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Although most gardens in temperate zones die back after the first frost of the season, our Central Texas garden continued to display blooms beyond the conventional range of months. The allusion to Albert Camus in the title of this article has a literal reference to the native plant wildflower garden – this year, at least.
Here are some of the native plants which kept summer alive for us throughout the Texas winter.
Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)
Although most sources report the bloom period of Blackfoot Daisy extending from March through November, this year we found it blooming in all months.
Do not overwater this plant. Once established, little or no supplemental watering is needed. In fact, these flowers responded better to rainfall, though infrequent, than it did to tap water. Given the location in the “nuisance strip” between the curb and the sidewalk, this turned out to be a blessing. Not only was it a low maintenance hero, requiring only an occasional trimming to keep it from flowing over the curb and into the street (in violation of homeowners’ association rules), these daisies were also a highly visible advertisement for Texas native plants in the neighborhood, which adopted xeriscaping guidelines last July.
Four-nerve Daisy (Tetraneuris scaposa)
The Four-nerve Daisy has a normal bloom period from March through October, but the NPIN database notes that it often blooms throughout the winter months. Like the Blackfoot Daisy, it does not like to be overwatered in the home garden, and thrives best in rocky and well-drained soils. These characteristics made it an ideal companion for the Melampodium leucanthum out between the sidewalk and the curb. In the slideshow, the example is a little past its prime but shows off its center disk flowers.
Damianita (Chrisactinia Mexicana)
Damianita is the third flowering plant located in our “nuisance” area. With a normal blooming season of April through September, it provided its bright yellow blooms to greet visitors this past January and February. Damianita is naturally found in rocky outcroppings and limestone soils, likes the sun, has low water demands, and attracts nectar feeders. Damianita has aromatic flowers and foliage which consequently render it unpalatable to deer. Heat, cold, and drought tolerant, it doesn’t like much water.
Missouri Violet (Viola sororia)
The Missouri Violet in our yard began as a volunteer, probably deposited as a seed by one of the mourning doves frequenting our backyard feeders. Typically found on the edges of woods, it prefers moist, rich soil but can survive droughts. The flowers and young leaves are edible, but older leaves are better if cooked. Other parts, such as the fruits, seeds, and rhizomes can cause reactions and so should be left alone. It usually blooms from March through May, with flowers of varied colors, including white, pink, purple, blue, and violet.
This year the violets started blooming in February, although the slide show photos were not taken until March 12. The photo of the full plant shows the heart-shaped leaves. Once considered as separate species, virtually all of the violets in the eastern half of the U.S.A. are now considered to be Viola sororia.
Golden Groundsel (Packera obovata)
Although not a year-round bloomer, the Golden Groundsel is a good hardy groundcover that stays evergreen in the southern ranges of Central Texas. It likes shade or part shade, moist, humus-rich soil, usually limestone based soil. It blooms beginning in February and lasts through April in the South and Southwest. Although it likes moist soil, it requires little water when placed in a suitable habitat. It spreads easily through self-seeding or root division, and attracts bees and butterflies during its blooming months. The only maintenance required, once established, is to cut off the stems after the seeds have been disbursed.
Giant Spiderwort (Tradescantia gigantea)
This spiderwort looks much like other spiderworts, and apparently will hybridize easily. In our yard, the spiderworts share a partly shaded strip along the north side of the house with Texas Mallow (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii). The mallows are cut back, usually in mid-February, to reveal the leaves of the spiderworts, which start blooming typically in March and April. By May, the new growth on the mallows has started to overshadow the spiderworts and they take over the bloom interest until frost arrives in late Autumn or Winter. The Giant Spiderworts have a wider range of colors in their flowers, from pinks and lavenders into deeper blues and purples. The slideshow provides both the pinkish and the purplish ranges, the pinker flowers shown after a late freeze caught up with some early blooms. Both the mallow and the spiderwort are edible – flowers, stem tips, and leaves may all be used in salads or added as a garnish
Elbow Bush (Forestiera pubescens)
Also known as Spring Herald, this native sometimes blooms in late January, although its usual bloom period is February through March. The slideshow photo here was taken on a misty day in late February. The opposite or nearly opposite twigs give the Elbow Bush one of its common names, while the pre-equinox blooming cycle gives it the Spring Herald name. The flowers appear on separate male and female bushes – though the flowers are quite small, not showy, and are difficult for the human eye to tell apart from each other. The Elbow Bushes seem to do quite well without human assistance and provide small quarter-inch, fleshy blue fruits on the female plants to help us figure out which is which.
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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: rkamper
