Native Plants

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.
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.

rate this answer

Tuesday - October 14, 2014
From: Abilene, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Lists, Planting, Wildflowers
Title: Fall Flower Planting in Abilene, TX
Answered by: Larry Larson
QUESTION:
Are there any flowers that can be planted in the fall in Abilene Texas?ANSWER:
Certainly, almost all of them! However, where this answer goes after that depends on what you mean by “plant” and whether you also want them to survive the winter. That makes it quite a bit tougher.
The easy answer is when “plant” means sow the seeds. Most wildflowers drop their seeds in the summer to fall, so that they can germinate and be ready to go as soon as there is a decent sign of spring. The Wildflower Center keeps a “Recommended Species” list for Abilene. This list is for the “Rolling Plains” Ecoregion. I sorted the recommended species list to “Herbs” [wildflowers], and then reduced that to ones that bloom in the last quarter of the year. In reading the records for the plants - Solidago altissima (Tall goldenrod), Penstemon ambiguus (Pink plains penstemon), Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower), and Abronia ameliae (Amelia's sand verbena) had recommendations for fall sown seed
My second variation on “plant” is to transplant small plants. Our own Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet) is already sprouted and will live through the winter as a small, low-to-the –ground plant. Here is a “Mr Smarty Plants” question/answer pair on this topic. Another plant where transplanning small plants in the fall is recommended is Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida (Prairie verbena)
Transplanting bluebonnets
Hearty, bushy native plants for windowboxes in Abilene, TX
My final version of “plant” is the one I consider the least likely to succeed. This is to transplant full grown plants. For this approach, I have sorted the recommended species list to “Herbs” [wildflowers], and then reduced that to ones that bloom in the last quarter of the year. This left 41 candidates, I list a half dozen annual and perennial members of that list below.
Annual: Argemone polyanthemos (Annual pricklepoppy), Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida (Prairie verbena), Heliotropium tenellum (Pasture heliotrope), Palafoxia rosea (Rosy palafox), Symphyotrichum subulatum (Baby's breath aster),
Perennial: Berlandiera lyrata (Chocolate daisy), Bouchea linifolia (Flaxleaf bouchea), Calylophus hartwegii (Hartweg's sundrops), Gutierrezia sarothrae (Broom snakeweed), Helianthus maximiliani (Maximilian sunflower), Liatris mucronata (Cusp gayfeather)
Although I consider this approach the least likely to succeed, these are still the plants that would most likely be seeding in the 4th quarter of the year and are quite likely to succeed when propagated in that manner,
From the Image Gallery
More Plant Lists Questions
Wildlife Attracting Plants for a Shady Patio
July 03, 2014 - We have a concrete patio that receives 2-3 hours of sunlight a day, so the only plants we will be able to grow will be in container. We are looking for plants that do well in shade, and containers and...
view the full question and answer
Vines for Madison, Wisconsin
March 12, 2015 - What are some good options for non-aggressive native vines for southern Wisconsin? I am looking for something that can cover a chain-link fence and benefit local insects. I don't want it to take ov...
view the full question and answer
Native Plants for Year Round Interest
February 16, 2015 - I'm involved in a paradigm shift from traditional bedding plants (petunias, zinnias, begonias, etc.) to native plants. I realize that native plants have natural life cycles where they look pretty bad...
view the full question and answer
Evergreen privacy hedge resistant to verticillium wilt
September 27, 2011 - I am looking for an evergreen, fast-growing privacy hedge (over 6') that is resistant to verticillium wilt and has low water requirements. I live in Monrovia, CA and have to replace hopseed bushes w...
view the full question and answer
Perennials for flowerbed in Texas Panhandle
October 19, 2012 - I have a flowerbed in a partially shaded area and want some perennials. I live in the Texas Panhandle, soil is sandy, loamy. Hardiness zone is 6-B.
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |