When you think of Texas and flowers the first thing that comes to your mind is a field of bluebonnets stretching across rolling hills. The bluebonnet is the Texas flower, and one of the favorite flowers of all Texans, but sadly bluebonnets may not be the best choice of flowers to plant in your yard.
The bluebonnet thrives in the northern portions of the Lone Star state from mid-April until the first of May. These amazing wildflowers thrive on alkaline soils that have very little moisture and in places that get plenty of that bright Texas sunlight on them.
The flowers can be grown in your yard, but not if you have St. Augustine grass planted there. St. Augustine grass simply does not have a dormant stage that starts early enough for the flower seeds to be able to make their presence known before the grass grows again. If you want to plant some bluebonnets make sure you have Bermuda or zoysia grass growing in your yard.
Flowers to Plant in Texas
If you want to create a dazzling flower bed in Texas the following flowers should prove to brighten your view and bring more of the Texas wildlife to visit you.
1. Firebush
The fire bush gets its name from the bright red flowers that make the bush look like it is ablaze. This amazing flowering shrub loves full sun and the Texas heat does not bother it at all. Hummingbirds love to feast on the nectar from the flowers, and this is one of those plants that will grow in almost all soils, all zoning regions, and sometimes it will grow in places where only the cactus dare to emerge.
2. Zinnias
Zinnias are very popular in Texas flower gardens because they absolutely love the full sun and they do good in soil that is well-drained. The sandy soil of the Lone Star state drains very well. Zinnias bloom in a wide variety of colors and their big blossoms remind you a little of a mum. The plants can grow as tall as 3 feet, and the dwarf Zinnias will grow to be about 10” tall. Zinnias love to be cut so the more flowers you pick the more flowers your plants will produce.
3. Moss Roses
There is an old legend that says an angel was traveling through a forest and when the angel grew weary she sat beneath a rose tree to rest. She fell asleep and when she awakened she blessed the rose tree for providing her with a place to rest. Her blessing was a carpet of moss that would cover the ground and protect the delicate roots of the rose tree from the heat. The flowers of the moss rose come in a magnificent array of colors and are so hardy that they can take the heat of west Texas, the humidity of the southern regions, and even the cold of the Texas panhandle. These flowers are easy to grow and do well when planted as ground cover or in containers.
4. Sunflowers
Sunflowers are certainly at home under the bright Texas skies. They grow to amazing heights of up to 10’ and produce both a dazzling array of beautiful blossoms, but they also create seeds that are delicious. These flowers come in creamy whites, wine, bronze, or the traditional yellow colors. If you have tomatoes and want to keep the stink bugs off of them plant some yellow sunflowers at least 30’ away from your tomatoes. The stink bugs love the color yellow and they will go to the flowers and leave your tomatoes alone.
5. Texas Lantana
These flowers bloom in shades of yellow and orange. Butterflies are attracted to the blooms and they are perfect for growing in the southern portions of the state close to the Gulf of Mexico because they are both heat and salt tolerant. They will bloom throughout the summer and the deer do not really like them so they can help protect your flower beds from becoming a feeding area.
6. Red Turk’s Cap
Even in Texas, we have areas of our yards that are shady and the Red Turks cap is a perfect flower to plant in those shady spots. They do really well when planted around a tree so they create a ring of color around the trunk of the tree. The blooms will remind you of a hibiscus flower because of the frilly edges on their overlapping petals and the long stamen protruding from the top of the flower. The butterflies and hummingbirds will find these beautiful flowers to be irresistible.
7. Indian Paintbrush
Every Texas flower garden should have a few Indian Paintbrush plants to add color, texture and diversity to the garden. These plants like the sunshine, and they like the dry soil conditions that can be found in most of Texas, but when the summer heat starts to get too high they stop blooming. They bloom in March, April and May with glorious red and yellow plumage. Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies are all attracted to the nectar-rich flowering plants. You will want to be sure that you keep the garden area where your Indian paintbrushes grow clear of grasses because when the roots of the Indian Paintbrush come into contact with the roots of another plant the paintbrushes will stop growing.
Texas has a rich variety of soil types so the majority of flowers can be grown somewhere in the state. You should research your area of Texas and find out which flower species like your soil type the most. You should also research the natural insects and wildlife that live in your area so you can plant flowering plants that will help feed and support them.
Of course, you know that everything grows “bigger and better” in Texas so give them plants plenty of room to grow.
