Here they come

Here they come. Many of the plants I feared had died in the February 0 degree F storm are sending up shoots at their base. Now you can cut off the dead wood above. The Pride of Barbados, Palo Verde, Mexican Firebush and Kidneywood were among the last to send up shoots from their base. It will be several years before they regain their previous stature.

The recent rains were most welcome and brought forth the Rain-lilies. Most of the Rain-lilies (Cooperia pedunculata) are white, but they sell a variety of Rainlily that are light pink or pale blue. The native ones you see along the side of the road are white. They are bulbs but produce new plants from seeds. After the flower fades, the black seeds form in the seed pod where the flower was. By not mowing the lilies until after their seeds have matured and fallen to the ground, you will make your patch of Rain-lilies even bigger in future years.

Another native wildflowers now appearing are low growing Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium ensigerum). The deer do not bother them as they are found along the side of the road where deer roam. The pink Mexican Primroses (Oenothera speciosa) still grace some roadsides. People also call these pink flowers Buttercups because the pollen will leave a buttery looking spot on your nose if you try to smell them. The deer do eat these but on fast moving roadways the deer cannot survive the traffic, thus allowing the Mexican Primroses to form colorful patches.

The Indian Blankets or Firewheel (Gaillardia) are beginning to flower. These bright orange/red/yellow annual flowers can be easily grown from seeds. Allow these flowers to go to seed by not mowing them and you will have them every year. The deer eat these, but again, Gaillardia will survive along busy roadsides. I hope you continue to enjoy our many spring wildflowers.

Written by Jackie Mattice, Hays County Master Naturalist