Rewilding My Lot

Fall is the best time to be planting in Central Texas, because that gives the longest time for plants to get established before the hot summer.

As soon as the pond was finished, I wanted to get new plants in the ground quickly. Here are the perennials that I chose (there will be annual seeds as well, described in another post). These plants all have low or very low need for water.

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Prairie Verbena (Verbena bipinnatifida) – in front of the pond – short and sprawling with small purple flowers. This is a short-lived perennial, but it reseeds readily. I have one in the front pollinator garden as well.

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Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum) – in front of the pond – low, mounding plant with white & yellow flowers. This plant really does not like wet feet, so after the first day of planting I’m leaving this unwatered.

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Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea) – behind the pond under the “perch” – purple flowers. This plant is a legume (so nitrogen-fixing) and a host for Southern Dogface Sulphur and Reakirt’s Blue butterflies.

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Zexmenia (Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispida) – behind the pond – small, spreading shrub with yellow flowers. This is a host plant for Bordered Patch, Sierran Metalmark, and Lacinia Patch butterflies.

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Silver Ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea) – clambering over the waterfall mound – silver gray leaves. This is a useful ground cover for erosion control and provides cover for small insects. I have this already draping out of the rain gauge pot, and in the front pollinator garden.

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Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii) – between the Mexican Olive tree and the woodpile – upright spreading shrub with orange flowers. This will be a companion to the more common red flowered version, which is near the rain gauge. These plants are popular with hummingbirds, and are also host plants for Janais Patch and Texas Crescentspot butterflies.

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Skeleton-Leaf Goldeneye (Viguiera stenoloba) – near the rain gauge – small shrub with yellow flowers. I have one of these in the front pollinator garden as well.