Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_00.gif)
Saturday - October 29, 2011
From: Leander, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Lists, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Central Texas flowers suitable for cutting from Leander TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Please suggest Central TX native flowers that would be especially suitable for a "cutting garden" for interior arrangements.ANSWER:
Lucky you (and lucky Mr. Smarty Plants!). Two volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center who regularly make flower arrangements from the Center gardens for use in the buildings have compiled a list of plants suitable for cutting. Since we are in Central Texas, too, you can probably count on all of these working where you are - Williamson and Travis Counties. Following the link will give you a choice of 201 plants; however, many of them are trees and/or bushes from which flowers or stems can be cut. You can use the sidebar on the right-hand side of the page to indicate "herbs" (herbaceous blooming plants) under Habit. This will give you 102 plants. If you like to have arrangements year-round, you will have to do what the flower ladies at the Center do, use grasses, branches, seed pods and seasonally blooming flowers. From that list of flowering plants, here are some we have particularly noticed being used at the Wildflower Center:
Amblyolepis setigera (Huisache daisy)
Centaurea americana (American basket-flower)
Echinacea purpurea (Eastern purple coneflower)
Helianthus maximiliani (Maximilian sunflower)
Salvia farinacea (Mealy blue sage)
Eryngium leavenworthii (Leavenworth's eryngo)
From the Image Gallery
More Plant Lists Questions
Native Texas Plants for a Terrarium
October 08, 2014 - I have a 55-gallon aquarium that I would like to make into a terrarium. Are there any Texas native plants that would do well in the limited artificial light of the tank? The plants should be of varyin...
view the full question and answer
Indoor and Outdoor, Fast Growing Plants for California
October 22, 2015 - I’m looking for the best plants for me. I have small kids so they would have to be safe. I would like them to be able to grow inside or outside. I would love for them to grow fast and reproduce fast.
view the full question and answer
Hardy perennials for Chicago
June 15, 2007 - I have a duplex condo in Chicago. My basement or 1st floor is at sub-sidewalk level. This "patio" faces east and gets about 4 hours sun a day. It is about 8 feet high and covers an area 15x9. I'd l...
view the full question and answer
Foundation Landscape Tree Suggestion for New Jersey
March 05, 2013 - I need to replace a shrub (boxwood) in a landscaped area directly in front of my house. I would like a tree that grows about 10-15' maximum. However, I have a drainpipe that runs from the house to th...
view the full question and answer
Groundcovers for hillside in Northern California
November 19, 2012 - I have read numerous posts on here, but I have not found my exact situation. I live in Northern California. I am looking for some type of ground cover to grow on a hillside. Directly above the hillsid...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |