Native Plants

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Saturday - February 21, 2015

From: Houston, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Meadow Gardens
Title: Seeds to plant a short grass prairie near Houston
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I want to plant a prepared area 20x40 with strong midday sun in Houston. I would like a short prairie meadow with lots of flowers. Where do I get the seeds and is this the time to plant them as I would like growth this spring and summer?

ANSWER:

Native American Seed in Junction has native seed mixes for all areas of Texas. For your purpose I would select the Coastal Prairie Mix which includes predominantly native prairie grasses, but also wildflowers. The Blackland Prairie mix is another possibility with a predominance of wildflowers over grasses. It would be possible to plant both the mixes in your plot.

Native American Seed also has a very informative Planting Tips, Resources and More and How to Grow Native Seeds pages. Please also read our Meadow Gardening article. For warm season grasses and perennial wildflowers, spring planting is appropriate. For cool season grasses and annual wildflowers, fall is better although some will germinate and grow if planted in the spring.

Below are photos of some of the wildflowers and grasses listed in the Coastal Prairie Mix and/or the Blackland Prairie Mix. You can find photos and more information about the other grasses and wildflowers in the mixes by searching for them in our Native Plant Database.