The past few weeks have given us more than an opportunity to be wise about our outdoor activities. They have made us more aware of the value of sunscreen, short-shorts and staying indoors, getting our garden jollies from seed catalogues.
One other valuable lesson the prolonged heat has offered us-identification of plants that can survive no matter what the "dog days" throw at them. These are plants that not only stay green in the most extreme conditions but also dare to bloom. And they do this without regular watering. These are the plants that have been making East Texas bright for generations, the plants you still see along the roadsides or in vacant lots. You may not know their names but you recognize them. They are the ones that still maintain quality of life with nary a shade tree in sight.
Let's consider a few of these intrepid survivors:
Texas Greeneyes: These are the tall, sprawly clumps of bright yellow daisy-like flowers you see in undeveloped areas. They are called Greeneyes because the center of each bloom is green. These plants flourish in the hottest sun, require little or no water and manage to brighten the areas of our community that otherwise would look as if they were the survivors of a prairie fire.
Ruellia or Texas Petunia. Not as showy as Texas Greeneyes, these low to the ground plants with slender rosettes of leaves produce purple flowers that look much like the nursery petunias, only smaller. They range in color from white to light lavender to rich, deep purple. And like the battery-operated bunny rabbit on TV, they keep going and going and going without water and with full sun.
Passion flower: this is an unruly vine that tends to pop up in all kinds of places where you can't recall ever having planted it. It spirals over everything, covering other plants with uncontrolled greenery. Then all of a sudden you will see tight white buds along the vines and then beautiful flat, feathery purple blooms. When several of these put forth at once you have quite a magnificent show-and all without water or shade!
Gallardias are not quite as bold about proclaiming victory over drought but you can still find them blooming in mid-August under hot dry circumstances. Often they are much reduced in size but still they put forth a showy rusty-red bloom that brightens areas where nothing else grows.
Speaking of unruly vines, consider the butterfly pea which usually lies flat on the ground and finally twists itself up into a more upright plant where its small purple blooms become immediately visible. You often see them blooming flat on the ground as well, covering bare areas.
What all of these plants have in common (and they do not include all of the drought-hardy blooming plants that are native to this area) is they can withstand the most intense sun and the lack of water.
Not a bad idea to include one or two of these in your next garden plan. Especially if you don't like to water.
-Lucy Germany
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