Muhlenbergia lindheimeri and Maurandella antirrhiniflora
When I think of all the beautiful Hill Country native plants with full fall blooms I’d like to talk about two of my favorites that just happen to really shine in the fall.
The first one is a native clump grass that can be found all over the hill country but is indigenous only the to the Edwards Plateau area of Central Texas. You can find a clump all by itself but most often when you come across Lindheimer Muhly is will be in a stand of many clumps like this particular stand I found while driving into the entrance of Rebecca Creek Ranch off Rebecca Creek Rd. in northern Comal County.
Muhlenbergia lindheimeri is a handsome grey-green ornamental grass that grows 2-4 feet tall and in the fall, puts on lustrous silver plums that glimmer in the sunlight. This grass which is named after famous Texas botanist Ferdinand Lindheimer is both drought tolerant and deer resistant and makes a subtle accent piece when planted individually and a bold focal point when planted in groups. Also, something else to note is that while drought tolerant Lindheimer Muhly is often found growing in soggy soil along ditches and creek banks so it will take readily to boggy places in the landscape.
Another favorite fall bloomer that I love to find in “the wild” is the native Snapdragon Vine. Maurandella antirrhiniflora is a delicate vine that grows only to about 3’ in length and has small but vibrant rose-purple flowers scattered amongst its pointed leaves. Despite its delicate look this is one tough plant that is both extremely drought tolerant and deer resistant and well worth cultivating as either an ornamental vine or ground cover. This herbaceous perennial can easily be grown from seed and while not related to the traditional Snapdragon this little plant produces its violet blooms in abundance in both spring and fall. Another plus is that butterflies love this diminutive climber and the Buckeye butterfly uses this plant for larval food.
Contact us today to find out how we can help incorporate these into your existing landscape or into a new landscape! We offer free estimates and no job is too big or small for the staff at NativeScapes Landscaping!
