Colorful Annual Flowers for North Texas Landscape
A beautiful landscape adds more than just attractiveness to a yard. These colorful annual flowers can also welcome helpful animals and insects that help create a healthier yard. The trick is to know which annuals can create this beneficial atmosphere, and which ones are best for what’s often harsh, north Texas weather.
‘Henry Duelberg’ (Salvia farinacea)
This Texas native plant is heat and drought tolerant, is easy to grow, doesn’t attract deer, but does appeal to hummingbirds and butterflies. It grows to between two and three feet tall, and its dark-purplish flowers can bloom virtually all season.
Texas Gold columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha)
Texas Gold will tolerate some heat, requires adequate moisture, this buttercup-yellow flower sport a long,attractive fen-like foliage. Under the right conditions, it can reach two to three feet tall. Although usually short-lived, it will reseed if seedlings grow.
‘Lord Baltimore’ (Hibiscus)
Lord Baltimore boasts 10 foot wide scarlet flowers that can bloom from July until the first frost. It does well near ponds as it thrives in moist soil and in butterfly and hummingbird gardens.
Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus)
The flowers of Turk’s Cap resembles the hibiscus but never fully open, leaving them to look like little turbans. Flowers colors can range from pink to white, and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It’s drought-tolerant, grows fast, usually gets to three to six feet tall. It’s native to south Texas, but can work as an annual in north Texas.
Mystic Spires Blue Salvia
Mystic Spires blue produces more blooms than its popular cousin, Indigo Spires. Its blue flowers bloom all season is heat tolerant and is resistant to most pests, diseases, and does not attract deer. Don’t pay too much attention to it, however. Too much fertilizer and irrigation can kill this plant.
‘John Fanick’ (Philox paniculata)
John Fanick (named for a San Antonio nurseryman) features beautiful lavender and pink blossoms and a wax-like texture that resist mildew, a disease that’s deadly to many Philox. It grows to three feet tall and two feet wide, and matches well with Mystic Spires Blue salvia. It holds up well to heat and humidity and grows well in moderately well-drained soil. If you are looking to enhance your garden, these colorful annual flowers are a good place to start. Of course, to maximize their beauty, they must combine well with your established landscape and home.
To make the most out of your landscape, contact a landscaping professional. Visit our Lawn Maintenance Tips page for more great Tips.
