Even with the icy weather in February across Texas, we can still expect some pretty blooms in the next month or so at area nurseries. Spring is here and Lori Hawkins, the Manager at Hill Country African Violets and Nursery provided a list of plants that can be planted in May.
Sun-loving plants:
Plumbago – Has beautiful dark blue or white flowers on a large shrub of 3 to 5 feet. This tends to freeze down in winter and comes back from roots in the spring.
Hibiscus – The tropical variety will not survive the winters so move those pots inside. The plant can get up to 5 feet tall and there are many different colors and varieties. The perennial varieties will freeze to the ground but come back in the spring. We carry Moy Grande known as the dinner plate hibiscus in red. The Texas star hibiscus has beautiful flowers in red or white.
Bougainvillea – This colorful plants can be planted in baskets and pots, not the ground. Colors include orange, pink, purple, white, red, tangerine and fuschia to name a few.
Purslane – This is great for baskets with trailing leaves with lots of colors. The bees love it!
Butterfly Weed – This 3 to 4 foot bush is a must for monarch lovers. Monarchs feed on the leaves before making their cocoon, usually on or close to the plant. It has beautiful orange and yellow flowers.
Lantana – This is a great hot weather plant that comes in many colors and varieties. Trailing varieties only get about 1 foot tall but can get 3 to 4 feet wide. There are bush varieties that get 4 feet tall and dwarf bushes only get about 2 feet tall. It comes in yellows, purples, red, oranges, pinks, fuschia, and many others.
Greggs Blue Mist – This fuzzy light blue flower is a butterfly favorite.
Pentas – This is another bee and butterfly favorite which grows about 10 to 12 inches tall. There is a graffiti variety in different colors that works in beds or pots.
Vinca/Periwinkle – This plant comes in upright or trailing varieties. There are many colors to choose from: lavender, white with red center, peach, white and red pink to strawberry.
Sages – There are many varieties of sage. The Texas sage is a shrub that has beautiful lavender flowers. Bees love these flowers. They usually bloom around the time it rains. Henry Duelberg variety is a smaller bush 18 to 20 inches tall with blue stalks of blooms. Russian Sage is a tall silver lacey foliage with light blue flower spikes and grows to 4 feet tall. Deer tend to stay away from most of the sages.
Salvia Leucantha/Mexican Bush Sage – This blooms later in the summer but very showy with tall purple stalks that look almost furry on the gray/green velvety bush. Salvia Greggie comes in many colors and becomes a shrub - usually evergreen and blooms all year. It is very common and does not need much care.
Shade-loving plants:
Turks Cap – This plant makes a large bush of red or pink flowers.
Impatiens – These need more water than most other plants and come in many colors.
Caladiums – The colorful leaves add a great contrast in any pot or flower bed.