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Thursday - February 04, 2010

From: Leander, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: Planting wildflower seeds in Texas in February
Answered by: Anne Bossart

QUESTION:

I would like to plant some wildflowers this month - February. I have planted some bluebonnets and they will "bloom" in March/April. Would there be any wildflowers that would also bloom in March/April? Or, do I have to wait until next spring?

ANSWER:

Unfortunately, February is not a good time to plant wildflower seeds in Texas. The general rule is to try to mimic nature; to plant seeds at the time that plants growing in the wild shed theirs. In Texas, that is in the fall; September and October are best, but if the soil stays warm and moist, you can meet with success in early November as well.

So you cannot plant seeds now and have flowers to bloom along with your blue bonnets this spring. But that is not to say that you cannot have any other wildflowers next year at all. If you check out our Lady Bird Legacy Wildflower Mix on our Recommended Species page you will find information about the plants that are known most famously as Texas wildflowers. Some of them are annuals and some perennials. If you choose annuals that bloom later in the summer and wait till the soil warms up a bit before planting seeds, you MIGHT have flowers this year. Perennials usually take longer to establish ... you might have some luck if you purchase small plants at a nursery. Remember that if you plant annuals and they do not flower, that means they have not produced any seed and will not come back next year. In that case you will have to plant seeds again in the fall.

Check out our How to Article on how to start a wildflower planting. The instructions are for a large area but the principles are the same for a small one.