Texas Gardening: Spring Blooms Part 5 - What do you see?, 1 by dmj1218

dmj1218 wrote:
They blend in nicely with species lilies, daylilies, phlox 'John Fannick', Cape species Glads, Hippeastrums, and the native Stachys coccinea. None of these plants reguire any supplimental watering or fertilizers, ever.

Manfreda maculosa is a low growing native of South Texas with rosettes of succulent blue-green toothed leaves sporting an abundance of maroon colored spots. The plants reach a maximum height and width of one foot, which makes them the perfect size for most garden and container settings; they also make excellent ground covers. The tubular two-foot-tall blooms open a greenish-yellow and fade reddish-pink as they age. Manfreda maculosa grows from underground rhizomes and needs a very well drained soil with full sun to partial shade. It becomes deciduous to survive droughts and can survive serious freezes without damage once established in the garden. Chopped rhizomes of Manfreda maculosa were once used as a source of soap and shampoo in the republic of Texas. Caterpillars of the rare Manfreda Giant Skipper (Stallingsia maculosa) depend on this plant as a food source.