Texas Dandelion | My Gardener Says…

On yesterday’s walk around the neighborhood with Duke the Dog, I saw some Texas Dandelions, Pyrrhopappus pauciflorus. Several are growing in neighbors’ lawns, others rise up from cracks in walkways; they grow where they land and aren’t picky plants. I lamented that none of these cheery plants had so far appeared in my own garden yet, though they typically show up, where they like, pleasing this gardener and providing for the pollinators. The non-native dandelions have bloomed since February, and are mostly done. I certainly don’t mind those flowers as they serve as an early source of nectar for the honeybees and other pollinators that wing through the late winter garden.

On this bright, cool morning I spied a sunny, Texas dandy bloom, stem and leaves holding the buttery bloom aloft, as it cuddles with a Mexican Feathergrass, Nassella tenuissima.

A different view of this pretty pair also shows some European poppies dotting the background, along with new bloom spikes of Henry Duelberg Sage, Salvia farinacea.

The only thing that would make these scenes better would be some pollinators in action. Alas, the chilly wind this morning probably slowed their work.

Nevertheless, it’s so nice to see you–all of you! Happy Spring, y’all!

In February, I posted about the non-native dandelion that is common in gardens and pathways pretty much everywhere. Though most people consider it a weed, I have no argument with that little flower, since it’s an early bloomer for pollinators.

Fast forward about six weeks with spring in full swing, and the native dandelion, Texas Dandelion, Pyrrhopappus pauciflorus, has made itself comfortable in my garden. Here it is, upfront and on stage, Four-nerve Daisy, Tetraneuris scaposa, waving in the background.

This little aster is a paler shade of yellow, more butter-yellow, than many other native yellow asters. The lower portion of its anthers are colored a deep maroon, which contrasts nicely with the soft yellow.

The flowers open in the mornings, though I’ve noticed that they are sleepy heads and it’s well after sunrise before they greet the day. The blooms close by mid-afternoon.

Like other flowers in the Asteraceae family, the seed heads are snowy white puff balls, just waiting for that perfect breeze to carry them off to land in another home.

In my garden, I haven’t seen any of the typical bee/butterfly/other pollinators nosing around the blooms. Instead, there’s often a cucumber beetle in the center, presumably doing the business of pollinating.

This individual planted itself just outside the bounds of the garden, which is typical; these usually grow in the pathways of my garden.

It’s a complementary plant alongside the planned garden, though it’s not the only one that invited itself to join the community.

The wide-leafed plant situated just behind and to the right of the Texas Dandelion is a volunteer American Basket Flower, which I wrote about last year. And next to that is a Coast Germander, Teucrium cubense, that appeared last year as well, uninvited, but not necessarily unwelcome. Not an aster, but instead in the mint, or Lamiaceae family, the dainty white flowers bloom non-stop and the foliage was evergreen all winter.

I think all three unplanned additions are dandy!