Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Plant Spotlight”
By Melody Stramer, Bexar County Master Gardener February 2024 Whenever anyone asks me for recommendations for their yard, especially if they are new to the area or new to gardening, I always mention Texas Superstars. Gardening in south Texas is challenging! The extremes of heat, cold and drought with attendant water restrictions that have plagued us in the last few …
By Mary Cennamo, Bexar County Master Gardener February 2024 American Beautyberry (Callicarpa Americana) derives its name from two Greek words: fruit-“calli” and beautiful-“carpa.” The name is appropriate because of the plant’s breathtakingly beautiful magenta fruit clusters that line its branches during August and September. GROWING CONDITIONS This cascading shrub is a Texas native that grows in the wild, mostly in …
By Mary Cennamo, Bexar County Master Gardener January 2024 The flower Narcissus is in the Amaryllidaceae family. Its name is from the Greek word ” narkao,” or “to be numb” because when the flower is eaten, it causes great harm, usually with extreme stomach upset. Deer will not bother these bulbs or flowers, but other creatures will sometimes just dig them up and take …
By Kathy MacNaughton, Bexar County Master Gardener Intern January 2024 My sister and I share a love of beautiful, flowering plants and our visits often include the exchange of cuttings. A couple of years ago, while touring her lovely Atlanta, Georgia landscape, she introduced me to a green, waxy-leaved vine just off her patio. Commonly known as a wax plant …
By Becky Mendez, Bexar County Master Gardener December 2023 During the winter, garden beds are resting, and many flowering perennials are dormant. Now is a good time to add beauty and color to our homes and indoor spaces with a variety of potted plants. While there are many perennial plants to choose from that thrive indoors, the kalanchoe succulent …
By Marsha Krassner, Bexar County Master Gardener February 2023 I readily admit that I have a penchant for unusual-looking plants. So, when I spotted one that I’d never seen before, I was immediately captivated and took it home with me! The Donkey Ear plant is a fast-growing succulent known for its quirky foliage and leaves that resemble the ears of …
Patricia L. Brown, Bexar County Master Gardener Brugmansia and Datura are frequently confused at first. This is probably because both have large, trumpet-shaped blooms. While both are members of the Solanaceae family, which include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and tobacco, each is in a different genus and has many different types. So that is where the similarity ends. The first time …
By Mary Cennamo, Bexar County Master Gardener Mexican Oregano Bush has an interesting history in Texas. In the early 1930s, this dried herb was known as Wild Mexican Sage and was found most frequently at the state’s local Mexican markets. Sometime after the 1980s, it was no longer available at the markets but began to be sold in plant form …
By Melody Stramer, Bexar County Master Gardner Two of the most common questions we encounter at Master Gardener presentations are: (1) what plants grow well in shady conditions and (2) what plants are deer resistant? With that in mind, I’d like to introduce you to Inland Sea Oats, a plant that I only recently discovered, despite living here since 2009. …
(Justicia brandegeeana) By Tera Marshall, Bexar County Master Gardener Shrimp plants are a must-have for any pollinator garden! They are drought tolerant once established, bloom from June until frost and attract tons of bees! They also freeze back to the ground and come back from the roots, even from our 10° freeze last year (and don’t need to be covered …
