Texas Perennials Top Ten for Summer

Agave with myrtle spurge, native Texas landscaping.

Agave with myrtle spurge and mealy blue sage in the background of native Texas landscaping.

Top Blooming Trees Dallas Landscaping Lee Ann Torrans Garden Gates and Doors

Top Crape Myrtles	Top Spring Perennials

Columbine in Texas Landscaping

Landscaping in Dallas often includes a masterful combination of native plants, annuals and perennials which can be stunningly beautiful. A common landscaping device includes rug juniper spilling over the rocks.

Roses with perennials: Lambs Ear, Daisy, Iris, Dianthus. Every perennial garden needs an ‘anchor’ plant. Here it is the red HomeRun shrub rose. Oh, an not just ANY Lambs Ear, this is the blooming Lambs Ear which is best to avoid. Look for the non-blooming Lambs Ear. Read more below.

Why plant the shrub rose, HomeRun and not the more popular KnockOut? Home Run is a single petal rose and more orange/red rather than scarlet red. The simple petal construction and color generally work better with perennials. That is Shasta Daisy about to bloom out. Those spread like mad and do extremely well in Texas. The little rocks you see outlining the bed are a very popular landscaping technique in Texas.

Texas Top Ten Perennials

Perennial gardening in Texas has been enhanced by the efforts of Texas A&M with the patented Texas Superstars. I am not attempting to provide authoritative detail. My goal is to demonstrate what is tried and true in Texas, demonstrated by homeowners’ success and plants in their landscape environment. Catalogs and nurseries are wonderful but how many of those plants wither in Texas heat? Share with me real Dallas gardens and yards.

Texas Gold Columbine

A shade blooming perennial designated as a Texas Superstar(TM).

Lee-Ann-Torrans-Columbine-Late-March-Texas

With the demise of roses due to Rose Rosette disease consider combining Texas Gold Columbine a Texas Superstar (TM) with yellow Esperanze to create a constant yellow presence that Julia Child rose once provided. So many gardens are working to replace roses.

Aquilegia chrysantha hinckleyana or ‘Texas Gold’ is a cool season perennial with attractive foliage and stunning, long-spurred yellow blossoms. Native to shady areas in Big Bend. Great heat tolerance for a columbine.

More on Texas Gold Columbine Here

Gerbera Daisies

Gerbara Daisy Dallas Arboretum Trial Plant 2014 Cartwheel

Gerbera Daisies have long been one of my favorite plants. They are heavy feeders but surprisingly hardy. I use Osmocote and a lot of it to keep them blooming.

Gerbera Daisies

I did not believe the Gerbera Daisy would work for me. I bought it because it was irresistably pretty expecting it to last one season. This have been a steady hardy plant for me.

My Fundamental Gardening Tools

The fundamental tools for gardening for me are: Osmocote fertilizer, a five pound pick ax, water retaining pellets or crystals and timer soaker hoses. The little pick ax lives at my back door with my gardening shoes. I use it to hack out a weed, pop a hole for a plant or trench for fertilizer.

I always use water retaining pellets for new plants with a bit of Osmocote. I have tried the sprayer fertilizer feeder and other fertilizers, Osmocote is easy and always works. The soaker hose saves water and is much more effective than a sprinkler system.

Esperanza

Esperenza, a yellow Texas Perennial that blooms April to June. With Rose Rosette disease a lot of folks that used Julia Child deep yellow rose as an anchor plant in their gardens are looking at alternatives. I believe combining Esperanza with Gold Columbine is a good choice. Esperanze blooms mid April to June.

Damianita a Yellow Perennial for Texas

Damiantia, Chrysactinia Mexicana, Yellow Perennial for Texas

Damianita, Chrysactinia Mexicana, Yellow Perennial for Texas

Persian shield with dwarf limelight hydrangea. The hydrangea comes in a larger size as well. Each spring after the blooms take a branch, dig a little trench put the attached branch in it and cover it with a brick. Next year, voila! A new baby hydrangea. From one lovely hydrangea I circled a part of my yard like this. One hydrangea (that I loved and understood its growth habit and shape) generated hundreds of babies!

Limelight Hydrangea

Limelight Hydrangea comes in full size and miniature. French Hydrangeas and Oak Leaf Hydrangeas bloom back to back. These are great to follow one another in your blooming season.

Shade perennial garden with Limelight hydrangea, Persian Shield, hostas, variegated iris, and althea tree.

Growing Big Strong Colorful Perennials

Literally, strangers and friends ask me why my perennials are so healthy, big and strong. I have two weapons, water retention crystals and Osmocote. I have used Osmocote my entire life, and have strayed a few times but always, always come back to this time released fertilizer that I put in the little dug out plant space, with the plant.

I have tried the spray, and other fertilizers. Honestly, this is the best and I always come back to it. I have never had a lot of luck with sprayer fertilizers. I fell pray to those commercials with the happy gardners spraying their plants. The commercials were everywhere, on TV in magazines and the gardners / actors were sooo enthusiastic. First, I don’t have time for that, second, didn’t work for me.

Blue Star Texas Perennial

Dianthus

Dianthus - April - Texas Perennial

Dianthus blooms in March through almost May. This is an excellent Texas perennial and may mean no more planting pansies every year! Heat hardy snap dragons are an excellent compliment to Dianthus in terms of size, color and blooming period.

Dianthus as a colorful perennial is a great substitute for pansies. However, once they stop blooming there are no more flowers. You can plant annuals among them to extend your summer color and as you water and fertilize your annuals for summer color you will be caring for your dianthus, strengthening their root system and making them stronger. Try planting begonias, because many times in Texas begonias will return. Purslane is a good choice though it’s flowers close at night.

Read more on Dianthus here

Natural Insect Control with Lady Bugs

Lady Bugs devour aphids and other soft-bodied pest. The larvae eat problem insects, especially aphids. Lady bugs are great for roses. Lady Bugs arrive dehydrated and need a moist garden at night. They will leave to look for a greener, moister garden. Leave them to find aphids in a wet night garden.

Hardy Morning Glory Perennial Ground Color

Hardy Morning Glory a ground cover. Perennial blooms in March / April Texas.

Variegated Ivy Returns Every Year!

Variegated Ivy with large leaf in container gardening. The ivy is a perennial! Japanese Maples in the background are a great compliment for perennials. Geraniums are wonderful for spring but will stop blooming around the Fourth of July until October.

Read more on container gardening here …

Japanese Maples blooming early in Dallas.

Purple Shamrock

More on the Purple Shamrock Link Here

The green spikey plant is a spreading yew shrub. This is becoming popular and working like the rug junipers worked ten years ago. In fact, all yews are becoming very popular.

Yews have for a very long time been one of my favorite shrubs and I suggest your read more about them but there is this caveat: Yews have been suggested as a poisonous shrub. The fact of the matter is as a child I wanted to taste all the leaves in our yard and we had a Japanese Yew. I ate the leaf and had no ill effect BUT and still … read about poisonous plants here if you are concerned. I have listed the reasonably priced standard poisonous plant guides.

Lavender Shamrock

AND Purple Shamrock has been suggested is poisonous to cats and dogs. I have no way of knowing whether this is true and recommend you do your own work on this matter. You know your children/grandchildren and pets. You decide.

Victoria Phlox or Garden Phlox

Summer Phlox in a pocket perennial garden with Salvia Greggia, Cushion Spurge, Rudbekia and a Japanese Maple.

Summer phlox in purple, a perennial that works as shrubs and bloom all summer!

Summer Phlox Good Texas Perennial

Phlox paniculata ‘Victoria’. Established Victoria Phlox begins blooming shortly before Memorial Day and before the Crape Myrtles. It needs full sun. Victoria has lighter green foliage, more open growth habit than ‘John Fanick’ reaching 3 feet tall, 2 feet wide.

Muskogee Crape Myrlte Lavender with Summer Phlox

Muskogee Crape Myrtle with summer phlox. In addition to being a beautiful plant summer phlox blooms with crape myrtles. This makes a stunning joint display.

Muskogee Crape Myrtle with summer phlox

Muskogee Crape Myrtle blooms with other perennials including summer phlox. This creates a stunning combination.

Thrift

Thrift with Japanese Maple in background. Thrift is not phlox though it is often called a phlox. It retains a green mound through winter while phlox dies completely back. Thrift is a spring plant. Phlox is a summer plant.

Natural Grasses in the Perennial Garden

Day Lilies bloom in Texas around Memorial day. Grasses and standard day lilies.

Santolina and native grasses in perennial garden. That is Russian sage in the background just about to burst forth in lovely feathery blooms and Salvia Greggii in the front with pink blooms.

More on natural grasses and Texas gardening here …

Blooming Russian Sage.

Coneflower a Perennial

Cone flowers and sedum in the front. That is myrtle spurge to the lift, and rudbekia just on the hills ridge to the far right in the rear you can see Monks Cap beginning to bloom. Colorful native plants for Texas landscaping design planted under a Dessert Willow tree.

Cone flowers Echinecea and sedum in the front. That is myrtle spurge to the lift, and Rudbekia just on the hills ridge to the far right in the rear you can see Monks Cap beginning to bloom. Colorful native plants for Texas landscaping design planted under a Dessert Willow tree.

Coneflower with natural grasses an mealy blue sage

Coneflower with natural grasses, small Lavender Vitex and Mealy Blue Sage. This is also known echinecea.

Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea (Asteraceae); Echinacea angustifolia

The purple coneflower is drought tolerant and native to the Midwest and southeastern United States reaching two to three feet and blooming from June to October. Can propagate from root cuttings.

Soaker Hoses on Timers

Using soaker hoses on timers is how I get my perennials established. It take two to three years for perennials to become established. These conserve water and work for me.

Beautiful Russian Sage with Artemesia.

Perennial Petunia Ruella

Perennial Purple Petunia with Artemeisa. Looks just like spider wort only tall! Also known as Ruella.

Pale Pink Perennial Petunia. Also known as Ruella.

Mixed Perennial Combinations

June Perennial Border with Loropetalum Accent

Tansy, Salvia Greggii, Artemesia, Yarrow combine to create a lovely display and best of all you could mow this lawn with a weedeater!

Read more about Salvia here …

Salvia, sage and a miniature crape myrtle tucked in there. What a beautiful, ‘welcome home’ these perennials provide. The star of the show here are the big bushy Pentstemons commonly known as Beardstongue. When you buy these it’s hard to believe they get this large. I love them.

Read more on Salvias here …

Dallas Landscaping - May Bloomers Lee Ann Torrans

May Night Salvia and Dianthus

Salvia

Sage, mealy blue sage, artemesia in the background with thyme, coneflower and grasses. You just catch can bit of lavender behind the purple sage shrub to the left. The gray shrub to the left is a purple sage. These get very leggy and sometimes have large bare spots. Use this shrub if you are prepared for a rough look from July to the season’s end.

Read more about native plants here …

Large Lambs Ear, Begonias which can be perennial in Texas, Yarrow, Tansy, Hibiscus which is not a perennial in North Texas and Dusty Miller which can be perennial in North Texas. ‘Helene von Stein’ is the non-blooming lambs ear and I recommend it.

More on Lambs Ear here…

Ajuga / Perennial Ground Cover

Ajuga is the ground cover to the right with the green and purple shades. I love this. I blooms in early spring with lovely purple spikes. This ground cover requires time released fertilizer and rich moist soil. It does best in partial shade. Ajuga is not an easy perennial but it is wonderful.

More on container gardening here …

Asters and Other Daisies

Daisy Aster Tongolensis does well in Texas.

Purple_Daisy_Perennial_Texas_Lee_Ann_Torrans

More on daisies here …

Rudbekia

The yellow daisy is Rudbekia! The classic combination of Rudbekia is with Homerun Red Rose but also consider Bailey Red Shrub Rose. I believe the Knockout Red is too crimson for an effective contrast.

The Fairy Miniature Rose

More on Texas miniature roses here …

Texas Lavender Vitex Tree

Not a perennial but works well with perennials (and it does return)!

Texas Lilac Vitex Tree

More about the Vitex Tree- Link Here

Texas Lilac Vitex Tree can grow six feet a year. Cut it down each year and it will act like a shrub.

Texas Lilac Vitex Tree is the foundation for many perennials. At six foot per year growth this tree can quickly turn your sunny perennial garden to a shade perennial garden. Or cut it back each year for a shrub appearance. It will come roaring back six feet a year. This is a patented Texas Superstar.

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium (Asteraceae) A full sun perennial.

The yellow plant in the perennial bed above is Yarrow!

Yarrow, Artemesia, Englishman's Daisy Mid-May Blooms

Above you see orange yarrow, gray artemesia and yellow Englishman’s Daisy.

Yarrow is a drought tolerant perennial herb native to Europe. The plant takes two years to become established. Yarrow is able to survive dry, impoverished soil with little maintenance. Requires full sun. A true perennial taking two years to become established.

Rose Mallow

Rose Mallows can reach over six feet in height and come in multiple colors including red.

Mealy Blue Sage

Mealy Blue Sage – Texas Perennial Planted in Front of Rainbow Home Run Roses

Salvia farinacea (Lamiaceae) Mealy blue sage blooms all summer. A hardy, upright perennial native to Texas, and easily grown throughout the southern portion of the United States. It prefers sandy or gravelly soil in full sun. Drought tolerant wildflower that blooms all summer. Does not transplant well.

May Night Blue Salvia

May Night Salvia more here …

Salvia farinacea (Lamiaceae)Mealy blue sage blooms all summer. A hardy, upright perennial native to Texas, and easily grown throughout the southern portion of the United States. It prefers sandy or gravelly soil in full sun. A very drought tolerant wildflower that blooms all summer. This was a 1997 perennial plant of the year. It reaches almost two feet tall and blooms all summer.

Purple Shamrock

It spreads so easily, is resilient in the Texas heat and provides great contrast.

Purple Shamrock

Incredibly Popular, spreads like mad and so easy! With low growing and fast spreading holly ferns. Holly ferns stay green longer than most ferns. Nandina in the background. Read more about Texas ferns here.

Read more about Ferns in Texas here.

Wood fern with Japanese Maple. Dallas Arboretum landscaping design. In the lower right hand corner are Aspidistra and Oak Leaf Hydrangea.

Clematis in Texas

The President Clematis Vine The President Clematis Vine does very well in Texas and is mixed with a climbing rose, The Good Gardner. The Jackmanii Clematis is a tried and true Clematis for Texas to enjoy for years and years.

More about clematis here …

Vines and Climbers in Texas

Cross Vine Spring Blooms in Texas

More about vines and climbers here …

Artemesia

Artemesia Daisy in the foreground with the Autumn Salvia below is hot pink and a Katy Girl Pink Shrub Rose in the far background. That’s Englishman’s Daisy (Englemania Pyrestinia) the yellow daisy in the background which is a natural Texas plant.

Botanical name: Artemisia x ‘Powis Castle’Artemesia is also know a wormwood. It has a pleasant scent. Size: 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide

Tansy, Artemesia, Dusty Miller, Purple Heart Combination

The classic ‘gray garden’ collection typically relies on grey perennials with white flowers and purple accents.

Below you see the gray green of Artemesia, the green/gray of Tansy and the standard grey plantings of Large Lambs Ear, Dusty Miller (which can act as a perennial in Texas) and Purple Heart for contrast.

The crape myrtle appears to be Ozark Spring.

Read more about Crape Myrtles here …

Purple Heart

A great contrast for a ‘gray garden.’ Spreads wonderfully and hardy. A wonderful addition to container planting as well. It does have small pink flowers but it is grown for its leaves.

Setcreasea purpurea ‘Purple Heart’

Native Texas Plants

Santolina Chamaecyparissus or Lavender Cotton

Santolina blooms in early June. That’s sedum in the back about ready to bloom!

Santolina a Gray Perennial with Yellow June Blooming Flowers

Grows In: Zone 6A · -10° to -5° F through Zone 9B · 25° to 30° F
Sun Exposure: Full / Mostly Sun
Soil Drainage: Well Drained
Resistent To: Deer Resistant, Drought, Insect, Heat
Flower Color: Yellow
Blooms: Beginning in early June
Height: 1′ to 2′
Width: 2′ to 3′
Fragrances: Fragrant Foliage, Potpourri

Rosemary taking front stage as a hedge

Read More about Rosemary Here

The red blooms are from Salvia Greggii.

Red Yucca

Red Yucca – Mealy Blue Sage in back, Russian Sage and Copper Canyon and Angelita Daisies in front.

Red Hot Poker with Salvia Greggi

Salvia Greggii – Autumn Sage

Autumn Sage is the quintessential native Texas Perennial. Read More Here.

Basket of Gold Sedum

This is my grandmother in me but I save coffee cans, put them down in an unseen corner of the garden (after punching holes in the bottom for drainage) throw in some mulch, sand and potting soil and root about five sprigs of Creeping Jenny. They just fill up and spill over. Then I give them away. No one cares if they are in a coffee can! (Usually Folgers.)

The old fashioned way was to put Creeping Jenny in your bird bath and I tell you, it is beautiful!

Ornamental Grasses

Read more about Mexican Feather Grass and other grasses here …

Ferns and Purple Shamrock

Wood Ferns

Hostas

Established Hostas make strong May showing with Japanese Maple.

Hostas in Texas

Read more about phlox here …

Chitalpa Tree and Myrtle Spurge

Chitalpa with Century plant, myrtle spurge, mealy blue sage and Texas Vitex tree

Agave with myrtle spurge and Dessert Willow tree.

Read more about native plants here …

The Fairy Miniature Rose

The Fairy is a rose but works well with perennials. Beautiful Nandina’s provide spring blooms with thyme in the background.

Lilac Vitex tree with Blue Mealy Sage.

Cone flowers come in multiple colors bringing height and color in the hottest part of Texas summers.

Texas Vitex with Salvia.

Artful mix of many ‘annuals’ that act as perennials during milder winters including Dusty Miller and Begonia. Tansy and lambs ear are traditional perennials. Unfortunately, the Hisbiscus will never return.

Yuccas are such a staple in the Texas garden. Even my grandmother had yuccas! And they are still there blooming away. Search out the modern varieties to compliment your vision. This is a scarlet Yucca, much more crimson than the regular variety.

Water Retention Pellets and Crystals

I use water retention pellets and crystals when preparing my beds for perennials. This helps their shallow roots get through the long hot summer. I have used these and recommend them.

Don’t forget the lilies. They are bulbs and not perennials but it is so easy to plant them and forget them. They pop up quickly (and sometimes unexpectedly) providing contrast and color.

Pocket Perennial Garden. The purple in the back is Ruella, this is a good shot to see how tall it can get. She white blooming shrub is an oleander. The elephant ears are huge! You can see two types of Rudbekia and there are many varieties of varying height. There is a pink crape myrtle and a mature thyme bush.