That is gorgeous Linda, my phlox is just starting to open.
Gardening with Texas Native Plants & Wildflowers, part 16.
This is NOT mine! I went to Schumachers Hill Country Gardens yesterday. They have a big sale going on this weekend and I was there when they were bringing in plants for it. I loved the blooms on this Desert Willow! They only had a few large ones in those really HUGE pots...otherwise I would've been very tempted...even though I haven't got a clue where I would put it. Anyone know if there is a variety name for these? They just told me Desert Willow and something about "selections" when I asked what it was. All I could think was WOW! Mine doesn't bloom like that.
This message was edited Jun 16, 2008 9:53 AM
Hello Linda, I have never heard them of them being called anything special although I know there is one varaiety called " Bubba" maybe that is one of them.
That one is really pretty, I have a friend who has one with a very deep burgundy bloom.
Josephine.
I really think you're right. It must be a Bubba...funny, that's what I grew up calling my brother. Sure is pretty! This Fiddleleaf Tobacco, Nicotiana repanda, came up in my yard this year. I hadn't seen one here in several years, so either a bird planted it or the seeds can come up after that long a time.
That is very neat Linda.
That rain a while back really got things blooming again. And the Snapdragon Vine is still going!
Linda you are so sweet to send the picture, it sure is adorable.
We've rec'd rain 4 out of the last 7-8 days (probably 2" or so total)
and so many of the flowers are showing their appreciation!
I know your area, Linda,...is suffering a greater drought than our area! Glad y'all got some much needed rain!
I came across this invasive plant site for Texas:
http://www.texasinvasives.org/Invasives_Database/Invasives.html
Pretty good info on there!
Oh, and here's some blooms on Corona de Cristo, a bit invasive sometimes, but ya just gotta love it anyway!
Those are gorgeous Linda, I have a small plant, but it hasn't bloomed yet, I look forward to the blooms.
Josephine.
We've seen deer eating the vines growing on our back fence this year. It's supposed to be deer resistant, but the deer don't seem to know that. We have enough of it inside the yard that we don't worry about losing a little to the deer. Bees love it also. Then there's the Gulf Fritillary, who use it as a host plant.
This message was edited Aug 13, 2008 9:18 PM
My Swan Flower (Aristolochia erecta) made a seed capsule...actually the first time I've seen one! Yea! I think it's considered naturalized, but I still think of it as native. I put this on plant files also.
That is really neat Linda, very interesting plant indeed.
I was out removing some berries from my Brasil tree today. I noticed a few small branches had been damaged, broken or partly broken. And I have to assume it could be a wild animal after the berries that did the damage. So I removed the larger berries, in hopes that the tree will be left alone. I don't mind sharing the berries with wildlife, but when it comes to damaging my little tree...well, that's entirely different. The tree does have one way of protecting itself. Many of the branches have thorn-like ends...I've felt the pain myself when I get too close. I've had similar problems with the Texas Persimmon when in fruit and branches gets bent over too much. Only there's no thorns on that one. In both cases I suspected the coons did it.
Linda the little Brasil curring you gave is doing very well, although it will be a long time before it bears berries, but i can wait.
LindaTX8
Linda
Where did you get your swan plant? I'm been looking for several years and tried hundreds of web sites and have not been able to find anyone that had them.
Jameso
Jameso, I got it from Natives of Texas. It's not on their list, but sometimes they have it available...and quite often they don't. Sometimes you have to ask the natives places what else they have that they don't often sell. Josephine, waiting is a virtue we need with many of the native plants. But I do love it when they grow like weeds!
Next time I'm in Kerrville seeing from grandaughters I'll stop by. Incidently, I've got to deliver tyour guy in Medina a big bag of partridge pea seeds and a few other varieties.. He gathered some wild mustard seeds for me and didn't charge anything so I told him I'd send him some east texas native seeds.
I thought I'd put one of these on this thread because of the native Frostweed, now blooming and welcoming the butterflies coming here! This is a Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail butterfly...I've been seeing it, but had to wait a while before I caught it nectaring intently so I could get a picture. Can you imagine how much nectar it takes for such a big beautiful butterfly? Oh...I already put one of the other shots on the hummingbird forums.
This message was edited Sep 10, 2008 11:14 AM
Oh Linda,That is absolutely gorgeous, that Frostweed bloom sure make a great landing pad for them to nectar on. I have been having a few Monarchs around and I just had two of the eclose today.
Josephine.
Oh, I am so glad to hear that! I have seen monarchs 3 or 4 different times lately, and I thought it was too early for them. Maybe they are coming because my frostweed is just about to burst into full bloom.
I just brought in my first batch of Monarch babies last weekend!!
That is very exciting, maybe things will pick up after all.
I have two Monarch babies now myself, to go with my Queen cats. ALL were on Texas Milkweed, BTW...speaking of natives.
That is great Linda, natives are wonderful plants, I wish I could have them all.
The other day I was checking out a piece of land which had been partially cleared (code-word for bull-dozed) a while back. There was a lot of stuff that had grown up since then. One was these...I think it is Silver-Leaf Nightshade, but I can't remember any being this pretty. Mother nature sometimes outdoes herself! Give her lemons and she makes lemonade.
I love the Silver leaf Nightshade, I have been trying to grow it on the slope for years, but all I have is a few puny plants. They seem to grow best in the worst of conditions.
Oh...the coolest thing...my Spiny Hackberry....look, berries! I had just been thinking about moving it because it's not in a good place, too near the Brasil and other things.
Guess I hit the wrong button. Here it is. Host plant of the snout butterflies. Which, BTW, are coming through right now in one of those periodic mass migrations, heading north when their populations get too large. And flying low over the highways, a suicidal tendency that results in dead butterflies on vehicles.
You have the neatest plants Linda, keep them coming.
One of the wild asters blooming this time of year. I kind of hate to see the cold, because soon the blooms will be less.
Very pretty Linda, I hate to see the cold too, there will be no blooms here after a freeze.
Your photos are beautiful, Linda!
I'm watching two monarchs right now in my back yard - wish I had more milkweed than I do!
Thank you. The Monarch have come through here also. But they weren't much interested in anything except nectaring and going south this fall. I only had two Monarch cats that turned up on the milkweed this fall. Otherwise, just the Queen cats.
Well it looks like yours monarchs came to my house Linda, because I have had more this year than last year, isn't that strange?
Well, you just never know what butterflies will do! This year I was disappointed about the Buckeyes more than anything else. I had enough host plants, but didn't see a single Buckeye butterfly. The agalinis came up, bloomed this fall and nothing! Didn't see them in San Antonio where they were last year either. But while looking around there I collected some seed for Brown Psoralea, which I'll try to grow next year.
No Buckeyes here this year either. :-(
This year was just really weird. Few bees, but some, hardly any butterflies, and my first hummer!
This whole year I have only seen one Monarch cat, and that has just been this last weekend. Here he is on Sunday (10/26). I've brought him in the garage the last couple of nights because of freezing/near freezing temps(!) Hope he still has a chance to head south as a butterfly.
And yeah, really few bees. About a handful of bumbles over the whole summer. And yet, when Ella was here she found two hidden bee hives without really trying. They aren't honeybees, I'm just glad they thought she was too cute to sting!
Josephine, my aster seemed to have a bad case of male pattern balding this year. As it got larger, the middle part lost leaves, so in the end there was a large, bare spot with a fringe of flowers. Should I have pruned/cut back the plant in the spring? Our local master gardeners recommend cutting back Copper Canyon Daisy (mine still hasn't bloomed) and Mexican Mint Marigold by half on the first day of every month from April through July to get a good thick display. Do you think that would work with the aster?
Well, I probably wouldn't cut the asters that many times, but once or twice is a good idea, they do get leggy if not cut back.
Here is a picture of some of mine this fall, with Heath aster and Salvia greggii.
