Texas Gardening: Gardening with Texas Native Plants & Wildflowers, part 16., 1 by dmj1218

dmj1218 wrote:
Herbertia lahue
Prairie Nymphs

Prairie Nymphs are an iris relative native to Texas and are lovely violet subtropical spring-flowering bulbs with a white flower eyes. This petite species has narrow green foliage less than 6” in height making it an excellent candidate for container gardening. Prairie Nymphs like medium moisture levels (and as I've learned the hard way--need some summer moisture), are best grown in full sun to partial shade, and is blooming right now, just in time for Easter. When given adequate moisture, they prove to be easy and reliable naturalizing bulbs that reward their owners by reproducing remarkably easily from seed and offsets. Recommended for growing in zones 8-9.

Its also pretty easy to tell the native Texas form from its South American cousin--the South American form is blue and blooms later in the season. I also grow it so will post a picture of it when it blooms so you can compare them.

I also have 3 of the native Texas Alliums which should bloom in April (if the force is with me); Allium canadense var fraseri, another really nice pinkish form of Allium canadense, and Allium texanum which is a nice large white form that blooms late April or May and is called the 'White King'. It has large, glaucous blue-green leaves.



This message was edited Mar 23, 2008 10:54 AM