The Lone Star State is known for its longhorns and cowboys, but it’s also home to an impressive diversity of beautiful Texas wildflowers. In addition to the classic bluebonnet, there are also dozens of species of garden-worthy blooms, including native phlox, spider lilies, lantanas, Gulf Coast hibiscus, Texas penstemon, evening primrose, and even a native perennial sunflower.
If you want to cultivate a garden of native plants, don’t skip out on these striking flowers. You can easily grow a rainbow garden of diverse blossoms to attract all sorts of pollinators and wildlife. Texas wildflowers tend to be remarkably drought-resilient, colorful, and low-maintenance. They are adapted to harsh, hot summers and poor soils throughout most of the state.
While not all of these are specifically native to Texas, those that aren’t are naturalized, and common in the Lone Star State. Let’s dig into 27 stunning wildflowers perfect for your Texas garden.
What is the Most Beautiful Flower in Texas?
The diverse wildflowers of Texas include the iconic bluebonnet and vibrant firewheels.
From the iconic Texas bluebonnet to the vibrant orange and yellow firewheel, to the stunning fuchsia Pride-of-Texas phlox, the Lone Star State is home to an abundance of beautiful wildflowers. While the “most beautiful” is surely a matter of opinion, some of the most popular and dazzling species of Texas flowers include:
- Bluebonnets: These deep purple and blue lupine species are extremely recognizable.
- Texas Lantana: Clusters of crisp yellow and deep orange are magnets for butterflies and bees.
- Blue-Eyed Grass: This Texas wildflower is an iris family member with gorgeous purplish-blue petals and yellow centers.
- Texas Indian Blanket: With tie-dye centered blooms, these flowers are called Firewheels or Indian blankets because they form dense growths of fiery colors.
- Texas Red Spider Lily: These ultra early spring blooms have long spider-like stamens that stick far out past the petals.
Throughout spring and summer, you can find these wild blooms blanketing roadsides, country pastures, and open fields from the Panhandle to the Gulf and everywhere in between.
27 Texas Wildflowers to Grow in Your Garden
There are wildflowers that thrive in even the driest parts of Big Bend, the hottest valleys of South Texas, and the windiest plains of the Panhandle. No matter where you are in the Lone Star State, you can easily find native wildflower species that will grow in your garden with little to no maintenance.
Remember to assess the native range and growth requirements of each species to ensure it can reliably overwinter or self-sow in your garden for years to come.
Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)
Texas bluebonnets thrive in various soils with minimal water.
The Texas state flower has bright blue petals and a distinctively white tip. Bluebonnets are lupines, which are members of the pea family (Fabaceae). They have velvety palmately compound leaves that resemble light green hands flaring from a central 6-18 inch stem.
Bluebonnets thrive with very little water and full sunlight. They can grow in nearly any soil, from chalky limestone to clay to calcareous (calcium-rich alkaline) sandy loams. The oceans of blue blooms appear in late spring, from March to May. The flowers and seeds can be toxic if ingested, so be sure that kids do not place plant parts in their mouths.
The best time to plant bluebonnets is by sowing seeds or transplanting nursery seedlings in the autumn. The bluebonnets establish roots over winter and bloom the following year. They will naturally self-sow. If your bluebonnets are struggling to establish, it can help to inoculate the soil with Rhizobium. This nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria form a symbiosis with leguminous roots to fuel strong growth and naturally increase soil fertility.
L. texensis is the most common lupine in Texas. They grow wild throughout the state, but particularly in the Blackland Prairie and Edwards’ Plateau regions. Highway departments plant this wildflower extensively along roadsides, and gardeners can easily grow it in ornamental beds or scattered throughout their lawns. Reportedly, it is now illegal to mow down volunteer bluebonnet flowers. They must be left for the bees and butterflies until the blooms wither in mid-summer!
Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa)
The Indian Paintbrush boasts vibrant red spikes up to 18 inches tall.
Also known as Texas paintbrush, these popular prairie flowers flower at approximately the same time as bluebonnets. They are exceptionally colorful, with big red spikes that resemble paintbrushes, sometimes featuring hues of yellow and white. Texas paintbrush is an annual or biennial, averaging 6-18 inches tall. It grows from a single unbranched stem with big clumps of flowers on top that can grow to 3-8 inch spikes.
Castilleja species are hemiparasitic on neighboring grasses, which means they penetrate the roots of neighboring grasses to obtain some of their nutrients. Fortunately, this doesn’t usually kill the grass. But it does mean that paintbrush must be sown by seed. Transplanting may kill the plants.
The plants also have a reputation for finicky bloom cycles; some years are prolific, while others are sparse. Grow this vivid flower in grassy meadow areas or alongside garden margins with mildly acidic soil and moderate moisture.
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
These serve as hosts for specific butterfly species and provide seeds for birds in autumn.
Sometimes called brown-eyed Susan, this native wildflower is recognizable across most of the U.S. In the Lone Star state, it often naturalizes in roadside ditches, pastures, and woodland edges. It requires full sun and well-drained soil and doesn’t mind growing near black walnuts (as it can withstand the juglone compound in the soil).
The cheerful yellow daisy-like flowers look gorgeous in ornamental beds and meadow gardens. Rays of petals surround a brown central cone. Black-eyed Susans grow as a single bloom atop a 1-2 foot stem and bloom all summer long with supplemental irrigation, making them perfect for bouquets and arrangements.
Bees and butterflies go crazy for the nectar of this Aster family member. Black-eyed Susans are the larval host of Bordered Patch and Gorgone Checkerspot butterflies. Leave the flowers to form seed heads to feed birds in the autumn.
Interestingly, this species can be annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial, depending on the conditions. If it grows as an annual and dies in the winter, it will usually self-sow, so there are progeny for the next season. This species is easy to propagate by seed in the fall or spring. I prefer autumn because the seeds can naturally experience cold exposure to boost spring growth.
Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata)
The Winecup is a drought-tolerant perennial common in Texas.
The purple poppy mallow is nicknamed “winecup” because its little cup-shaped flowers are a cabernet-hued shade of maroon. The sprawling stems form thick mats about 12 inches tall, making this wildflower perfect for bedding borders or low-growing ground cover. The blooms close in the evening and open in the morning, which can be interesting to watch.
This drought-tolerant perennial is common throughout Texas and keeps its evergreen hairy leaves throughout the year. It doesn’t mind rocky, clay, or sandy soils, as long as the soil is well-drained. It can grow in full sun or partial shade. The trailing form is really nice in hanging baskets and dangling over walls.
Texas Bluebell (Eustoma exaltatum)
Marsh lilies are suitable for rain gardens or low-lying yards.
Bluebells also go by blue gentian, seaside gentian, or marsh lilies. They grow in sandy coastal areas, moist prairies, and salty or freshwater marshes throughout the southern and western states.
The genus name Eustoma means “good mouth,” which refers to the large central opening of the flower’s corolla. Bluebells tend to be more purple than blue, and the gorgeous delicate petals stand out against the bright yellow central stamens.
These plants average 1-3 feet high and thrive in partial shade with moist soils. They’re perfect for a rain garden or a low-lying area of your yard where water accumulates. Bluebells don’t tolerate drought well.
Mexican Hat (Ratibida columnifera)
These flowers are easily recognizable by their mini sombrero shape.
The mini sombrero shape of Mexican hat flowers is easily identifiable. These wildflowers bloom by the thousands along Texas roadsides and pastures from late spring through summer. Native to most of the U.S., Mexican hat flowers tolerate dry soils and are not fussy about soil texture. They are easy to grow from seed but can be aggressive if planted near more sensitive species.
Sometimes called prairie cornflower, the petals of Mexican hats often droop downward like Echinacea species, pushing their central discs up to the sun. The bright yellow or burgundy blooms can grow on stems up to three feet tall.
The flowers are showy for most of the summer season, adding vibrant color and pollinator nectar resources to your native plant garden. The odor of the foliage is said to repel deer.
Gayfeather (Liatris spicata)
Liatris is a beloved choice for Texas pollinator gardens.
Blazing star, or gayfeather, is a slender perennial that grows up to six feet tall. The clumps of grass-like leaves have a pretty wispy appearance that gives way to tall spikes of purplish-pink flowers that resemble feathers.
Gayfeather is a gorgeous flower for a border bed, prairie garden, or mixed meadow. They grow best in open woodlands and moist prairies or sometimes along the edges of marshes. The plants enjoy moderate to high moisture soils in full sun.
Hummingbirds, native bumble bees, and butterflies love Liatris, and it’s earned its place in most Texas pollinator gardens. The seeds are best sown in the fall to ensure proper cold exposure. Various varieties naturalize as perennials and slowly spread by seed when the feathery flowers turn to fluffy tan seedheads.
Drummond’s Phlox (Phlox drummondii)
The Drummond’s phlox was named after Scottish naturalist Thomas Drummond.
Vivid pink, red, or peach-colored flowers look striking when planted en masse. Though this is not often known as Texas’ most beautiful wildflower, it is the perfect selection for an annual flower bed in drought-prone, sandy soils.
Drummond’s phlox is named for Thomas Drummond, a Scottish naturalist who traveled to Texas in the early 1800s to collect plant specimens. He identified this wild phlox, along with 750 other species of plants, throughout Galveston Island and the Edwards Plateau.
The phlox seed he brought to Europe became a popular “exotic” garden flower that was bred into nearly 200 strains of striking phlox colors and patterns. Interestingly, the plants naturally yield unique genetic anomalies in the wild as well. Some phlox flowers will have unique stripes on the petals or a tie-died appearance from the central petals.
Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella)
Gaillardia flowers feature jagged-edged petals shifting from dark red to brilliant red or orange centers.
These vibrant flowers are sometimes called firewheels because their jagged-edged petals shift from dark red bases to brilliant red or orange centers and yellow-tipped teeth. The 1-2 inch rays grow from annual plants averaging 1-2 feet tall, with hairy multi-branched stems.
You can find these classic Texas wildflowers blanketing roadsides like Fourth of July pinwheels. They tolerate intense heat and dryness and easily grow from seed. Add Indian blanket to your pocket prairie, border beds, or a naturalized wildflower meadow.
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Echinacea boasts medicinal qualities and stunning blooms on tall stems.
One of the most iconic native North American wildflowers, Echinacea is as medicinal as it is beautiful. This perennial wildflower yields stunning blooms on 2-4 foot stems. The flowers and leaves are very popular for herbal tea, and the root extracts are known to strengthen the immune system. Coneflowers must be grown in full sun to reach their full glory.
The genus name Echinacea comes from the Greek echinos, which means “hedgehog.” This refers to the spiny brown appearance of the center flower disk that protrudes upward in midsummer when the lavender-pink petals droop down.
Coneflowers are remarkably easy to grow and very drought tolerant. Flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds and readily naturalize. Plant in a container if you don’t want Echinacea to spread.
Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides)
The berries and leaves of Texan lantana can be toxic to some.
This Verbena family member is essential for any butterfly lover! It is the larval host plant for the Painted Lady butterfly and also attracts Monarchs. So, if you see caterpillars on your lantana, let them be! These branched spreading shrubs are perfect for front yards, woodlands, and garden borders. They bloom from April to October with astonishing, colorful tubular flowers in all shades of red, orange, and yellow.
Texas lantana is a perennial wildflower that can reach up to 6 feet tall. You can shear it to remain shorter. Winter pruning is essential to prevent plants from growing too large and wild. Lantana species are also native to Arizona and New Mexico, thriving in thickets, swamps, gravelly areas, and chaparral. This widely adaptable wildflower requires very little water and grows well in sites with hot sun exposure and poor soil. Beware that the bluish-black fruits are poisonous, and some people get a rash from the aromatic leaves.
Gulf Coast Penstemon (Penstemon tenuis)
This charming perennial with purple bell-like flowers pairs well with yellow columbine.
The adorable little bell-like purple flowers of Gulf Coast penstemon make lovely cut flowers for bouquets and arrangements. This perennial is best for parts of your garden with poor drainage and plenty of moisture. It reseeds freely but does not become invasive.
Companion plant this native Texas penstemon alongside the southwestern wildflower yellow columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha), as they both have similar growing requirements and the same bloom periods. Avoid growing this coastal plant in dry areas.
Texas Star Hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus)
The Texas Star Hibiscus reaches heights of up to 10 feet.
Native hibiscus plants in the American South are quite a treat! This mallow family member is very showy and one of Texas’ most beautiful native flowers. Though it is less common in cultivation, it is very easy to grow from seed.
This hibiscus naturally grows in swamps, marshes, and coastal ditches, providing clues to its moisture-loving tendencies. The perennial plants can grow up to 10 feet tall but are easy to maintain with annual pruning. The big crimson flowers are very attractive and can reach over 6 inches in width!
Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii)
Purple Gregg’s mistflower is a low-growing perennial attracting Queen butterflies.
This low-growing perennial reaches up to 2 feet tall and has pretty foliage of palmate, lobed leaves. The clusters of flowers are puffy or cushion-like and pastel purple in color. The Gregg’s mistflower got its name from Josiah Gregg, author of Commerce of the Prairies, which he wrote in 1844 after a botanical expedition through the Red River valley.
Grow mistflower as ground cover where it can spread via its roots. The plant does best in dry to moderate soils with gravelly texture. The flowers attract dazzling amounts of Queen butterflies in the autumn and serve as a host plant to many species of moths.
Prairie Verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida)
The prairie verbena entices with its scent while also being resilient to drought.
This verbena has delicate rounded clusters of pink, purple, or lavender-hued flowers that grow from tall or matted, trailing mounds. The two distinctive forms of this prairie flower depend on the spacing and available moisture. In Texas, prairie verbena is common in grassy areas and grows throughout the state in a variety of soils, including sand, clay, loam, and limestone.
The brilliant displays of flowers are an easy reward for this drought-tolerant perennial. It is perfect for areas of your landscape that are frequented by deer, as the sweet fragrance naturally deters herbivores. Source established plants from a native nursery or grow from seed, ensuring full sun for the best blooms.
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
This plant boasts golden-yellow flowers flourishing in late summer.
An essential for wildflower gardens, the Solidago genus includes many species native to the prairies and hillsides of most of the U.S. The golden-yellow flowers flourish in late summer and fall when many other wildflowers have withered.
The perennial plants grow to 4-6 feet and produce elegant arching flower stalks like golden plumes. The height depends on the moisture and fertility of the soil, but plants will grow practically anywhere. Honey bees and native bees are particularly fond of goldenrods. It also makes a great companion plant in the vegetable garden to attract beneficial wasps and spiders.
Some people confuse goldenrod with the allergy-causing look-alike ragwort. But goldenrod pollen is unlikely to cause allergic reactions and is even used in many herbal preparations for allergies and colds.
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Plant native butterfly weed with bright orange blooms for butterfly enthusiasts.
Butterfly lovers should skip the tropical milkweed and instead plant this native butterfly weed with extraordinary bright orange flat-topped clustered blooms. This showy flower is easy to grow from seed and reliably returns year after year. It blooms all summer long and tolerates drought. Plant alongside other medium-sized perennials in full sun.
Aphids often attack this milkweed, but you can remove them easily with a blast of high-pressure water. This is a larval host plant for several butterfly species, including Monarchs, Queens, and Grey Hairstreak butterflies.
Texas Toadflax (Nuttallanthus texanus)
An annual plant called Texas Toadflax produces pale violet flowers.
Toadflax is a funky name for this cute annual that blooms two-lipped pale violet flowers in early spring. Plants average three feet in height when flowering and readily naturalize in open grassy areas or woodland gardens.
The subtle color is a nice backdrop to brighter-colored blooms. Provide supplemental moisture if you want to see flowers throughout the hotter summer months.
Maximilian Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)
The Maximilian sunflower produces yellow flower heads and abundant seeds.
From a modest three feet to a whopping ten feet tall, this Texas native sunflower varies massively in its growth habit. This prairie perennial produces several yellow flower heads on long stalks. Flowers yield an abundance of seeds that are very valuable for birds and other wildlife.
Maximilian sunflowers like to form huge colonies and look lovely in ditches or naturalized open meadows. Avoid planting too close to your annual garden, or you may end up with too many birds and volunteer wild sunflowers.
Texas Betony (Stachys coccinea)
This serves as a ground cover with aromatic foliage and attracts hummingbirds.
This low-growing herb is a member of the mint family. It has scarlet-red tubular flowers that grow from square-stemmed plants with opposite pairs of dark green hairy leaves. While the plant is sometimes called a hedge nettle, it doesn’t have stinging hairs like true nettles. This perennial thrives in partial shade with moist soils. It’s a perfect ground cover to add vivid bloom color to shady places. The foliage is aromatic, and the flowers attract hummingbirds.
Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii)
The Turk’s cap flourishes in hot weather with low maintenance.
For an intriguing shade garden addition, this spreading shrub produces bright red semi-closed flowers that hang like pendants from the plants. They are said to look like miniature Turkish turbans, hence the name Turk’s cap.
This deciduous perennial flowers all summer long and into the fall, and doesn’t mind hot weather. It is perfect for ornamental shaded beds where you want to incorporate low-maintenance color. Turk’s cap is widely adaptable to drought or heavy soil. Some cultivars have been developed with variegated foliage and white flowers. The dark red berry-like fruits are edible and have a taste reminiscent of apples.
Horsemint (Monarda citriodora)
The clusters of purple-pink flowers of horsemint are loved by pollinators.
This native bee balm averages 1-3 feet tall and produces deliciously aromatic leaves. The tufts of whorled purple and pink flowers grow in spikes with leaf-like bracts. Horsemint leaves smell like lemon or citrus, and pollinators absolutely adore this annual plant.
It does best when planted in large masses and allows plenty of space to form a colony. The seeds are easy to spread in fall or early spring but require supplemental watering if there isn’t much spring rain. It will reseed itself and return for years to come.
Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra)
This biennial plant with tubular flowers forms a rosette in the first year.
Sometimes called red Texas star or red gilia, this stiff-stemmed biennial stands upright up to six feet tall. It produces uniquely tubular flowers along talk spikes, magnetizing hummingbirds to stick their long beaks inside the tubes.
This beautiful wildflower is very easy to cultivate from seed and readily responds to deadheading for an extra-long bloom period. It isn’t finicky about soil type. Take note that this biennial forms a fern-like rosette in its first year and won’t flower until its second year. The plants will self-sow, but seeds germinate best when lightly pressed or raked into the soil surface.
Prairie Spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis)
Use baits or transplant established seedlings to protect young Prairie Spiderwort from slugs.
The three fleshy violet-colored petals of spiderwort flowers are subtly elegant. Although each flower only blooms for one day, this perennial produces an abundance of tiny blooms throughout the summer.
Plants average about 3 feet tall and do best in an herbaceous border with well-drained soil. Young growth is particularly vulnerable to slugs, so use slug baits or transplant established seedlings to prevent destruction.
Pink Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)
Grow pink evening primrose from seed in a sunny open area for naturalization.
This sprawling perennial forms pretty colonies of foliage that bloom delicate cup-shaped flowers in hues of pink, sometimes with red-veined petals. In spite of its soft appearance, pink evening primrose is very hardy and drought-resistant. The plant easily naturalizes in poor soils and sometimes escapes cultivation.
Evening primrose will bloom almost year-round in its southern range as long as the weather is frost-free. The blooms get smaller in hot summer weather yet truck on through the summer and into fall. Grow from seed in an open area where it can naturalize in full sunlight. Provide supplemental water if you want the plants to continue producing through the hottest months.
Silver Bluestem (Bothriochloa laguroides)
This is suitable for meadow gardens and limestone-rich soils.
This unique perennial grass is not necessarily a striking wildflower but does produce a unique little white feather-like flower spike. It grows well in meadow gardens, pocket prairies, and as a backdrop or filler amongst other wildflowers on this list. It prefers well-drained soils, particularly limestone.
Fertile soil can reduce the longevity of blackfoot daisy plants.
This low-growing bushy plant has a rounded form with narrow leaves that average 6-12 inches tall. The little daisy-like flowers have pretty white petals with yellow centers that smell like honey. This subtle, short wildflower is perfect for rock gardens, mounding borders, and ground cover. Drainage is essential for success, but the plant is very drought and heat-tolerant.
Blackfoot daisy does best when cut back halfway in late winter to keep the plants compact and promote new growth. Deer don’t bother this plant, and poor, rocky soils are best. Rich soil can actually shorten the lifespan.
Final Thoughts
The most beautiful Texas wildflower displays are diverse, colorful, and multi-dimensional, with plants of many different sizes and shapes. It’s important to choose wildflower species based on their native growing environment. For example, bluebonnets, coneflowers, and Mexican hats do best in sunny, dry open spaces.
On the other hand, Texas betony and horsemint are perfect for shadier, moist spaces. Source wildflower seeds from a reputable wildflower center or a native plant nursery, and avoid damaging or trampling wild plants.
