After the rains

Now that we finally had rain, the plants that typically bloom in September are bursting forth.

The most spectacular ones to grace my garden are the brilliant red schoolhouse lilies (Rhodophiala bifida). I assume they are so named because they usually appear around the start of the new school year. Another common name for these plants is Oxblood lily.

Schoolhouse lilies are said to have been brought over to Texas by the German settlers. It is amazing to me that bulbs from such a different environment could survive our hot dry summers. These lilies are truly adapted to our area. They like to be planted in partial shade and will multiply each year on their own.

I did not water my Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) during our long hot summer and before the rain I saw no pretty white ball flowers, but now I have lots of their edible blossoms. This plant is also called Autumn Allium, Chinese Chives, Chinese Leeks, and Asian Chives because it comes from the Far East.

Out in the fields you may have noticed some green and white plants that are two to three feet tall. They are called Snow on the Mountain (Euphorbia bicolor). These annuals exude toxic white sap when the stem is broken. Ranchers avoid them because they sicken the cattle.

Lindheimer Senna is one of our native beauties that usually start to bloom in August. This year mine waited for the rains before they started to bloom. After the yellow flowers fade the pods will form and when they start to open you can collect the seeds to spread around your yard. They seem to grow and bloom best in the partial shade. Mine have started from seed in the gravel driveway as well as on rocky soil. Both Snow on the Mountain and Lindheimer Senna are deer resistant.

I hope you enjoyed the rejuvenating effects of our September rains.

Written by Jackie Mattice, Hays County Master Naturalist