Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Wildflowers of Spring!

The signs of spring are all around!  Birds are coming back and wildflowers are blooming along the roadsides.  The flowers are nice to look at but also can act as a needed food source to insects, butterflies and birds.  This blog post discusses (in no particular order) some of the more common wildflowers coming up right now.


Texas Bluebonnet Lupinus texensis and Indian Blanket Gaillardia pulchella:


Left: Texas Bluebonnet. Photo by Joseph A. Marcus, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Right: Indian Blanket.  Photo by Bruce Leander, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center


The Texas Bluebonnet is our state flower!  You know when spring is here when the bluebonnets start coming up.  Bluebonnets are members of the Pea family and are a beneficial flower for butterflies and native bumble bees.  Additionally, they are the larval host for the Hairstreak and Elfin butterflies.

The Indian Blanket is a long lasting flower that will brighten any garden when blooming.  It is a member of the Aster family and the orange and yellow blooms will attract butterflies.


Black-eyed Susan  Rudbeckia hirta and Indian Paintbrush Castilleja indivisa


Left: Black-eyed Susan.  Photo by R. W. Smith, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Right: Indian Paintbrush.  Photo by Bruce Leander, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center


Black-eyed Susan is a well-known flower commonly seen throughout the United States from the late spring to early fall months.  It is a member of the Aster family.  Black-eyed Susan flowers are beneficial to many creatures; the seeds are eaten by birds and nectar eaten by bees, insects, and butterflies. 

Just like the Texas bluebonnet, Indian Paintbrush is a common sight around town in the spring.  It is a member of the Figwort family.  Insects, butterflies, and hummingbirds are attracted to the bright red blooms and the plant is the larval host for the Buckeye butterfly.


Winecup Callirhoe involucrate and Plains Coreopsis Coreopsis tinctoria


Left: Winecup.  Photo by Dolphia and W. D. Bransford, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Right: Palins Coreopsis.  Photo by Joseph A. Marcus, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center


The Winecup is a poppy-like member of the Mallow family and common in Texas in the early spring.  It will attract native bees and butterflies.  It is the larval host for the Gray Hairstreak butterfly.

Another member of the Aster family!  Plains Coreopsis is a cheery flower and is common throughout most of the United States in the spring and early summer.  Bees, insects, and butterflies eat nectar produced by the plant while seeds are eaten by birds. 


Prairie Verbena Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida and Lemon Mint Monarda citridora


Left: Prairie Verbena.  Photo by Joseph A. Marcus, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Right: Lemon Mint.  Photo by Robert L. Stone, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center



The Prairie Verbena is a nice touch of purple in hillslopes of red and yellow.  It is a member of the Verbena family.  The flower blooms from spring until winter and will attract birds and butterflies.

Lemon Mint is a member of the…. Mint family!  Bumble bees especially like the upright blooms.  Butterflies, insects and hummingbirds will also be attracted to the blooms.


Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea and Pink Evening Primrose Oenothera speciosa

Left: Purple Coneflower.  Right: Pink Evening Primrose. 
Both photos by Sally and Andy Wasowski, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center



The Purple Coneflower is our last member of the Aster family for today.  An interesting fact, the genus, echino, means “hedgehog” for the spiky cone in the middle.  The purple blooms will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. 

The Pink Evening Primrose is a member of the Evening-Primrose family.  These dainty flowers are common throughout most of the United States and the seed capsules will attract birds.  


Seed balls: A great project for kids or anyone!

I know what you’re thinking… these flowers would be great in a native wildflower garden… right?  Well, you can make that happen!  This combination of native wildflower seeds is being sold by the Native American Seed, a company recommended by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.  The blend of seeds is suited for central Texas and is called the Lady Bird’s Legacy Wildflower Mix.  A portion of the sales goes to the Wildflower Center Seed Grant program.  From the Seed Grant website:

 "The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in partnership with Native American Seed awards grants of seed (Seed Grants) to Texas schools (K-12) that support the Wildflower Center’s mission to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants and landscapes. Seed grants can be used to establish wildflower demonstration areas, to enhance existing wildflower sites, or in other educationally directed projects."


So buying seeds will help get kids involved and learning about native plants... it’s a win-win situation!  Ok, now that you have seeds, what do you do?  You can plant them traditionally or another way to get kids involved is to make seed balls. 

Seed balls are composed of clay, compost, and seeds with some recipe variations involving sand.  Basically, mix the dry ingredients together and add enough water to make the clay sticky.  Pinch off small pieces of the clay and roll into balls between your hands.  It will take a day or two to dry completely.  Now, you can throw the seed balls into a patch of yard and soon you will have a beautiful wildflower garden! 

For more in-depth information on the wildflower species listed above, please visit the Native Plant Database, NPID

Happy Spring!


Resources:

All wildflower information was taken from the Native Plant Database, NPID on the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center http://www.wildflower.org/plants/search.php?search_field=scientific+or+common+names&newsearch=true&family=Acanthaceae


From the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: How to make seed balls:


Native American Seed company  


Wildflower Center Seed Grant program






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