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By Lynette Barker, Kaufman County Master Gardener
Have you considered adding Texas Superstar® plants to your landscape? Plants earning the Texas Superstar® accreditation have undergone extensive scientific testing and trials to ensure they will perform well in our home gardens throughout Texas. That means plants must not only be beautiful, but also withstand the hot, cold, dry, wet conditions throughout our very large state.
How Do Plants Make the Texas Superstar® List?
How Do Plants Make the Texas Superstar® List?
Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, both part of the Texas A&M system, are responsible for the final selection of Texas Superstar® plants.
There are horticulture and extension specialists from 30 counties testing and evaluating plants over a multi-year period. Trials are also performed each year where the public has an opportunity to vote on their favorite plants in the trial. After years of testing and field trials, a final decision is made by an eight-person selection committee with scientific, academic and commercial backgrounds representing different geographical areas in the state.
Every year a few new plants are added to the Texas Superstar® list and some plants are removed from the list. Learn more about how plants are selected for Texas Superstar® recognition.
Types of Plants on the Texas Superstar® List
Types of Plants on the Texas Superstar® List
There are six different categories of plants on the Texas Superstar® list.
Annuals. Plants that will die off at the end of their growing season.
Perennials. Plants that live more than two years
Per-Annuals. Tropical perennial plants used as annuals
Woody Shrubs. Perennial plants with hard stems that survive year-round
Trees. Woody plants that live many years
Specialty Plants. Fruits, vegetables and herbs
What Texas Superstars® Perform Well in Kaufman County?
What Texas Superstars® Perform Well in Kaufman County?
Kaufman County is in USDA Hardiness Zone 8b. Our winter temperatures can get into the teens and our summer temperatures over 100 degrees. Our last frost of the year is usually in the second half of March and our first frost of the year is usually in mid-November. And, our rainfall averages 40 inches a year, but there can be many consecutive months without rainfall. All of these factors should be considered when choosing plants for your landscape. In this post, we will focus on Annual and Perennial Texas Superstars® for Kaufman County!
With over 50 annuals and perennials on the Texas Superstars® list where do you start?
Click here for a list of superstars that will function well in our county.
Some of our Kaufman County Master Gardener favorite annuals:
Angelonia (Summer Snapdragon). These flowers come in white, pinks and purples. They make a stunning addition to a garden when clustered offering a different texture from many other flowers.
Dakota Gold Helenium. This beautiful border plant with delicate yellow daisy-like flowers is hearty and flowers for months and months. An added bonus is letting it go to seed and it will come back again next year.
Texas Bluebonnets. Well, this is mandatory, isn’t it? Although the blooms don’t last as long as we’d like, bluebonnets seem to bring a smile to everyone’s face. They are our state flower, after all
And, our favorite Perenials:
Henry Duelberg Salvia. There are so many salvias (1,041 species to be exact) and many perform beautifully in our area of Texas. The Henry Duelberg is special with it’s larger size and purple spires for six months or more.
New Gold Lantana. Lantana is such a consistent performer and adapts to so many elements. It is a great filler in a garden without any pampering.
Turk’s Cap. A cluster of Turk’s Cap in a garden can be stunning in many settings. The red flowers are unique (and edible!) and loved by birds. With Turk’s Cap in your yard, you will see a lot of birds (including hummingbirds) as they’ll go right for nature’s nectar!
Get ALL the Facts on Texas Superstars®!
Get ALL the Facts on Texas Superstars®!
Visit the Texas Superstar® website texassuperstar.com for a comprehensive list of all the plants on the list. Each plant listing contains color photos of the plant along with relevant specifics like sun exposure, water needs, pest resistance and even how to incorporate in your landscape (for example border plants, ground cover or trailing plants).
Click here for a PDF of the current Texas Superstar® brochure
Many garden nurseries carry Texas Superstar® plants, just look for the Texas Superstar® logo!
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