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GARDENING IN THE SOUTHWEST 
LILIES NATIVE TO SOUTHWEST 
Atamosco (Copper Lily) 
Dainty, single blossom on one stem. 
Should be planted in colonies, two or 
three inches deep. 
Allium Palmeri 
Rose-colored flowers. 
Allium cernuum 
“Fairy pearls,” white. 
Allium Deserticola 
White with purple midrib. Chooses 
open places, often poor rocky soil. 
Cooperia Drummondi 
Similar to penduculata. Blossoms later 
in the fall and habitually after rains. 
Cooperia pedunculata (Rain Lily) 
or Fairy Lily 
White flowers on stems from six to 
twelve inches. 
Cooperia prairia or Field Lily 
Multiplies both by seed and bulbs. 
Nymphaea Microcarpa 
Native Water Lily or Yellow Pond 
Lily. 
White Lily (Zygadenus Nuttallii or 
Toxicoscordion Nuttallii) 
Grows from one to two feet high with 
numerous small white blossoms on 
branched stem. Prefers well drained 
hillsides, often rocky. 
NATIVE IRIS IN COMMERCE 
Blue-Eyed Grass (Tisyrinchium 
varians ) 
Violet-blue flowers. Central Texas 
variety. 
Blue-Eyed Grass (Tisyrinchium 
pruinosum) 
North Texas variety. Good for rock 
gardens. 
Blue-Eyed Grass (Tisyrinchium 
exile ) 
Gulf variety. Sandy soil. 
Blue-Eyed Grass (Tisyrinchium 
coluhrifernum ) 
East Texas variety. Sandy prairies. 
Blue-Eyed Grass (Tisyrinchium 
longepedunculatum ) 
West Texas and Mountain variety. 
Blue-Eyed Grass (Tisyrinchium 
minus) (Dwarf) 
East Texas variety. Moist prairies. 
Celestials (Nemastylis acuta) 
Grass-like leaves, pale blue flowers, six 
to twelve inches. 
Celestials ( Nemastylis coelestina) 
Grass-like leaves, pale blue flowers, 
denizens of both the prairies and woods. 
Iris fulva 
Found in East Texas. Reddish brown 
flowers, variegated blue or green. 
Iris hexagona 
Violet blue flowers variegated with 
purple, yellow and white. 
Iris pumila 
An exotic. 
