Superstar Brochure1
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Strong and Texas Stunning Plants ® Superstar . for Texans. ® ANNUAL PLANTS What it takes to be a Superstar® It isn’t easy to become a Texas Superstar® Angelonia, Summer “Baby’s Breath” Texas Bluebonnet plant. Only the toughest, most reliable Snapdragon Euphorbias Lupinus texensis and best-looking plants make the cut. Angelonia angustifolia Euphorbia hypericifolia USDAZone7 Serena series (syn. Chamaesyce hypericifolia) Every plant earning the Texas Superstar® The Texas state flower is a designation undergoes several years of hardy winter annual native to extensive field trials by Texas A&M Angelonia is a spreading annual These Euphorbias are very fine Texas. This species is the most AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M with upright flower spikes that textured, rambling annuals that commonly seen variety along AgriLife Extension Service, both part of the resemble minature snapdragons. present the appearance of a roadsides and in pastures The Serena series are the only Texas A&M System. They must be shown cloud of white in the landscape. throughout the state. Flowers are angelonias that are grown from Very well suited for the hot densely arranged on a spike to be super-performing plants under Texas seed. Flower colors available Texas summers, these unusual with a characteristic ice white growing conditions. During the field trials, include white, pink, purple, plants perform well as edging, terminal tip. plants receive minimal soil preparation, lavender, and lavender pink ground cover, and mixed con- reasonable levels of water and no pesticides. which flower season long until tainer plants. Several varieties Exposure: full sun What does that mean to the average home- frost. Angelonia can be used as performed well in the Texas Height: 12-24 inches a border planting, a ground Superstar® trials, inlcuding owner? It means landscape success with Plant type: annual cover, or as a trailing plant for “White Manaus”, “Breathless Planting time: fall beautiful, proven, Texas-tough plants. mixed containers. White”, “Silver Fog” and “Hip Soil type: well-drained soil Find these plants at your local nursery Hop” and thus are all Suggested uses: flower beds, and be sure and look for the Texas Exposure: full sun recommended. meadows and hillsides Superstar® logo on the plant tags. Visit Height: 12 to 18 inches Special notes: The Texas blue- Plant type: annual TexasSuperstar.com for additional details Exposure: Full sun. bonnet, which blooms between Planting time: spring Height: 12 to 18 inches March and May, has a blue about these amazing stars. The term Soil type: most soil types as Plant type: annual flowering stalk tipped with “Texas Superstar” is a registered trademark long as well drained Planting time: spring white (like a bunny’s tail). These of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Suggested uses: mass bedding Suggested uses: edging, ground hearty plants rarely suffer from Texas A&M System. or ground cover, mixed borders, cover, and mixed container insect and disease problems, and containers plants however a well- balanced fertil- Special Notes: Very reliable Special notes: Very useful for izer applied in the fall will help performer in all areas of Texas; blending other flowering plants with flower production. GO TEXAN tolerates heat well. together in either mixed borders or mixed container plantings. GO TEXAN is the Texas Department of Flower heavily through the Agriculture’s program promoting the prod- summer and till frost. ucts, culture and communities that call Texas home. As a mark of Lone Star pride, the GO TEXAN logo – a glowing brand in the shape of Texas – can be found on every- thing from floral products and grapefruit to cowboy boots and retirement destinations. For more information see GoTexan.org. ANNUAL PLANTS Texas Maroon Lady Bird Johnson Royal Cool Season Euphorbias Globe Amaranth Dakota Gold Helenium Bluebonnet Blue Bluebonnet Euphorbia martinii, E. Gomphrena globosa Helenium amarum Dakota Gold Lupinus texensis,‘Texas Lupinus texensis characias subsp. wulfenii, E. Maroon’ ,‘Alamo Fire’ ‘Lady Bird Johnson Royal Blue’ amygdaloides USDAZone7 USDAZone7 USDAZone6 Globe amaranth (known by Helenium is a native Texas some as bachelor’s buttons) are wildflower that now has A selection of the Texas state A selection of the Texas state These cold and drought tolerant versatile, often overlooked sum- improved cultivars for garden flower is a hardy winter annu- flower with a distinct royal winter annuals provide mounds mer annuals that thrive in the use. Plants are Texas tough, al native to Texas. Flowers are (cobalt) blue color named in of color in the landscape from Texas heat. Varieties range in continuing to grow and flower densely arranged on a spike honor of former first Lady, fall to spring in all parts of size from 8 inches to 48 inches, with little or no irrigation once with a characteristic ice white Lady Bird Johnson; flowers are Texas. They are not fond of and vary in color from whites, established. Young plants are terminal tip. densely arranged on a spike summer heat, but may behave as to pinks, to lavendars, to dark, small flattened rosettes of with a characteristic ice white perennials in western Texas. For rich purples. Many named vari- foliage in the spring (or even Exposure: full sun terminal tip. a tight mounding plant of bluish ety series were tested and found late winter in southern locations) Height: 12-14 inches green foliage, select ‘Tiny Tim’. to be true Texas Superstars® that develop strong tap roots. Plant type: annual Exposure: full sun is essential For variegated foliage, try including the All Around, Las By mid- to late spring a canopy Planting time: fall for optimum bloom ‘Ascot Rainbow’. For more of a Vegas, QIS, and Audray series of thready dark green foliage Soil type: well-drained soil Height: 12 to 14 inches red or dark maroon color, try and Fireworks. develops and 1" diameter bright Suggested uses: bedding, Plant type: annual ‘Blackbird’. ‘Rudolph’ has dark yellow composite flowers begin window boxes, patio containers Planting time: sow scarified green foliage with red accents. Exposure: Full sun to appear. Flowering continues and hanging baskets seed in the fall; if one misses ‘Tasmanian Tiger’ or ‘Glacier Height: 1 - 4 feet and about as through autumn. The cultivar Special notes: Texas maroon the planting window, transplants Blue’ is notable for excellent wide depending on variety ‘Dakota Gold’ grows typically bluebonnets have a spreading can be set out in late winter. cream and green variegated Plant Type: heat-loving, sum- as low cushions of foliage growth habit and reddish- Soil type: numerous, but must foliage. All are recommended. mer annual topped with bright yellow flow- maroon flowers with a charac- be well drained. Planting Time: early summer ers. Plants can be grown on teristic white terminal tip. It is Suggested uses: accent beds, Exposure: Full sun to partial after nights have become warm. most any well drained soil with recommended they are spaced meadows and hillsides as well shade Soil Type: well-drained; toler- a sunny exposure. Good for low 12 inches apart when transplant- as containers. Height: 1 to 2 feet ates wide range of soil types input landscapes where irriga- ing or seeding. Special notes: The distinct Plant type: cool season annual Suggested use: mass plantings, tion water is limited. cobalt color sets this bluebonnet Planting time: late summer combination plantings with apart from the Texas and fall other summer annuals such as Exposure: full sun Bluebonnet. It is a vigorous Soil type: best in potting soil in salvia and Mexican mint Height: 6 to 8 inches plant and will do best if spaced containers, but will perform in marigold, and also make nice Plant Type: reseeding annual 12 inches apart. It tends to ground beds if soil is very well cut flowers for beautifying the Planting Time: anytime from produce more seed than other drained indoors. containers bluebonnets so it should easily Suggested uses: best use is in Soil type: well drained slightly naturalize in an area given mixed containers, but also in acidic soil is best, but it adapts proper care. well drained landscape beds or to alkaline clay soils as long as rock gardens drainage is adequate Special Notes: Very pest and Suggested uses: accent, border disease resistant. They are hardy Special notes: PVP 200600009 to zone 6 and hardy in contain- issued June 22, 2010. ers unless the temperature drops below 15F. The most heat toler- ant are ‘Ascot Rainbow’ and ‘Tiny Tim’. Ask a certified nursery professional at your local nursery for Texas Superstars and support local Texas producers. ANNUAL PLANTS Larkspur Rio Series Mandevilla Mari-mum Laura Bush Petunia Tidal Wave Silver and Consolida ambigua Mandevilla syn. Dipladenia Tagetes erecta Petunia x ‘Laura Bush’ Cherry Petunia USDAZone7 Petunia x hybrida This reseeding annual has a The Rio series mandevillas sport There are several different This is an old-fashioned reseed- backward-projecting spur, glossy foliage and broad, showy, varieties of African-type (large- ing petunia. It is more cold tol- These petunias represent two formed by the upper petal of the trumpet-shaped flowers that flowered) marigolds such as the erant, disease resistant and heat colors from the Tidal Wave flower. The long spikes or pani- come in pink, hot pink, and Antigua, Discover, or Taishan tolerant than modern hybrids. series of petunia. They are more cles of flowers come in both sin- deep red. These mandevillas series which can be used to heat, disease and cold tolerant gle and double forms. Colors grow upright with little twining. produce the Mari-mum effect. Exposure: full sun than typical grandiflora type range from various shades of These compact plants grow best The Mari-mum type marigolds Height: 24 inches petunias. The vigor of these blue or purple- blue to pink and in patio containers, and can be bloom two to three times longer Plant type: annual plants ensures a plentiful flower white.