42 Star Plants of the Summer 🌿 the Beautiful Carrion Plant 🌿 Yes Farm 🌿 Treefolks Rootball

NURSERY NOTES: TreeFolks annual Rootball fundraiser takes place on Oct. 29 at the Barr Mansion. They're off to a great start with advance ticket sales at $136,000 +. TreeFolks 🌿 Visit the Natural Gardener on Saturday at 10 am to learn the basics of bee keeping from David Stalker. TNG 🌿

YES FARM: Seattle's Black Farmers Collective has created a flourishing 1.5 acre garden farm in the city. "Yes Farm is about celebrating black leadership, knowledge, and ideas while offering a safe space for people of color to learn how to grow." Garden Culture Magazine ❦

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BEHIND THE SCENES AT WILDFLOWER CENTER: during last Sunday's early morning tour with director Lauren Groce, gardeners saw some of the prep work for the upcoming Native Plant Sales (starting Oct 9).

What is their secret seed soil mix? FoxFarm CocoLoco - made from the outer husks of coconuts (coir). For their cuttings, they use a 50/50 mix of Pearlite & vermiculite. While some of the plants for the sales come from their nursery, they also buy in large quantities from wholesale supplier Native Texas Nursery a massive 40 acre nursery on Milo Road in far east Austin. ❦

REPEL MOSQUITOES WITH PLANTS: American Beautyberry, catnip, mint and lavender are some of the many plants that mosquitoes dislike. But often just having the plants isn't enough. For beautyberry, it's best to crush the leaves with a pestle and mortar, and then wipe the bruised leaves on your exposed skin. The Spruce ❦

THE AUSTIN GARDEN relies on readers for support. Whether annual or monthly, all donations are welcome. At present 7 % of readers fund this newsletter. Many thanks in advance. PayPal link ❦

photo: Chris Humphrey

The Carrion Plant

by Chris Humphrey

The carrion plant (Stapelia gigantia) is native to South Africa. It looks like a succulent and is often mistaken for a cactus, though it is actually a member of the Milkweed family.

The blooms, which only last about 24 hours, are starfish shaped and can grow up to 16 inches across. In order to attract beetles and flies for pollination, they emit a strong scent that smells very much like rotting meat.

But don’t worry about the smell. It emanates from deep within the throat of the flower. You won’t even smell it unless you get your nose close enough to take a whiff.

They prefer bright, indirect light or partial sun. Direct midday sun can burn the stems. They thrive in a fast draining cactus/succulent soil. Water moderately when the soil is completely dry, and reduce watering in the winter.

They are very easy to propagate. Just gently remove one of the stems and plant it in fast draining soil.

They do well in Zones 9-10, but should be protected from frost. My plants come in the house during the winter and make very nice houseplants. ❦

42 Stars of the Summer

by Darrel Mayers

It seems the Sun didn't get the memo that fall officially arrived on Tuesday. Once fall does eventually arrive, it will bring with it the perfect time for gardeners to plant their new specimens, and in some cases replace those that didn't make it through the searing summer of '26.

What better time than now to consult the City of Austin's

"Native and Adapted Landscape Plants" publication. Within its pages, the water requirements are carefully listed as high, medium, low, or very low for each plant.

It is the last category - very low - which is the focus of the list of 42 plants below. This is where we discover those tough-as-nails specimens that can make it through almost anything. . . even the Hades-hot summers of '23... and '26.

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Trees

Cedar elm trees (Ulmus crassifolia)

Honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa)

Lacey oak: (Quercus laceyi)

Mexican White Oak (Quercus polymorpha)

Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)

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Small trees / Large shrubs

Arroyo Sweetwood (Myrospermft um sousanum)

Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) photo above

Eve’s Necklace (Styphnolobium affine)

Goldenball Leadtree (Leucaena retusa)

Huisache (Acacia farnesiana)

Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora)

Mexican Olive (Cordia boissieri)

Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)

Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana)

Mexican Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. mexicana)

Texas Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis)

Retama (Parkinsonia aculeata)

Flameleaf sumac (Rhus lanceolata)

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Shrubs

Agarita (Berberis trifoliata)

Black Dalea (Dalea frutescens)

Elbow bush (Forestirera pubescens)

Flame Acanthus ( Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii)

Fragrant mimosa (Mimosa borealis)

Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens)

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Perennials

Artemisia (Artemisa ‘Powis Castle’)

Bulbine (Bulbine frutescens)

Square bud primrose (Calyophous berlanderieri)

Blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)

Damianita (Chrysactina mexicana)

Gayfeather (Liatris mucronata)

Hymenoxys (Four nerve Daisy) (Tetraneuris scaposa)

Cedar sage (Salvia roemeriana)

Goldeneye Skeletonleaf (Viguiera stenoloba)

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Yuccas/Agaves/Succulents/Cacti/ Sotols

Agave (multiple species)

Basket grass (Nolina texana)

Yucca (multiple species)

Yucca paleleaf (Yucca pallida)

Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)

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Groundcovers

Iceplant: (multiple species within the genera Aptenia,

Delosperma, and Malephora)

Santolina - Lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus)

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Grass

Buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides)

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Ornamental Grass

Pine muhly (Muhlenbergia dubia)

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"Native and Adapted Landscape Plants" is available free at most nurseries in Austin. ❦