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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.

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

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Wednesday - July 24, 2013

From: Aransas Pass , TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Planting, Seeds and Seeding, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Flowers to bloom in next 4 months from Aransas Pass, TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Looking for seeds to put down that will bloom over the next 4 months or so in the southern gulf coast area

ANSWER:

We will be glad to do that, assuming that these are to be planted in late July and bloom in September, October, November and December. We don't know if there is a specific occasion you are planning for, but we are frequently asked similar questions for the purpose of making a background for weddings, so we would like for you to read some previous Mr. Smarty Plants answers on that subject for background information (we are a little lazy, and this avoids retyping).

September wedding - please follow all of the links in this answer for more of the same.

Now, if you have read all that, we assume that you realize that you can't get there from here. In Texas and other warm climates, seeds for annual flowers are planted in the Fall to come up and bloom the next Spring. Seeds for biennial or perennial plants will be planted in the Fall, come up in the Spring of the next year, and bloom the year after.

What we can do is make you a list of flowers native to South Texas, using our Recommended Species for South Texas List. Using the sidebar on the right hand side of that page, we will select "herb" (herbaceous blooming plants) that will bloom in those four months.

Flowers for Fall and early Winter in South Texas:

Chamaecrista fasciculata (Partridge pea)- June through October

Conoclinium coelestinum (Blue mistflower) - July through November

Cooperia drummondii (Evening rain lily) - May to September

Coreopsis tinctoria var. tinctoria (Golden tickseed) - February to November

Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida (Prairie verbena) - March to December

Glandularia bipinnatifida var. ciliata (Dakota mock vervain) - April to September

Helianthus maximiliani (Maximilian sunflower) - August to November

Hibiscus martianus (Heartleaf rosemallow) - January to December

Monarda fistulosa (Wild bergamot) - June to September

Ratibida columnifera (Mexican hat) - May to October

Salvia coccinea (Scarlet sage) - March to October

Salvia farinacea (Mealy blue sage) - April to October

Vernonia baldwinii (Baldwin's ironweed) - July to November

Wedelia texana (Zexmenia) - May to October

 

From the Image Gallery


Partridge pea
Chamaecrista fasciculata

Blue mistflower
Conoclinium coelestinum

Hill country rain lily
Cooperia pedunculata

Golden tickseed
Coreopsis tinctoria var. tinctoria

Prairie verbena
Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida

Davis mountains mock vervain
Glandularia bipinnatifida var. ciliata

Maximilian sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani

Heartleaf rosemallow
Hibiscus martianus

Wild bergamot
Monarda fistulosa

Mexican hat
Ratibida columnifera

Scarlet sage
Salvia coccinea

Mealy blue sage
Salvia farinacea

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