Nature’s Gift

Nature’s Gift

Springtime in Texas means that one of our great natural resources will begin to bloom all around us. Beautiful blankets of wildflowers will be springing up all around San Antonio and beyond. These breathtaking blankets, may be the blue of our state flower, the bluebonnet or the showy yellow of the Engelmann or cut-leaf daisy. Texas has a treasure chest full of wildflowers for residents and visitors to enjoy. In the springtime we are treated to a breathtaking display of one of the state’s natural wonders: wildflowers in all of their glory.

Wildflowers have been able to preserve one of our most precious resources, water, for many decades. They have withstood extremes in weather for decades, with little or no care. They have survived without any care or supplemental watering. Wildflowers are suitable for our gardens. Simply throw out the seed in the fall, and the following spring you will be rewarded with a flowerscape alive with color. Wildflowers are heat and drought tolerant, making them one of the ways you can help preserve our water.

What exactly is a wildflower? The National Wildflower Research Center defines a wildflower as a flowering plant, native to a specific geographical area or habitat, capable of growing in unimproved habitats. Native plants create habitat, conserve water, and reduce the need for pesticides and other chemicals. They also create a more beautiful environment and foster a sense of connection to our natural world.

There are more than 5,000 species of wildflowers in Texas. This is because of the state’s different ecosystems. This month will begin the prime blooming for a vast array of wildflowers. Highways and fields across the state will be decorated with these little treasures. Their ability to perform in our harsh growing conditions is a testament to their tolerance of heat and drought, making them very water efficient. The colors range from the palest pink to the boldest yellow.

Wildflowers introduce us to the diversity of our natural world. What seems to be a sea of bluebonnets from a distance, turns into a variety of flower species of all shapes and sizes upon a closer look. You could equate it to a flowery blanket, with colors intermingled. A close look will reveal smaller stands of plants that weave their way into the blanket, making a richer and more complex pattern. Indian paintbrushes weave themselves in between bluebonnets.

Let’s take a closer look at these beauties that have survived for decades on the moisture Mother Nature provided:

Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis), the state flower, is most commonly found along roadsides. Flowers are arranged on a spike with an ice white terminal tip. Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria), also called tickseed, blankets whole fields and roadsides. Early settlers used the plants in their mattresses to ward away ticks and fleas. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta var. angustifolia), from the sunflower family, has an eye-catching brown cone in the center. Skullcap (Scutellaria drummondii), from the mint family, sprawls with blue-violet to purple flowers. Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa), resembles a ragged brush dipped in paint. The flower is tiny, creamy white to pale yellow, encircled by the red-orange leaf-like bracts. It creates ribbons of color for miles along the highways. Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata) forms dense plantings of brilliant red flowers with yellow rims. It thrives in full sun, well-drained soil. Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) is a hardy, drought-tolerant annual that forms brilliant red flowers with yellow rims. It is the state wildflower of Oklahoma.

Drummond phlox (Phlox drummondii) is a short annual with delightfully fragrant flowers that add life to any cut flower arrangement. Lemon mint/Purple horse mint (Monarda citriodora) blooms deep purple to lavender. The flowers are arranged in whorls stair-stepping up a single stem. Verbena( Verbena bibinnatifida) is a slender plant with small blue or lavender petals in loose clusters. Wine cup (Callirhoe involucrata) has magnificent dark purple-red or wine colored flowers that are found at the end of slender trailing stems.

The Wildflower Center, located in Austin, is a botanical garden dedicated to educating people about the environmental necessity, economic value, and natural beauty of native plants. For more information, call (512) 292-4100 or visit www.wildflower.org. Every direction from San Antonio will offer wildflowers among the roads. If you want to learn about wildflower hot spots, you can log on to www.lnstar.com/mall/txtrails/wildflowers/sightings.htm. Wildseed Farms, located on Highway 290E, showcases a variety of wildflowers. Visitors can see a working wildflower farm while taking a leisurely stroll along walking trails ablaze with a variety of colorful blooms. The web site to visit for more information is www.wildseedfarms.com.

Be sure and get out and enjoy nature’s gift that have withstood decades of all the extreme weather conditions that our area dishes out and still preserve our most precious resource-water. Think about adding wildflowers to your garden next year.