Spring has sprung and most plants are in their prime right now! Its a great time to get instant gratification out of anything you plant right now, but looking forward to the Summer ahead consider these late April and early May favorites that will give your landscape a lively look through May and into the Fall. Don’t forget to consider sunlight requirements when planting.
Sun Perennials
Red Yucca
Red Yucca, pictured center, is a landscape shrub favorite known for its bright red flowers perched atop a 2-3′ tall stem. This yucca loves the sun and heat and is considered a xeriscape plant fit for drought conditions. This summer blooming shrub will rebloom and bring color to your landscape all through the summer.
Salvia Greggi
Salvia also known as Autumn Sage is a great small Texas native perennial that can be kept as a small plant or grown into a small shrub reaching only 2-4′ tall. Most commonly seen with small red blooms that cover the foliage Salvia Greggi is also occasionally available in white and pink blooms.
Daylilly
Daylillies are one of the most common and well known perennial spring and summer blooming perennials. Daylillies are available in a variety of solid and bi-color blooms including red, white, yellow, burgundy, and colors in between. These perennials will die back in the winter and starting popping back up in the early to mid spring.
Shade Perennials
Hosta
Hostas are a popular dwarf perennial that are known for their lush green and often variegated foliage. These perennials grow between 12-18″ tall and are used primarily for their bright lush foliage that contrasts well against brick walls or in landscape beds of colored mulch. They are not known for their bloom but do produce a white stalk for a short period in the Summer. Be ready for these perennials to die back to the ground during the winter months and pop back up again in the early spring.
Gardenia
Gardenias are an excellent perennial shrub known for their fragrant white blooms that cover the shrub from mid Spring to early Summer. Available in broad leaf and narrow leaf varieties ranging from dwarf to large shrubs these fragrant bloomers come in several varieties g including the most common August Beauty (broadleaf, 4-6′ Ht), Vietchi (broad leaf, 2-4′ Ht), Frost Proof (narrow leaf, 4-6′ Ht), and Dwarf Radican (narrow leaf, 2-3′ Ht).
Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are one of the most impressive shade bloomers, and consequentially one of the favorites here in North Texas. These perennial shade loving shrubs are available in continuous blooming varieties such as Endless Summer, that can also be given soil amendments to turn the blooms blue, and Dear Dolores white and pink blooming hydrangeas. These perennial shrubs can grow to an impressive 4-5′ tall before dying back during the winter months and starting fresh from the ground again in the early Spring. Shop hydrangeas.
Sun Annuals
Sweet Potato Vine
With bright green or dark purple foliage that spills out in all directions this spreading ornamental is one of the most popular accent annuals for pots or landscape beds. This annual thrives in full sun environments and loves the hot Texas Summer heat. Sweet potato vine is a low maintenance annual that accents well with its bright colored foliage and is a easy solution for any full sun area.
Purple Fountain Grass
Purple Fountain Grass is an excellent ornamental grass that provides a great contrast in landscape beds or in pots and planters with its purple foliage and light pink & white plumes. This annual fountain grass grows 2-3′ tall and is unique in that its foliage flows out from the center in a fountain like manner. Purple Fountain Grass loves full sun areas and thrives through the summer heat.
TradeWind Hibiscus
The Trade Wind Hibiscus is a hybrid variety of the Tropical Hibiscus that offers the same showy flowers and beautiful foliage as the regular Tropical Hibiscus only on a more compact plant staying only 16-24″ tall and wide. Trade Wind Hibiscus has been bred to bloom continuously throughout the spring and summer seasons. This hybrid variety comes in yellow, pink, red and other assorted colors.
Shade Annuals
Caladium
Caladiums are one of the more popular landscape choices for shady areas with their unique bright colored foliage. This shade loving perennial grows about 10-14″ tall and does well in landscapes or in pots or baskets. Choose from different colored foliage featuring either mostly white, red, burgundy, or a mix in-between.
Green Leaf Begonias
A cousin to the popular bronze leaf sun loving annuals is the green leaf begonia. This shade loving begonia is available in red, pink, or white blooms that contrast well against the bright green foliage. Growing about 6-10″ tall green leaf begonias are great as the front line in landscape beds under trees or awnings.
Impatiens
Impatiens are the most popular shade annual in North Texas. Known for its profuse bright colored blooms, Impatiens are a tolerant of hot conditions and perform well in shady landscape areas. Available in a rainbow of colors and blooming from spring through fall these annuals will keep your yard, pot, or hanging basket full of color for a majority of the year.
