Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Monday - April 07, 2014

From: Moss Point, MS
Region: Southeast
Topic: Shrubs
Title: Living blooming plants for November wedding in Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I am an environmental educator whose daughter is getting married in Austin in November. I would like to use living blooming native plants as decorations and then donate them to a local school to plant in their outdoor learning lab/garden. Can you recommend any plants that would be good for this?

ANSWER:

You are not the first gardener to ask us this sort of question. When we searched our Mr. Smarty Plants section, we got a total of 57 previous questions on the same subject.

Indulge us by reading some previous answers on live blooming native plants for weddings:

From Austin. This has a number of links on the same subject if you have the patience or desire to read them.

Then, lo and behold, we found a question on native plants in pots in Austin. We were going to suggest something in containers, because of your express (and wonderful) desire to donate those plants to a school garden. Please read our How-To Article on Container Gardening with Native Plants

Since, as the writer of that previous question pointed out, many plants that bloom in November are at the limit of their blooming season, you might consider some small shrubs, preferably evergreen, that would add to the feeling of Nature at the wedding but also be relatively easy to transplant into those school gardens, as well as longer lived. In addition to 6 shrubs, we selected 3 succulents, all native to Central Texas. These will all mature to taller plants than you probably need for a wedding, but by then they will be gracing some lucky school gardens, and truly be making an environmental statement about Austin TX. Follow the plant links for each plant to our Native Plant Database to learn its growing conditions, soil needs, bloom time, etc.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, home of Mr. Smarty Plants, is committed to the growth, propagation and protection of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are to be grown; in this case, Travis County, TX.

Native Shrubs for Container Plants for Austin TX:

Chrysactinia mexicana (Damianita)

Garrya ovata ssp. lindheimeri (Lindheimer's silktassel)

Ilex vomitoria (Yaupon)

Leucophyllum frutescens (Cenizo)

Mahonia swaseyi (Texas barberry)

Salvia greggii (Autumn sage)

Hesperaloe parviflora (Red yucca)

Manfreda variegata (Mottled tuberose)

Yucca pallida (Pale-leaf yucca)

 

 

From the Image Gallery


Damianita
Chrysactinia mexicana

Agarita
Mahonia trifoliolata

Yaupon
Ilex vomitoria

Cenizo
Leucophyllum frutescens

Texas barberry
Mahonia swaseyi

Autumn sage
Salvia greggii

Red yucca
Hesperaloe parviflora

Mottled tuberose
Manfreda variegata

Pale-leaf yucca
Yucca pallida

More Shrubs Questions

Growing Dwarf Yaupon Holly in Texas
December 04, 2013 - We planted 10 extra dwarf yaupons in our Austin front yard. They were identified as 'Gremici' dwarf yaupon. I googled them to get more information about them in order to determine why five have di...
view the full question and answer

Native shrubs for containers in Los Angeles, CA
September 23, 2010 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants - We are looking for some non-vine potted plants to grow on our balcony for privacy in Los Angeles. The balcony receives partial direct sunlight & we would like the growth to...
view the full question and answer

Will desert rose (Rosa stellata) survive in south Florida
July 30, 2008 - I have a mature desert rose and I wanted to plant it in the ground. I live in southwest Florida.I want to know will it survive and should I wait to plant it next year?
view the full question and answer

Wilting stems on beautyberry in Georgetown, TX
August 16, 2009 - Last summer I discovered that a 4-year old beautyberry had one (of many) stems that died. Leaves on this single stem wilted and dried up. This year the same happened to two or three stems. The rest of...
view the full question and answer

Dead woody plants in wildlife garden in Austin
March 02, 2011 - I am an enthusiastic and pretty successful wildlife gardener, have studied my Wasowski "Bible", but I can't get any evergreens established in my yard! We live on blackland clay, which I amend with ...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.