Shaggy portulaca – Portulaca pilosa
Shaggy portulaca is a prostrate succulent annual. It grows in sandy, gravelly areas in full sun. The flowers open fully only in bright sun. Notice the white fluff at the on the bottom stem – this is how it gets its common name “shaggy” & species name pilosa.
Standing cypress – Ipomopsis rubra
This is a striking wildflower that demands your attention. The seeds are easily raised in a garden setting from fall-sown seeds. Because they can reach 6 feet tall, they make a good background planting in a garden. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds help pollinate these beautiful flowers.
False gaura – Stenosiphon linifolius
This tall, upright perennial can reach up to 9 feet tall! It grows on limestone soils & is an excellent honey source for bees & other insects.
Square-bud day-primrose – Calylophus berlandieri
These delicate-looking flowers open near sunrise or sunset.
Spreading sida – Sida abutifolia
Found in lawns, on roadsides prairies, this woody perennial spreads & hugs the ground.
Wine-cup with Orange Sulphur Butterfly – Callirhoe involucrata
This perennial is low & sprawling. It makes a great groundcover or mass planting. It continues flowering most of the summer. It overwinters as a small rosette of leaves. They are typically found on sandy or gravelly prairies in full sun.
Mealy sage – Salvia farinacea
This fast-growing perennial is widely sold in the native plant industry. It provides a clump of color with its whorls of violet-blue flowers & its grayish green foliage. It is seen in the natural landscape growing on calcareous, rocky soils.
Meadow-pink – Sabatia campestris
Meadow-pink is found in full sun in moist soils & areas where rainwater collects. It is an annual that can definitely add a bright splash of color to any yard or landscape.
Texas bluebells – Eustoma russellianum
This beautiful, upright annual by itself would be enough to convince people to save prairies. It prefers moist areas in the open. The petals are generally purple, but can sometimes be white or pink. The flowers form a bouquet. But don’t pick them because it inhibits the plant’s normal propagation from seed.