame with subject and bluebonnets," says Dallas Morning News staff photographer Vernon Bryant. "No need to see cars passing by or any other unwanted objects in the frame."

Read the rest of his tips here.

You have Lady Bird Johnson to thank for those beautiful blooms

From the White House, she pushed Congress to pass the Beautification Act of 1965, known as "Lady Bird's Bill." That bill limited the amount of signage and junkyards on the sides of U.S. interstates, while encouraging scenic improvement.

In 1987, she pushed Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas to amend the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act to require a quarter of every one percent of federal funds spent on landscaping roadsides be used for planting native wildflowers.

Read more about why Texas has such beautiful wildflowers here.

Want bluebonnets in your own back yard?

Around these parts, bluebonnets begin to bloom each March and reach their peak covering North Texas roadsides and pastures through April, depending on the unpredictable weather patterns also associated with our neck of the woods.

But for home gardeners who plant seeds now out of excitement, the cycle of the young plant is destined to be interrupted by hot summer temperatures. Those plants will likely fizzle out, never producing blooms.

Daniel Cunningham, a horticulturalist at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension, has all the timing tips here.

Share your photos with us!

Join our Facebook group Texana: A Celebration of Texas and post your favorite wildflower photos.