On a Saturday afternoon at Raymond Rimkus Park in Leon Valley, Texas, the crack of wood against leather cuts through the air. A small yellow ball rockets the length of a soccer field. It clears a cluster of players and sails into the net. Goalkeeper Kevin McManus laughs in disbelief, staring back at his friend Adrian Brett, who just scored on him from the opposite goal line

Across the U.S. during the first half of the 20th century, it was traditional for a young man to give his date a chrysanthemum corsage to wear to their high school homecoming game. Since then, this simple practice has nearly disappeared everywhere except in Texas, where it has instead evolved into something much more complex. Today’s typical Texas “mum” is a full-body adornment of artificial flowers, ribbons, and embellishments that is substantial in both proportion and meaning to those who create, give, and wear it.