Common Name

Scientific Name

Bloom Time

Height

Sun/Shade

Water Use

Drainage

Ornamental & Wildlife Value

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

April to July

1-2 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Moderate

Good

Ferny, aromatic evergreen foliage; many cultivars and colors; nice dried flower; attracts butterflies

Blue Star

Amsonia ciliata

March to May

1-2 ft.

Full sun, Part sun, Dappled shade

Low to Moderate

Poor to Good

Very attractive pale blue star shaped flowers at the top of the plant; colonizes; dormant in winter

Wind-flower

Anemone heterophylla

Feb to April

6"-16"

Full sun

Low

Good

Early flower in shades of purple to white; grows from a tuber; basal leaves; attracts butterflies

Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

March to May

1-2 ft.

Part sun, Dappled shade

Low to Moderate

Excellent

Beautiful red/yellow, long-spurred flowers and lacy evergreen foliage; attracts hummingbirds

Yellow Columbine

Aquilegia hinckleyana, A. longissima, A. chrysantha

March to May

1-3 ft.

Part sun, Dappled shade

Low to Moderate

Excellent

Long-spurred, large yellow flowers; lacy evergreen foliage; attracts hummingbirds

Orange Butterfly Weed

Asclepias tuberosa

May to Sept

1-2 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Very showy clusters of orange flowers; long taproot; dormant in winter; favorite of butterflies

Heath Aster

Aster ericoides

Oct to frost

1-3 ft.

Full sun

Low

Good

Tiny white flowers cover the entire plant; needle-like foliage; attracts butterflies; birds eat seeds

Fall Aster

Aster oblongifolius

Sep to frost

2-3 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Aromatic foliage; mounded plant covered with yellow-centered lavender daisies; winter-dormant

Texas Aster

Aster texanus

Sep to frost

1-3 ft.

Part sun, Dappled shade

Moderate

Good

Clouds of small white to lavender daisies for shady areas; large basal leaves; attracts butterflies

Chocolate Daisy

Berlandiera lyrata

April to June

1-3 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Yellow daisy with fragrance of chocolate; winter rosette; taproot; attracts butterflies

Texas Green-eyes

Berlandiera texana

May to Nov

1-4 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Moderate

Good

Green-centered yellow daisy that responds well to cultivation; taproot; winter rosette

Standing Winecup

Callirhoe digitata

March to May

2-3 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Striking color and form in a tall winecup; goblet-shaped blooms; taproot for drought-tolerance

Trailing Winecup

Callirhoe involucrata

Feb to June

8"-12"

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Wine-red blooms and palmate leaves; turnip-like tuberous root; dormant in summer; winter rosette

Square-bud Primrose

Calylophus drummondianus

March to Aug

1-2 ft.

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Translucent yellow blooms on a semi-woody, bushy, erect plant with attractive linear leaves

Horseherb, Straggler Daisy

Calyptocarpus vialis

Apr to frost

2"-8"

Part sun, Dappled shade

Low to Moderate

Good

Tiny yellow flowers sprinkled amid the foliage; groundcover for shady areas; dormant in winter

Wild Hyacinth

Camassia scilloides

March to May

1-2 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Moderate

Good

Bulb with fragrant lavender to pale blue flowers in spikes; dormant in summer and fall

Chili Pequin

Capsicum annuum

May to frost

2-3 ft.

Part sun, Dappled shade

Moderate

Good

Native chili pepper; dormant in winter; can use as understory shrublet; birds eat peppers

Two-leaved Senna

Cassia roemeriana

April to Oct

1-2 ft.

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Attractive crinkly yellow flowers and unusual 2-parted leaves; good for poor, dry soils

Purple Paintbrush

Castilleja purpurea

March to May

6"-18"

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Purple to rose-pink bracts form the "paintbrush" ; yellow and orange forms; attracts butterflies

Damianita

Chrysactinia mexicana

April to May

8"-16"

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Small yellow flowers bloom profusely on evergreen subshrub with aromatic foliage; attracts butterflies

Ox-eye Daisy

Chrysanthemum leucanthemum

April to June

1-2 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Moderate

Good

Showy classic white daisy with yellow center; excellent cut flower; winter rosette

Rain Lily

Cooperia pedunculata

April to May

12"-18"

Full sun, Part sun

Low to Moderate

Good

Bulb with one large, white fragrant bloom per stem, aging to pink; broad grass-like blue-green leaves

Lanceleaf Coreopsis

Coreopsis lanceolata

April to June

1-3 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Moderate

Good

Large golden yellow daisy with yellow center; masses of color in spring; green rosettes in winter

Jimson Weed, Thorn Apple

Datura inoxia, D. wrightii

May to Nov

3-5 ft.

Full sun

Low

Good

Dramatic white night-bloomer, very fragrant; caution, all parts poisonous; clip off spiny fruits to prevent seeding out; pollinated by hawk moths

Prairie Larkspur

Delphinium carolinianum

May to July

1-3 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Beautiful flowers on spikes in shades of blue, lavender, and white; grows from shallow tuber; dormant in summer; attracts butterflies

Dahlberg Daisy, Parralena, Tiny Tim

Dyssodia tenuiloba; D. pentachaeta; D. setifolia

April to Oct

4"-8"

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Dwarf yellow daisy with fine needle-like foliage; for border or rock garden; short-lived perennial

Purple Coneflower, Black Sampson

Echinacea purpurea, E. angustifolia

May to July

1-3 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low to Moderate

Good

Bold rosy-purple daisy attracts butterflies; birds eat seeds; excellent cut flower and dried flower

Cutleaf Daisy, Engelmann Daisy

Engelmannia pinnatifida

March to frost

1-3 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Long-blooming ; masses of showy lemon-yellow daisies; taproot for drought-tolerance; winter rosette; attracts butterflies; birds eat seeds

Prairie Fleabane

Erigeron strigosus

April to frost

12"

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Petite daisy covered with pink-tinged white blooms in hot weather; gray-green foliage

Blue Mist Flower

Eupatorium coelestinum

May to Nov

1-3 ft.

Part sun, Dappled shade

Moderate

Poor to Good

Border plant for shade; colonizes and spreads quickly; dormant in winter; attracts butterflies

Palmleaf Mistflower

Eupatorium greggii

May to Nov

1-2 ft.

Part sun, Dappled shade

Low to Moderate

Good

Flowers form puffy 2 inch cushions; leaves are palmately divided; attracts butterflies

Bluebell Gentian

Eustoma grandiflorum

June to Sept

1-2 ft.

Full sun

Moderate

Poor to Good

Large, showy deep blue-purple blossoms; pale lime green foliage; also available in pink and white; short-lived perennial; excellent cut flower

Fragrant Gaillardia, Pincushion Daisy

Gaillardia suavis

March to May

1-2 ft.

Full sun

Low

Good

Fragrant disc flowers make up the globe-shaped flower head on a naked stalk; ray flowers few to absent; basal rosette of leaves

Wild Honeysuckle, Apple Blossom Grass

Gaura lindheimeri

April to Nov

2-4 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low to Moderate

Good

Wands of delicate, fragrant flowers that are white, aging to pink; prolific bloomer; excellent cut flower

Mock Pennyroyal

Hedeoma drummondii

May to Oct

6"-18"

Full sun

Low

Good

Bushy little plant with small fragrant lemon-scented leaves and tiny lavender flowers

Bluet

Hedyotis nigricans

April to frost

6"-18"

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Well-branched plant with tiny pale lavender flowers on wiry stems, " baby's breath" effect

Maximilian Sunflower

Helianthus maximiliani

Aug to Oct

4-10 ft.

Full sun

Low to Moderate

Good

Spectacular colonizing fall sunflower; food for livestock, deer, birds; attracts butterflies

Old Plainsman, Woolly White

Hymenopappus scabiosaeus, H. artemisiaefolius

April to June

2-4 ft.

Full sun

Low

Good

Biennial with clusters of fragrant white flowers on strong, tall stems; leaves pale blue green in a rosette; excellent cut flower; attracts butterflies

Four-nerve Daisy

Hymenoxys scaposa

Feb to Oct

12"-16"

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Early-blooming yellow daisies above clumps of semi-evergreen leaves; attracts butterflies

Standing Cypress

Ipomopsis rubra

May to July

2-6 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Biennial; vivid scarlet flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies; prized cut flower

Gayfeather

Liatris mucronata

Aug to Oct

1-3 ft.

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Grows from corm; showy fall bloomer; dormant in winter; striking as a cut flower; attracts butterflies

Puccoon

Lithospermum incisum

March to May

6"-16"

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Showy small yellow trumpet-shaped flowers with fringed petals; linear leaves on erect stems

Texas Skeleton Plant

Lygodesmia texana

May to August

1-2 ft.

Full sun

Low

Good

Large fragrant pink to lavender dandelion-type flowers on naked stems; very narrow basal leaves

Barbara's Buttons

Marshallia caespitosa

April to June

6"-18"

Full sun

Low

Good

Disc flowers form a puffy, fragrant ball of white; leaves basal; good cut flower; attracts butterflies

Blackfoot Daisy

Melampodium leucanthum

April to frost

6"-18"

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Fragrant, low, mounded creamy white daisy; semi-evergreen; prefers rocky, gravelly soils

Bergamot, Beebalm

Monarda fistulosa

May to Sept

2-5 ft.

Part sun

Low to Moderate

Good

Showy lavender flowers; aromatic, colonizing plant; attracts hummingbirds and butterflies

Celestial

Nemastylis geminiflora

April to May

5"-10"

Full sun, Part sun

Good

Member of the iris family; has exceptionally beautiful blue flowers with white eyes that open in late afternoon; bulb goes dormant in summer

Missouri Primrose, Fluttermill

Oenothera missouriensis

April to June

6"-18"

Full sun

Low

Good

Large yellow translucent flowers open in evening on a compact plant; decorative winged seed pods

Showy Primrose, Pink Eve. Primrose

Oenothera speciosa

March to July

6"-24"

Full sun, part sun

Low

Good

Pink "buttercups," beautiful as filler; colonizes by rhizomes and can be invasive; dormant in summer

Rock Penstemon

Penstemon baccharifolius

June to Sept

12"-18"

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Bright cherry-red tubular flowers; semi-evergreen clumping foliage; for rocky limestone soils

Wild Foxglove

Penstemon cobaea

April to May

1-2 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Large showy tubular pale lavender flowers; glossy leaves; winter rosette; nectar for butterflies, bees

Loose-flowered Penstemon

Penstemon laxiflorus

April to June

18"-24"

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Showy white tubular flowers loosely arranged in clusters on a spike; attractive foliage

Gulf Coast Penstemon

Penstemon tenuis

April to May

1-2 ft.

Part sun, Dappled shade

Moderate

Poor to Good

Masses of small violet tubular flowers on spikes; evergreen groundcover with adequate moisture

Hill Country Penstemon

Penstemon triflorus

April to May

18"-24"

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Excellent

Beautiful, brilliant pinkish-red blooms on spikes; winter rosette; attracts hummingbirds, butterflies

Louisiana Blue Phlox

Phlox divaricata

March to May

6"-10"

Part sun, Dappled shade

Moderate

Good

Electric blue blossoms with red-violet eyes; colonizes; semi-dormant in summer and fall

Prairie Phlox

Phlox pilosa

April to May

8"-12"

Part sun, Dappled shade

Low to Moderate

Good

Fragrant pale pink to lavender flowers; semi-dormant in summer and fall; attracts butterflies

White Rock-Lettuce

Pinaropappus roseus

April to May

6"-12"

Full sun

Low

Good

White to lavender-white dandelion-type blossom with yellow center; basal leaves

Mexican Hat

Ratibida columnaris

May to frost

2-4 ft.

Full sun

Low

Good

Distinctive flowers with bi-color petals; fine foliage; nice cut flower; attracts butterflies

Pigeonberry

Rivina humilis

April to frost

1-2 ft.

Part sun, Dappled shade

Moderate

Good

Ground cover for shade; dormant if very dry; colonizes by seed; birds eat berries

Willow-leaf Mexican Petunia

Ruellia brittoniana

May to frost

1-2 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low to Moderate

Poor to Good

Many cultivars, including non-aggressive dwarf forms; available in pink; colonizes by roots

Low Wild Petunia

Ruellia humilis

June to Sept

8"-12"

Part sun, Dappled shade

Low

Good

Lavender flowers on a low, spreading plant with soft-hairy leaves; nice for wooded areas

Mexican Petunia

Ruellia malacosperma

May to frost

2-4 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low to Moderate

Poor to Good

Large, dark violet blooms; bronze foliage in the fall; white form also; colonizes by underground roots

Wild Petunia, Violet Ruellia

Ruellia nudiflora

May to frost

1-2 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Valuable for lavender bloom in hottest, driest weather; re-seeds aggressively; white form also

Pitcher Sage

Salvia azurea

Sept to Oct

4-5 ft.

Full sun

Low

Good

Flower color a striking sky-blue; use at back of border or in prairie grasses; attracts butterflies

Tropical Sage

Salvia coccinea

April to frost

2-4 ft.

Full sun, Part sun, Dappled shade

Moderate

Poor to Good

Many cultivars in red, orange, pink, white; attracts hummingbirds and butterflies; re-seeds readily

Engelmann Sage

Salvia engelmannii

April to June

6"-16"

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Forms dense, bushy clumps; flowers pale purple to pale blue in spikes; winter rosette

Mealy Cup Sage

Salvia farinacea

April to frost

2-3 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Spires of indigo-blue flowers; white flowers available also; long bloom season; excellent cut flower; nectar for butterflies and bees

Mexican Bush Sage

Salvia leucantha

Sept to frost

3-5 ft.

Full sun

Low

Good

Large specimen plant from Mexico; silvery green foliage and velvety lilac and white bloom spikes

Lyre-leaf Sage

Salvia lyrata

April to June

1-2 ft.

Full sun, Part sun

Moderate

Good

Spikes of pale blue to lavender flowers; distinctive basal leaves with purple veins; attracts butterflies

Big Red Sage

Salvia penstemonoides

June to Sept

3-4 ft.

Full sun

Low

Good

Exceptional burgundy flowers on tall spikes; glossy foliage; attracts hummingbirds

Cedar Sage

Salvia roemeriana

March to July

1-2 ft.

Part sun, Dappled shade

Low

Excellent

Brilliant red flowers; beautiful foliage; grows under cedars; winter rosette; attracts hummingbirds

Pink Skullcap

Scutellaria suffrutescens

May to frost

12"

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Dark pink tubular flowers and small oval leaves form a dense mound in full sun; native to Mexico

Bushy Skullcap

Scutellaria wrightii

April to June

6"-9"

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Dwarf, shrubby plant with deep violet blooms; evergreen; compact, rounded shape

Blue-eyed Grass

Sisyrinchium sp.

March to April

6"-16"

Full sun

Low to Moderate

Good

Not a grass but a member of the iris family; small attractive blue flowers grow in tidy clumps; flowers close when overcast; dormant in summer and fall

Copper Mallow

Sphaeralcea angustifolia

April to Oct

1-4 ft.

Full sun

Low

Good

Hollyhock-like flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies; soft, gray-green foliage

Texas Betony

Stachys coccinea

March to frost

12"-18"

Full sun, Part sun

Low

Good

Coral red flowers on a low-growing, leafy groundcover; attracts hummingbirds

Spiderwort

Tradescantia sp.

Feb to May

2-3 ft.

Full sun, Part sun, Dappled shade

Low to Moderate

Good

Early bloomer with crystalline flowers in a range of colors from purple to white; re-seeds and colonizes

Prairie Verbena

Verbena bipinnatifida

March to frost

6"-12"

Full sun

Low

Good

Long-blooming evergreen groundcover; weak perennial or re-seeding annual; attracts butterflies

Texas Vervain

Verbena halei

March to June

1-2 ft.

Full sun

Low

Good

Small lavender flowers on long, slender spikes; delicate hazy effect mixed with other flowers

Woolly Ironweed

Vernonia lindheimeri

June to Aug

1-3 ft.

Full sun

Low

Excellent

Reddish-purple flowers on an upright, clump-forming plant with silvery-woolly linear leaves

Golden-eye

Viguiera dentata

Oct to Nov

3-6 ft.

Full sun, Part sun, Dappled shade

Low

Good

Tall, colonizing fall-blooming golden daisy; drought-tolerant; nectar for butterflies and bees

Missouri Violet

Viola missouriensis

Feb to April

3"-6"

Part sun, Dapppled shade

Moderate

Good

Delicate flowers for moist, wooded areas; dormant in summer if dry; green in winter; colonizes

Zexmenia

Zexmenia hispida

April to Sept

1-3 ft.

Full sun, Part sun, Dappled shade

Low

Good

Shrubby golden daisy blooms prolifically; will grow under cedars; winter dormant; attracts butterflies