72 
GARDENING IN THE SOUTHWEST 
yellow flowers. If the soil is not dis¬ 
turbed, self-sown seed come up in the 
fall to bloom the next spring. They 
bear the name of a botanical amateur, 
Gaillard de Charentonneau. 
HELIANTHUS (Maximiliani) 
Named for the ill-fated emperor, Max¬ 
imilian of Mexico, this is one of our 
tallest sunflowers, growing sometimes 
eight feet. The very strong stalk does 
not branch but has many long, narrow 
leaves. Coming from the upper part of 
the stalk in the axils of the leaves are 
the flowers, borne on very short 
branches or stems, very similar to the 
Hollyhocks. The large flowers are a 
golden-yellow, long petaled and showy, 
remaining in bloom a long time. This 
likes rich garden soil. 
HELIANTHUS (mollis) 
Growing about four feet, this plant has 
downy foliage, lemon-yellow flowers 
and blooms earlier than H. Maximiliani 
and thrives in good garden soil. 
LIATRIS (lacinaria punctata) 
Blazing Star, Gay Feather 
The erect, very leafy stems, from ten 
to eighteen inches high, spring from a 
perennial tuberous root. The lavender- 
rose flowers develop and bloom on the 
upper part, of the stem as the tip grows. 
This forms a beautiful spike, lasting 
over a long period. 
LOBELIA (cardinalis) 
Cardinal Flower 
This exquisite, intensely red flower has 
a wide distribution, but is rare in Dal¬ 
las County. Like Physostegia and Phlox, 
it is a perennial by offsets. The flowers 
are usually in bracteal racemes. It is 
found in low grounds, even in water. 
Eastern florists all list this as Cardinal 
Flower. The name is from a Flemish 
herbalist, Matthias de l’Obel. 
LUPINUS (texensis) 
Texas Bluebonnet, Buffalo Clover 
This, our Texas State Flower and a 
prominent member of the pea family, 
is known and admired by everyone who 
is fortunate enough to see a hillside 
covered with their beautiful blue 
blossoms. Too rich soil and too much 
water causes rank foliage growth at the 
expense of flowers. They bloom best in 
well-drained soil, in full sunshine. 
They are most attractive in a bed 
alone. An interesting suggestion is to 
plant seeds or plants in the lawn, a 
corner set apart for them. To allow 
them to reseed themselves, the plants 
must be undisturbed until the seed pods 
have popped open, thus scattering seed 
for next season. After this, the old 
plants may be pulled up and the lawn 
mowed. Plants may be bought in the 
spring, but seed should be soaked in 
water all night before they are sown. 
For best results this should be done no 
later than September. 
It is said our Bluebonnets will not 
grow across the Texas border, also that 
fields of them disappear. We are not 
sure about the first, but the last state¬ 
ment is true. The Bluebonnet is an 
annual depending solely on its matured 
seed for preservation of the specie. If 
all flowers or pod bearing branches are 
destroyed or young plants eaten or 
trampled by stock, a most beautiful 
hillside of this flower may be "re¬ 
moved” in a season. 
THE MINT FAMILY 
Salvias (sage) 
There are many natives of this family 
in the Southwest. Salvia farinacea, Blue 
Meadow Sage, grows in fine clumps in 
open fields or roadsides. The stems com¬ 
ing from the root are two feet high 
and terminated by spikes of blue in¬ 
florescence. When the flower drops, the 
soft-hairy lavender bracts persist in 
giving added attraction. 
This sage blooms early and long. 
Salvia Picheri 
Salvia Picheri grows much taller than 
farinacea; has larger, brighter green 
leaves, less grey; blooms in late sum¬ 
mer; the flowers are larger and are sky- 
blue in color. This is beautiful planted 
in a bed with Goldenrod. 
Salvia Greggii (hardy salvia) 
This is a small shrub-like plant of 
West Texas. It has small bright green 
