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?

Share

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
2 ratings

Monday - July 05, 2010

From: Longview, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Pollinators, Meadow Gardens
Title: Early, middle and late blooming flowers for pollinators in East Texas
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

On our farm in northeast Texas we are participating in a Conservation Program through the NRCS. We have to plant 4 acres for pollinators--early blooming, middle blooming, and late blooming. I need to know your suggestions about what to plant for each blooming period, and where to purchase them. Thank you.

ANSWER:

Here is how to pick out plants that bloom in early spring (let's say February through April), late spring/early summer (May through July) and late summer/early fall (August through October).  Open our Texas-East Recommended page and use the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option to limit the bloom times for your plants.  When you open each species page, you can check the entire bloom period under BLOOM INFORMATION. You will find that some plants are going to have overlapping bloom times and will fit into one or all three of your categories.  You can also check the BENEFITS area of the species page to see that the plant does attract pollinators.

Here are a few I picked out for each period, but you can find others:

Early Spring:

Aesculus pavia (red buckeye) blooms March through May

Prunus caroliniana (Carolina laurelcherry) blooms February through April

Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet) blooms March through May

Gelsemium sempervirens (evening trumpetflower) blooms December throughMay

Late Spring/Early Summer:

Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) blooms May through September

Coreopsis tinctoria (golden tickseed) blooms April through June

Lonicera sempervirens (trumpet honeysuckle) blooms March through June

Monarda citriodora (lemon beebalm) blooms May through July

Late Summer/Early Fall:

Salvia coccinea (blood sage) blooms February through October

Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama) blooms June through November

Liatris elegans (pinkscale blazing star) blooms August through October

Rudbeckia hirta (blackeyed Susan) blooms June through October

 

From the Image Gallery


Red buckeye
Aesculus pavia

Carolina cherry-laurel
Prunus caroliniana

Texas bluebonnet
Lupinus texensis

Carolina jessamine
Gelsemium sempervirens

Butterflyweed
Asclepias tuberosa

Plains coreopsis
Coreopsis tinctoria

Coral honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens

Lemon beebalm
Monarda citriodora

Scarlet sage
Salvia coccinea

Sideoats grama
Bouteloua curtipendula

Pink-scale blazing star
Liatris elegans

Black-eyed susan
Rudbeckia hirta

More Meadow Gardens Questions

Short wildflowers to interplant with grass in PA
July 05, 2011 - I live in NE PA and would like to grow short wildflowers throughout my yard mixed in with my grass. Is this possible? If so, what would be a good match for my zone? I will be mowing the grass once a w...
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

wildflowers with interesting seed heads for winter interest
January 09, 2015 - I am looking to establish a wildflower meadow this year, and I want to include wildflowers that have interesting seed heads for winter interest. What would be your recommendation? Thanks!
view the full question and answer

Seeds to plant a short grass prairie near Houston
February 21, 2015 - I want to plant a prepared area 20x40 with strong midday sun in Houston. I would like a short prairie meadow with lots of flowers. Where do I get the seeds and is this the time to plant them as I wo...
view the full question and answer

Planting a meadow garden in Pennsylvania
November 16, 2014 - I live in Saxonburg PA near Pittsburgh PA. I want to put a meadow garden in my back yard. We are building a home so there is no established yard yet just trees and weeds. Where do I start . What...
view the full question and answer

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