GBBD List for May 2013

Carol of May Dreams Gardens runs an online gathering of bloom reports on the 15th of every month. I'm working on a post for The Transplantable Rose, but here at Annie's Addendum, I like to keep complete-as-possible lists of what's in bloom. For May 15, 2013, here is the list, with my best guesses at the correct botanical names:

Abelia, guessing Abelia X grandiflora / Two of our four white-flowering shrubs are in bloom with the other two just forming buds. They are lightly fragrant.

Abelia X grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', just a tiny plant just a few years ago, now has grown to be a medium-sized pink-flowering, fragrant shrub

Abelia X grandiflora unknown variety, one medium-large pink-flowering, fragrant shrub.

Abutilon hybridum 'Marilyn's Choice' - still holding a few flowers after main bloom in April

Allium cepa - garden onions just hanging around

Asclepias curassavica, tropical milkweed - several clumps, all in bloom. This plant is not always hardy in Austin - acting like an annual and dying in a cold winter - but this winter was mild so it has been in bloom for quite a while. I've allowed it to seed around because it is a host plant for Monarch butterflies, but no monarch caterpillars have shown up so far.


Asclepias curassavica 'Silky Yellow' cultivar of tropical milkweed - new plant, in bloom

Asclepias curassavica 'Silky Deep Red' cultivar of tropical milkweed - new plant, in bloom

Asparagus densiflorus - asparagus ferns in hanging baskets - there are pale pink buds on one of them

Calibrachoa hybrids, annuals in hanging containers- many dark purple flowers

Callisia fragrans, Grandfather's Pipe or Basket Plant, frost tender, blooming in a hanging basket

Capsicum annuum – garden peppers - some blooms and a few small fruit

Castilleja indivisa, Texas paintbrush, a couple of lingering orange flowers

Chrysactinia mexicana, native yellow-flowering Damianita - one of two plants in bloom

Chrysanthemem maximum, Shasta daisies - just opened a few flowers

Clematis unknown hybrid, purple flowers - main bloom over, still has half-a-dozen flowers

Clerodendrum ugandense AKA Clerodendrum myricoides 'Ugandense' AKA Rotheca myricoides 'Ugandense'. Blue Butterfly Clerodenron, first flowers opened

Conoclinium greggii, Gregg’s Mistflower - spreading purple native mistflower, just beginning bloom 

Consolida ajacis, Larkspur, annual allowed to seed all over garden; mostly violet-blue, only one pink plant this year

Coriandrum sativum., cilantro, annual herb - left some plants gone to flower so they can reseed. Ladybug larvae like them.

Cosmos sulphureus, reseeding annual - began to open flowers past few days

Cuphea 'David Verity', bought a few weeks ago, orange Cigar flower,

Cuphea llavea – small pink and lavender form

Cuphea llavea –red & purple ‘Batfaced’- only buds

Cuphea llavea 'Georgia Scarlet', red-orange & purple flowers - only buds

Delosperma cooperi ? Dark magenta-flowered hardy ice plant on herb patio, nice flowers

Dianthus, unknown varieties, several containers - red, white and white with a rose eye

Dietes bicolor, African Iris, butterfly iris - one bloom stalk

Echinacea purpurea, Purple Coneflower - couple of buds

Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost', planted a few years ago, didn't notice it in 2012 but a very small plant has reappeared and has a few flowers

Feijoa sellowiana / Pineapple guava, two shrubs in full gaudy bloom (Edited May 19, 2013. At the time I bought these plants, most references to Pineapple guava gave the name as Feijoa sellowiana, but now I've read that a more correct name may be Acca sellowiana)

Gaura lindheimeri- original named plants dead but they left seedlings behind. One seedling has buds, aphids and ladybugs

Hemerocallis citrina - buds on a couple of stalks

Hemerocallis cultivar 'Best of Friends' from Pam/Digging - many, many buds on one plant.

Hemerocallis cultivar 'Devonshire', bought at Austin Daylily Society sale. No flowers but has buds

Hemerocallis cultivar 'Pinochio', brought from my former Illinois garden, has buds

Hemerocallis cultivar 'Prairie Blue Eyes', buds

Hemerocallis cultivar 'Vi's Apricot' - flowers and buds on several plants

Hemerocallis fulva – Ditch daylily from Gardener of Good and Evil - buds and a couple of flowers

Hibiscus syriacus/Rose of Sharon - buds

Hippeastrum hybrid/ ‘Red Dragon’ amaryllis - full bloom

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen' Oakleaf hydrangea - blooming for awhile

Hydrangea X 'Sweet Carol', Bliss series of marcrophylla/serrata crosses - buds

Iris X germanica passalong from Rock Rose via Lucinda Hutson - one bud

Justicia brandegeana, Shrimp plant in Secret Garden - couple of flowers

Justicia spicigera/ Mexican Honeysuckle - still has some bloom

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana? Florist's Kalanchoe, two plants with bud stalks, mostly done but still showing color

Lantana, unknown varieties upright lavender and trailing white - both in bloom

Lavandula angustifolia, English lavender - wands with buds in patio container

Lilium unknown - one bud. This is probably a bloomed-out Easter Lily that I stuck in a flower bed in 2005

Lobularia maritime, Sweet alyssum - hanging on but heat will get it

Lonicera sempervirens, coral honeysuckle - couple of flowers

Lycopersicon lycopersicum, tomatoes - flowers and some small, green fruit

Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem' - has opened a few flowers

Melampodium leucanthum / Blackfoot daisy; a couple of plants alive and in bloom

Myrtus communis nana/ dwarf Greek myrtle - scattered creamy flowers on fragrant shrub

Nerium oleander/ double yellow oleander (probably it is 'Mathilde Ferrier' ). This plant has had some problems in the last couple of years, but looks very pretty right now

Ocimum basilicum, Basil - plants in pots trying to bolt

Origanum majorana, Sweet marjoram

Osmanthus fragrans/Sweet olive - two of four shrubs still have a few lingering flowers

Oxalis regnellii 'Atropurpurea' (dotted around and in containers), many in bloom

Papaver unknown species  of annual poppies, many reseeded. Only one open flower today

Pelargonium hybrids– bedding geranium, red-flowered, blooming in front hypertufa

Pelargonium grossularioides, coconut-scented geranium, few airy flowers

Pelargonium hybrid, 'Fantasia Salmon', zonal geranium in breakfast room window - one cluster of flowers

Penstemen tenuis, Gulf coast penstemon - mostly gone to seed, just a few flowers left

Perovskia atriplicifolia, Russian Sage (in three beds) just beginning to flower

Petunia annual - purple in patio container

Phlox subulata/Creeping phlox in lavender blue - a little bloom left

Phlox subulata/Creeping phlox in magenta pink - almost done

Plumbago auriculata (two shrubs) just got going in past week - pale blue flowers

Poliomintha bustamanta, Mexican oregano (3 plants) just getting into flowering swing

Punica granatum, pomegranate - might be 'Wonderful' (secret garden) couple of flowers

Punica granatum 'Nana'/ dwarf pomegranates, two plants in containers - nonstop buds, flowers, fruit. Unfortunately fruit tastes pretty awful

Rosa 'Belinda's Dream', Pink shrub rose- just finished big bloom cycle - couple of flowers left

Rosa ‘Champagne’ mini rose, delicate pink , two plants just past peak bloom

Rosa floribunda  ‘Julia Child’,  butter-yellow rose, just finished big bloom cycle - couple of buds left

Rosa 'Mutabilis' (two good-sized plants, one in container, one in ground) have looked fabulous for months

Rosa 'Red Cascade', mini-climber - many flowers but beat-up by rain

Rosa, unknown variety/ tall pink climber near gate - last flower open now

Rosa /unnamed apricot mini-rose from DD- one flower left

Rosa - unnamed orange mini-rose came with house - mid-cycle now after a very good spring

Russelia equisetiformis, Firecracker plant - couple of plants with flowers

Salvia coccinea, Hummingbird sage, These plants act like annuals much of the time, sometimes are quite perennial, and the seedlings vary a great deal. I started with one plant of red and one of the 'Coral Nymph'. After a couple of years some white plants appeared near the patio. More and more shades of red, white, orange, coral and pink keep appearing and I've let them grow all over the garden. When a dark coral plant popped up near the birdbaths, I transplanted it near the coral mini-rose and let it reseed.

Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’, coral pink Hummingbird sage

Salvia elegans/Pineapple sage 2 plants survived winter and have not stopped blooming

Salvia farinacea, Mealy Blue sage, reseeded all over and has many wandlike flowers

Salvia greggii, many plants including 'Navajo White', cream, deep rose, true red, cherry red, lavender pink and Orchid-purple - most in full bloom

Salvia guaranitica, Majestic blue sage

Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'

Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips' - 3 plants, light bloom

Salvia X 'Nuevo Leon' , one of two plants has small violet flowers

Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’/Dwarf Blue Cushionflower,

Scutellaria ovata, Heartleaf skullcap - several plants forming buds but no blooms yet

Scutellaria suffrutescens, pink skullcap, two plants dependable pink bloomer

Scutellaria suffrutescens alba? - label says white skullcap - just starting

Scutellaria unlabeled soft pink skullcap in parkway, just starting

Scutellaria wrightii?  blue skullcap one in parkway, one in front bed , blooming for months

Sedum, little varieties with white flowers ... ternatum?

Sisyrinchium unk species, Blue-eyed grass - tiny iris relative- has been in bloom for weeks

Spiraea X vanhouteii, guessing name for rounder-leaved spiraeas - couple of stray flowers left

Tetraneuris scaposa,  four nerve daisy Hymenoxys, 3 plants - have flowers most of the year

Teucrium fruticans Silver Bush germander - bloom just ending

Trachaelospermum jasminoides, Star Jasmine, Confederate Jasmine, evergreen vine with white, fragrant flowers. Four vines, on veranda, side fence, trellis and shed, all in bloom

Tradescantia geniculata, groundcover - full, white, airy bloom

Tradescantia pallida, syn Setcresea pallida/ Purple Heart, many lavender flowers;

Verbena bonariensis – reseeder - popped flowers in a couple of borders

Viola spp– various hybrids of Pansies and violas in containers and hanging baskets still in flower but will not last when heat hits

Vitex agnus-castus / Chaste tree - seems to be forming buds

Zephyranthes drumondii AKA Cooperia pedunculata Cooper's Rainlily - flowers opened in rain this morning

This post was written by Annie in Austin for her Annie's Addendum blog.