Since last spring I've joined Gail of Clay and Limestone for Wildflower Wednesday to celebrate wildflowers in the garden on the fourth Wednesday of each month. It's also Texas Native Plant Week so I'm celebrating both with a tour of native plants currently blooming in my garden. Collecting and growing native plants in my garden has become a bit of a quest for me since they do best in our challenging climate. October is when many plants look their best here after having recovered from the long hot summer and with several fall rains to help them along.
Helenium amarum reseeded in this location from last year and should continue to grow along the gravel path in the circle garden.
Damianita is a perennial which does best with minimal water and lots of bright sun.
Dahlberg daisies are tiny in the cactus garden. They didn't like the intense sun and heat so have died out a bit. I might move the remaining ones to more shade.
Coreopsis still blooming here and there
Lemony Xanthisma texanum or Sleepy Daisy still going strong from seed planted last winter. I'm so excited to have this one in my garden I devoted a recent post to it.
Velvet leaf mallow (Allowissadula holosericea) in the woods just over the property line. That counts doesn't it? I planted one in the yard last year and it didn't return so they seem to prefer the wild.
Zexmenia, Wedelia texana which is native to the neighborhood.
Here's how Zexmenia looks "in the wild" this week. Photo taken just over the creek behind the house.
The pink button flower in the background of the above photo successfully made the transition from the field to my garden this year. Next year I'll mix it with the Zexmenia as it appears in nature. The flowers show up so much better that way.
Two types of blue mistflower are blooming in the garden now.
Gregg's mistflower or Conoclinium greggii is a butterfly magnet in full bloom. We've had several Queens and a Monarch visit so far but as the blooms open things should really get rolling soon. To see all the action around this plant in full bloom visit my butterfly post here.
The white fragrant mistflower or throughwort in front is budding out and should bloom soon.
Blue mist flower or Conoclinium coelestinum added this week will also attract plenty of pollinators.
Lindheimer's muhly with Zexmenia blooming at its feet
Pine Muhly with its spiky inflorescence.
Salvia greggii or Autumn Sage, this one was collected in the wild.
Hot Lips Salvia is blooming all red among the Gregg's Blue Mist flowers. Hot Lips often has a distinctive white band on the flower.
Blue Henry Duelberg Salvia (Salvia farinacea 'Henry Duelberg) survives our summer heat beautifully.
Aromatic aster (Symphyotrichium oblongifolius) is native to the nearby Texas Hill Country. These are newly planted in the garden and will take another year or so to produce the striking mounds of blooms we see everywhere in October.
Gomphrena 'Little Grapes' has the tiniest flowers in the garden.
Woolly Bee-brush or Rio Grande Bee-brush (Aloysia macrostachyia) grown from a shared cutting has grown enough to bloom this fall. It should begin attracting bees next spring.
And this delicate pea-like blossom
To see more wildflowers check out Gail's post at Clay and Limestone. To learn more about Texas Native Plant Week visit the official website here.
Damianita is a perennial which does best with minimal water and lots of bright sun.
Dahlberg daisies are tiny in the cactus garden. They didn't like the intense sun and heat so have died out a bit. I might move the remaining ones to more shade.
Coreopsis still blooming here and there
Lemony Xanthisma texanum or Sleepy Daisy still going strong from seed planted last winter. I'm so excited to have this one in my garden I devoted a recent post to it.
Velvet leaf mallow (Allowissadula holosericea) in the woods just over the property line. That counts doesn't it? I planted one in the yard last year and it didn't return so they seem to prefer the wild.
Zexmenia, Wedelia texana which is native to the neighborhood.
Here's how Zexmenia looks "in the wild" this week. Photo taken just over the creek behind the house.
The pink button flower in the background of the above photo successfully made the transition from the field to my garden this year. Next year I'll mix it with the Zexmenia as it appears in nature. The flowers show up so much better that way.
Two types of blue mistflower are blooming in the garden now.
Gregg's mistflower or Conoclinium greggii is a butterfly magnet in full bloom. We've had several Queens and a Monarch visit so far but as the blooms open things should really get rolling soon. To see all the action around this plant in full bloom visit my butterfly post here.
The white fragrant mistflower or throughwort in front is budding out and should bloom soon.
Blue mist flower or Conoclinium coelestinum added this week will also attract plenty of pollinators.
Lindheimer's muhly with Zexmenia blooming at its feet
Pine Muhly with its spiky inflorescence.
Salvia greggii or Autumn Sage, this one was collected in the wild.
Hot Lips Salvia is blooming all red among the Gregg's Blue Mist flowers. Hot Lips often has a distinctive white band on the flower.
Blue Henry Duelberg Salvia (Salvia farinacea 'Henry Duelberg) survives our summer heat beautifully.
Aromatic aster (Symphyotrichium oblongifolius) is native to the nearby Texas Hill Country. These are newly planted in the garden and will take another year or so to produce the striking mounds of blooms we see everywhere in October.
Gomphrena 'Little Grapes' has the tiniest flowers in the garden.
Woolly Bee-brush or Rio Grande Bee-brush (Aloysia macrostachyia) grown from a shared cutting has grown enough to bloom this fall. It should begin attracting bees next spring.
Always welcomed, more and more native plants are showing up in the garden like this little daisy.
And this delicate pea-like blossom
I love looking at the plants that can grow in such a different climate. My daughter lives near Houston and I am not help to her in the garden at all.
ReplyDeleteHouston has very different growing conditions than San Antonio. The best way is to look around her neighborhood for what grows there.
DeleteDavid at Tropical Texana is a good resource for Houston area gardeners. http://tropicaltexana.blogspot.com/
Wow! You do have a lot of native wildflowers!
ReplyDeleteHappy Wildflower Wednesday!
Lea
It's what grows best in my garden.
DeleteImpressive and educational! Did I say impressive, I meant it, your garden is beautiful and filled with luscious and lovely wildflowers. Thank you for sharing your Texas beauties with us. gail
ReplyDeleteThank you Gail. I'm only just getting started with native plants in my garden. We do have so many to choose from and they grow so well it seems I just have to add more whenever I find them.
DeleteYou have some lovely wild flowers in your garden, some of which I haven’t even heard of! I am not sure how one classify wildflowers here in Britain, as many of the plants we buy from garden centres and nurseries are named, hybridised cultivars of wild flowers and native flowers – and many of those I have in my garden. The only wild flowers I know for sure that I have in my garden are Convallaria majalis and Primula vulgaris, but for example my helinium is a named variety and I am not sure if it grows wild in Britain.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed your photos and info :-)
I try to define wildflower in my garden as a flower that has not been cultivated or changed for commercial purposes.
DeleteThe only question on flowers I posted today might be the Salvia farinacea 'Henry Duelberg' which I think remains the same as when discovered even though it is widely available commercially.
October is magical, as you show. Even in our less difficult climate out here. Very interesting on your dahlberg daisies wanting some shade, while damianita wanting some sun...I had great damianitas (many that volunteered) in 1-3 hours of sun max, but the other seemed to be fine with sun or shade...though that was an east exposure. Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteGardens look incredible in SA right now.
DeleteI have been disappointed in the Dahlberg daisies because I thought they would do a great in the cactus garden but they hate it.
I have seen Damianita in part shade get leggy with fewer blooms. That is the hottest spot in the back yard. I might try another with more shade and see the difference.
Love seeing the plants that do well in your climate. Seeing them reminds me of summer here!
ReplyDeleteWe have a long summer by comparison. This is our best season.
DeleteShirley, how many wild flowers grow in such droughty place you live. And all they survive well in these conditions!
ReplyDeleteCoreopsis is growing here, in North as well. No drought here, mostly rains but this plant suits to our climat too.
The wildflowers seem to be the happiest plants in our conditions and I am happy to have them.
DeleteYou have quite a lot of native flowers blooming now! I must get some mistflower for my garden. Love the photo of the pink muhly grass surrounded by so many colorful blooms!
ReplyDeleteMistflower is the best for attracting butterflies to the garden.
DeleteHey Shirley, you made my day. I have a plant growing wild on my property and I wondered what it was. Turns out it's Helenium amarum also known a sneezeweed. Thanks for helping out with that id.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to know I helped you with an ID. It's part of why I post all this detail from time to time. It also helps me keep track.
DeleteYour success with natives has inspired me. In the spring I vow to move some of the woodland natives into the garden proper. They won't be missed back there, and the Rhodies need something to fill in at their feet. That photo of the gomphrena makes me drool.
ReplyDeleteIt's just the right thing to do isn't it? Mix in a few, bring them in to the garden and put them to work.
DeleteGreat pics Shirley!! Something other than sun is bothering your Dahlberg Daisies. They love full sun and prefer to be left alone. I have pastures in the sun all day and they are vibrant with color right now. I guess I would say theyre a little finicky....they will decide to grow where they want, when they want. Steve
ReplyDeleteThank you Liz. I was surprised by the demise of the Dahlberg Daisies in the cactus garden since I have seen them growing along hot sidewalks near downtown in well-worn places.
DeleteWow, what a great mix of flowers! I've seen nearly all the yellow blossoms featured up here. They are very hardy.
ReplyDeleteSeveral of them are annuals which makes them hardy across a wide range.
DeleteYour garden looks great. The bees and butterflies will be happy to find your garden. I added a Conoclinium coelestinum to my garden a couple of weeks ago too. I saw betony leaf mistflower at a nursery recently. This was a new one to me. Apparently, it is a coastal plant. It has the same blue flowers as Gregg's with large, thick, oval leaves.
ReplyDeleteAnother mistflower in the garden always sounds good as they are great butterfly magnets. Might need shade though, I haven't seen it but will keep it in mind.
DeleteShirley so many beautiful natives blooming especially all those yellows...I have some coreopsis still blooming too.
ReplyDeleteCoreopsis must span the seasons which makes it even better for the garden.
DeleteSo many lovely natives growing in your garden! I especially love the Helenium and the Mistflower. It's always interesting to see what is native in other parts of the country and learn about some new plants. I do recognize the Aromatic Aster, though--that's one growing in my garden as well!
ReplyDelete