The calendar might not say it is spring yet, but here in Austin, Texas spring blooms are everywhere! If you drive around town you are sure to see the Texas Mountain Laurel blooms, the Crossvine and the Texas Redbuds in full bloom. Along with these, the Anacacho Orchid and the Citrus trees are blooming away. The bees and the butterflies are busy, busy, busy.
Texas Mountain Laurel
The Texas Mountain Laurel are a sure sign spring has sprung here in Austin and the Texas Hill Country. The blooms on these are a sight to see- the cascading purple blooms are incredibly fragrant, and some compare them to grapes, others to bubble gum. You decide. They only bloom once a year in the spring and are worth the wait. The Texas Mountain Laurel are popular as they are a Texas native evergreen tree that grows in part sun to full sun.
Anacacho Orchid Tree
The Anacacho Orchid, Bauhinia lunarioides, is a small ornamental Texas native tree. They are a relatively fast growing tree reaching heights of 8-12 feet. They have white, delicate orchid like bloom clusters which attract the bees and the butterflies. The unique feature of this tree is it has a beautiful gray bark. These are one of the most dainty of the Texas native blooms.
Crossvine
The Crossvine- oh the Crossvine. This is a Texas native vine with orange tubular blooms that is a show stopper. This photo is of the vine here at the nursery in our shade area. The great thing about this vine is it can also take the full sun, and just look at those blooms!! It blooms heaviest in the spring and in the fall as shown here in the photo. You will get blooms year round, though the heaviest cycles in spring and fall. The hummingbirds love the Crossvine as well as the other pollinators. Aren’t they beautiful!?!
Oklahoma Redbud Tree
The Oklahoma Redbud Tree is a Texas native tree that you can see all over the city and the Texas Hill Country in full bloom. We have customers coming all day in asking “What are those sticks with pink flowers?” The small, pink blooms are like neon lights and cover the branches as shown in the photo. This is another sign of spring, just like the Texas Mountain Laurel blooms. And like the Texas Mountain Laurel, they will bloom once a year in the spring. The Redbuds and the Texas Mountain Laurel are the most popular of the Texas native blooms.
A few non-native things that are blooming that I couldn’t talk about spring blooms and not mention…
Compact Cherry Laurel
The Compact Cherry Laurel, Prunus carolinia ‘Compacta’ are blooming as well. They do not produce an edible fruit, but do produce a little black berry. They are a fabulous option for screening. The Compact Cherry Laurel are dense, evergreen shrubs that can reach heights of up to 20 feet. You can plant them in a row to create a hedge as well as train them to be a standard form tree. Their versatility has made them a popular choice with many homeowners.
Meyer Lemon Citrus Tree
Last but not least, is the Meyer Lemon. I had to mention them as they are delightful!! The Meyer Lemon Citrus trees are in full bloom. The blooms have filled the air at the nursery- everyone walking around is commenting on the sweet fragrance. The bees and the butterflies are all over them. These will have a few bloom cycles throughout the year. We recommend keeping this and all citrus in containers here in Austin and the surrounding areas so that you can protect them in our crazy Texas winters as of late.
There are lots of other things are coming into bloom as we approach the first day of spring here in Austin. The Bicolor Iris are blooming, the Thryallis, and Lantanas are starting to bloom as well. What a winter that was!! Don’t be discouraged if you have not seen some things come back yet from the winter- it is still early. Give things time to wake up and come back to life. The Pride of Barbados in particular take a little while to wake up. It is confusing when some things have woken up and started to bloom so early on, but just remember, it’s still early.
Garden Design Magazine has a great article 46 Ways for Gardeners to Celebrate First Day of Spring. Great tips and ideas from people all over how they are celebrating and what they are doing.
