Jul
17
Turk's Cap Blossom
Turk’s Cap is known to biology geeks as Malvaviscus arboreus. It is a decidous perrenial Texas native shrub that will grow in both sun and shade. It’s natural habitats include sandy low grounds near streams, limestone slopes around wooded creeks and palm groves. It ranges from the Texas Coastal Plain, east to Florida and also to the West Indies, Mexico and Cuba. Maybe it’s because it is a native, but I have never had pest or disease prolems with this plant or even heard of anyone that has.
Turk’s cap blooms from mid summer all the way through fall. I love the little red flowers that really do look like a Turkish cap and the flowers and fruit can be used to make a tea. I’m not the only one that loves it, though. The hummingbirds and butterflies do too.
In the late summer or early fall, Turk’s Cap produces little red fruit that kind of look like rose hips and tastes like a cross between watermelon and apple. They are very pulpy and full of seeds, but the can be cooked down and strained to make jelly or syrup.
Variegated Turk's Cap Foliage
I got this particular plant from a gardening friend and it is a variegated variety. I seeds fairly easily so there are plenty of seedling to share, but it has not been overly aggressive in it’s reseeding. If you plant this in N. Texas though, be sure to put it where you want it. It has very deep and dense roots once it becomes established.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 84°F;
- Humidity: 56%;
- Heat Index: 86°F;
- Wind Chill: 84°F;
- Pressure: 30.11 in.;
Jun
23
They’re blooming!
Texas Star Hibiscus
Texas Star Hibiscus - 2
Hibiscus can be annuals or perennials in our area. Most of the really fancy hibiscus are annuals even here in the DFW area but this particular hibiscus, Hibiscus coccineus or the Texas Star, is a perennial and is cold tolerant all the way to zone 5.
There are several cultivars – ‘Frisbee,’ ‘Southern Bell,’ and ‘Marsh’ – but I have no idea which specific cultivar this one is. I just know that I love it! The hotter it gets, the better it likes it. It will bloom all summer long when the rest of the garden starts wilting. It is very easy to grow. Most hibiscus like well drained soils, but this one can handle swampy conditions in the rainy season and drought during the dry season. What more could you ask for from a Texas plant? And yes, this one is a native.
I have not had any problems with this plant in the five years that I have had it. No disease and no pests. I’m told that caterpillars will sometimes eat them, but I haven’t noticed any. They are rated for sun to part shade, but I have it in pretty heavy shade and it doesn’t seem to slow down the blooming at all.
This is a really tall plant. It reaches five to six feet tall. And the leaves are beautiful (resembling a canibus leaf with a red edging). In the fall, it will die all the way back to the ground leaving lovely smooth canes with seed pods.
Texas Star Hibiscus Buds
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 83°F;
- Humidity: 63%;
- Heat Index: 85°F;
- Wind Chill: 83°F;
- Pressure: 29.9 in.;
May
22
'Sweet Kate' Spiderwort
Spiderwort (Tradescantia sp.) is another incredible drought tolerant plant. They are prarie wild flowers with grass-like leaves and get to be about 1 to 2 feet tall. I just got this one about a month ago from a friend.
The name “spiderwort” comes from the glistening hairs on the sepals and buds. “Wort” is an old English word for plant. Another common name, believe it or not, is “cow slobber.” I don’t think I even want to know why.
Spiderwort has heliotropic flowers that will bloom all summer. The flowers only last for a day and range from white to deep purple. The ‘Sweet Kate’ is obviously one of the deeper purple ones. They do best in well drained rich soil and in shade to dappled sun. While mine seems to be doing very well, I’m worried that it may get to much sun once the August heat kicks in. I may have to move it before then.
There are spiderworts that are native to Texas, although I’m not exactly sure that ‘Sweet Kate’ is the native variety.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 77°F;
- Humidity: 59%;
- Heat Index: 79°F;
- Wind Chill: 77°F;
- Pressure: 30.03 in.;
May
19
Esperanza - Texas Yellow Bells
Esperanza is a Texas native and has been rated as a ‘Texas Superstar’ meaning that it has been highly recommended by the Texas A&M Agriculture program.
Esperanza lives in the wild on rocky slopes or well drained soil in full sun. You can find it around San Antonio. It is really only hardy to zone 8b. It acts as a perennial in my yard rather than a small deciduous semi-evergreen shrub. Further north, you would either need to treat it as a tropical and take it indoors for the winter or treat it as an annual.
This is an incredibly heat and drought tolerant plant.
I love the fragrant tubular flowers and, if you look closely, you can see that they make a star shape at the end before they open up. The bees love the flowers too. Mine are not quite blooming yet, but it won’t be long. The plants are already about 4 feet tall.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 80°F;
- Humidity: 28%;
- Heat Index: 80°F;
- Wind Chill: 80°F;
- Pressure: 30.14 in.;
May
11
Coral Honeysuckle
Coral Honeysuckle is a wonderful Texas native and the hummingbirds love it! It is an evergreen vine and blooms from spring until fall. It is also drought tolerant.
It should be planted in full sun. I have one that is in partial shade and seems to be doing fine, but the side that gets more sun has more blooms.
I started mine from a cutting from another friend and boy did it take off! I can’t remember, but I don’t think I even used rooting hormone on it.
The vines twine and tollerate pruning very well making it a wonderful choice for a small patio garden. It will need some kind of support to start climbing on a fence. I tied mine up with florist tape.
Samantha loves to stop and suck the nectar out of the flowers when ever she passes by.
This is one of my favorite plants.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 61°F;
- Humidity: 89%;
- Heat Index: 61°F;
- Wind Chill: 60°F;
- Pressure: 30.16 in.;
May
06
Elderberry Blossoms
Elderberry Bush
Who knew that the elderberry was such a pretty plant? The bush is about 12 feet tall and has gorgeous blossoms on it. It is actually considered to be an herb with numerous superstitions surrounding it.
In the Middle Ages, legend says that the tree was home to witches, and that cutting down one would bring on the wrath of those living in the branches.
The Russians and the English believe that the trees ward off evil spirits and it was considered good luck to plant a tree near your home. Sicilians think that sticks of the wood can kill serpents and drive away thieves.
Egyptians discovered that applying its flowers improved the complexion and healed burns. Many early Indian tribes used it in teas and other beverages. The British frequently drank home made wine and cordials that was thought to prolong life and cure the common cold. – The Herbal Information Center
Our elderberry has just started blooming for this season. In the fall, it will have tiny black berries where each little flower had been.
The reason we planted ours was not for the beauty or the berries. Supposedly, elderberries produce a lot of humus in the soil and the area we planted it in needed all the help it could get. It was hard packed clay there and would flood every spring.
The elderberry is also great for attracting all sorts of wildlife. We have seen lots lizards and birds call it home.
I have never been able to figure out how to use the berries. I need to make it a mission to find a good recipe for elderberries this year and give it a try. But if we don’t eat them, the birds certainly will!
Apr
30
Fragrant Pairie Phlox
Fragrance, beauty and drought tolerance… what more could you want in a flower?
Prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa) is a native Texas perenial that does well in part sun or bright shade. The smell is intoxicating and it is a butterfly manget! It has a heady bloom in the late spring and then goes partiallyl dormant for summer and fall. It stands about a foot tall. We have it blanketing the ground underneath the weeping peach trees right near a garden bench. Heaven!
Apr
27
Louisiana Iris
Louisiana Irises are actually a collection of beardless water irises that encompasses five species: Iris hexagona, Iris fulva, Iris brevicaulis, Iris giganticaerulea, Iris nelsonii. They are found naturally in most southern states and even as far north as Ohio. I don’t know exactly which species this is, but I suspect it is the Iris hexagona, which are also natives to Texas. I was given my by another garden friend.
The are that I have my iris in doesn’t stand in water like it used to but they seem to be thriving. They are already blooming and gorgeous this year. I have them in partial shad, but that is probably what is helping them make it through the dry heat of the summer. I will probably need to divide mine this year once they are done blooming.
To learn more about Louisiana Iris, you can check out The History of Louisiana Iris.
Apr
20
Passionflower side view
Passionflower bloom top view
The Passionflower has to be one of the coolest flowers I know. It reminds me of a little flower space ship. It also happens to be a Texas native so it loves it here in my yard.
The Passionflower (passiflora incarnata) has many wonderful qualities, one of which is that it is the host plant for the Gulf Fritillary butterfly. The plant also produces a fruit that can be used to jams, jellies and drinks.
My passionflower was given to me by a friend. Thank you, Michelle! It has been in my garden for four years now and is extremely well behaved although I have another friend that says hers has gotten away from her. It will spread, so you will have to keep up with it if you don’t want it to spread.
We had our first bloom of the season this week. Come on butterflies!
Apr
19
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Stand of Gulf Coast Penstemon
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Gulf Coast Penstemon
This is the Gulf Coast Penstemon or sometimes called the Brazos Penstemon. The scientific name is Penstemon tenuis. It is a Texas native from the marsh areas. It does well in standing water and poorly drained soils, but I have also found it to be very drought tolerant. It is in a part of the yard that used to flood every year and has done quite well with that seasonal flooding where a lot of other plants wouldn’t have made it. I have it in partial shade, but I’m told that it can tolerate full sun.
These pictures were taken just a couple of days ago. The penstemon will bloom again in the fall and then die back to the ground through the winter and go dormant. They will also spread by seed if you want more but it hasn’t been very aggressive about it in my yard. If you don’t want it spreading, just cut the blooms when they are done. It attracts bees (this is a good thing), butterflies and hummingbirds!
Thanks for this one, Teresa. I love it!
