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Native Plant Database

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Nemastylis geminiflora (Prairie celestials)
Marcus, Joseph A.

Nemastylis geminiflora Nutt.

Prairie celestials, Celestials, Prairie pleatleaf

Iridaceae (Iris Family)

USDA Symbol: nege

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

The sky-blue flowers open in late morning and curl up before 3 in the afternoon, even on overcast days. Each flower only lasts one day. Once the seed has ripened, the bulb is renewed and the plant disappears until following spring. The bulbs colonize over time.

A member of the iris family (family Iridaceae) which consists of herbs growing from rhizomes, bulbs, or corms, with narrow basal leaves and showy clusters at the tips of long stalks. There are about 60 genera and 1,500 species, distributed in temperate and tropical regions. Among them, Iris, Freesia, Gladiolus, Bugle Lily, and Montbretia are popular ornamentals. Saffron dye is obtained from Crocus, and essence of violets, used in perfumes, is extracted from the rhizomes of Iris.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: Normally 6 to 12 inches, but can reach 18 inches.
Flower: Flowers 1 to 2 inches wide
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Blue
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May
Bloom Notes: Sky blue, bloom period about 2 weeks, with each flower surviving only one day, opening in the morning and closing late afternoon.

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , KS , LA , MO , MS , OK , TN , TX
Native Distribution: Kansas and Missouri to central Texas
Native Habitat: Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannahs
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Alkaline (pH>7.2)
Soil Description: Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Sandy, Limestone; Calcareous, Well-drained

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Showy, Wildflower meadow, Shortgrass meadow, Blooms ornamental, Ground cover
Use Wildlife: Nectar-Bees
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Salvage bulbs if possible, or sow seed in fall.
Seed Collection: Collect seed in May, June.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0206 Collected Apr. 7, 1992 in Comal County by Mary Beth White

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-21 Collected 2006-05-24 in Travis County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Bibliography

Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Bibref 765 - McMillen's Texas Gardening: Wildflowers (1998) Howard, D.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 281 - Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Nemastylis geminiflora in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Nemastylis geminiflora in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Nemastylis geminiflora

Metadata

Record Modified: 2012-04-09
Research By: NPC

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