Red Texas Buckeye are in bloom.
This understory shrub is a deciduous native plant that, along with Texas Mountain Laurel, blooms in the spring. You can find a nice grove of Buckeyes toward the end of the Cypress Creek Nature Trail near Blue Hole. The Wimberley Parks and Recreation sponsors a monthly (every third Saturday at 10 a.m.) guided tour of this nature trail in April. However, you need to sign up for it on their website.
White daisy-like blooms are provided by the Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum). These low growing sun loving native perennials bloom throughout most of the growing season. They like the Hill Country’s alkaline soil and being natives, they take care of themselves once established.
Blue Texas Bluebonnets are now visible all around town. They too need our alkaline soil to thrive. Visitors from out of state try to take our Bluebonnet plants to their homes, but without the alkaline soil, they perish. Oh, how lovely are the fields of Bluebonnets!
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center will be holding its annual native plant sale at the end of this month. You can get the details online at wildflower.org/plantsales. At the LBJ Wildflower Center, they only feature native plants. Throughout the year, you can visit the center and see what native plants are currently in bloom to help you plan your home landscape.
