What is the Best Wildflower Seed for Texas and Oklahoma?
The garden you do not have to look after seems a nice dream, but it is actually very achievable if you opt for planting wildflowers. Due to its wild, natural aspect, such a garden will integrate very easily in the surrounding landscape and will also offer you peace, relaxation and fun. A wild garden can be designed to match yards of holiday homes as well as yards of permanent homes. Easy to maintain, it is a green oasis and a great habitat for insects and birds.
The first step in setting up a wildflower garden is cleaning the soil and removing all the debris and roots of harmful plants and weeds. This preparation step is of great importance in the case of a wild garden. A rich soil supports and maintains the development of plants without the need for repeated watering, fertilization and additional care.
Another important aspect in the arrangement of a wildflower garden is the performance of a test, in order to identify the soil type and flower species recommended for it. If you live in Texas or Oklahoma, it is good to opt for flowers that grow naturally in these places, being adapted to the conditions offered by the soil and the local climate.
In Texas, the climate is diverse, ranging from arid and semi-arid in the western part to humid and subtropical in the east. There are various weather patterns considering the huge expanse of the state.
Texas shares its north border with Oklahoma, another state with a great amount of climate variation, generally influenced by the Gulf of Mexico. Both states have areas affected by extreme weather, such as tornados.
The particular climate variation creates a distinctive environment for beautiful wildflowers, which are different from those in other areas of the United States. This is a fact acknowledged by botanists. The advantages of having a wildflower garden in this area include that most of these species are easy to grow, require low maintenance, are great for mass planting and have extended bloom time. They can be grown in full sun as well as in half sun/ half shade and can also contribute to the development of local eco-systems, being friendly to bees, butterflies and birds. There is even a specific wildflower mix for bees if you are interested in making honey.
Here are some of the most popular species of wildflowers and in Texas and Oklahoma:
- Cornflower / Bachelor Button (Cyanus Centaurea)
- Lance-Leaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
- African Daisy (Dimorphotheca sinuata)
- Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)
- Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)
- Drummond Phlox (Phlox drummondi)
- Yellow Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnaris)
- Moss Verbena (Verbena tenuisecta)
- Scarlet Sage (Salvia coccinea)
- Clasping Coneflower (Rudbeckia amplexicaulis)
More gardening references for those who want to plant a wildflower garden in Texas or Oklahoma
- “Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas” – G. Diggs, B. Lipscomb, R. O’Kennon
- “Wildflowers of Texas Field Guide” – Nora and Rick Bowers, Stan Tekiela
- “Wildflowers of Texas” – G. Ajilvsgi
- “The Guide to Oklahoma Wildflowers” – P. Folley
- “Field Guide to Oklahoma Plants” – R. Tyrl, T. Bidwell, R. Masters
- “Roadside Wildflowers of Oklahoma” – D. McCoy