June Flowers

As the days get longer and the temperature gets higher with no rain relief in sight, we really appreciate the plants that can take the Texas summers. Our summer bloomers are making their appearance.

The hummingbirds like the plants with tubular flowers. Mexican Oregano is now blooming and it has tubular white and light lavender flowers. It is a medium sized bush that requires no special care once it is established. As the name suggests, the leaves are edible and used in recipes that call for oregano. Deer do not bother it, it has no pests, it likes our alkaline well drained soil and will grow in the hot sun or partially shaded locations. In Central Texas it is an evergreen perennial. Further North, Mexican Oregano will die back in extreme cold, but resume growth in the spring.

Russian Sage is another deer resistant perennial that is currently blooming.

It also requires very little care once estab lished. The lavender blue spikes of tiny flowers form a cloud of inflorescences. It grows in full sun or partial shade and needs well drained soil. This plant is exceptionally adaptable as we grew Russian Sage in Ohio.

Our native perennial Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans) are starting to bloom. The deer will eat the flowers, but it is possible to grow in a deer accessible area.

I put a wire fence around it and when I see the buds beginning to form I spray it with an organic stinky repellent. You do have to be careful not to spray it so that the wind lets the stink get on you!

Yellow Bells grow in the sun as well as semi shaded areas. It is fairly drought tolerant, however I do water it if we have not had any rain for several weeks. In the winter it dies back and reappears when the weather warms up.

Written by Jackie Mattice, Hays County Master Naturalist