Amaranth growing in the Alibates Visitor Center Garden
NPS Photo
Amaranth
Latin Name: Amaranthus cruentus
Common Name: Amaranth, Pigweed
Blooming Period: Mid-summer to first frost
Habitat: Grows best in well-drained soils
When mature, Amaranth plants are about five to seven feet tall and are broadleaf plants with thick stems like a sunflower. It was used as a staple by the Aztecs and included in their religious rituals. The nutritional value is like quinoa and can be used as a gluten-free flour option. Amaranth is a short-lived plant and is often called Pigweed. During the height of the Aztec civilization, this plant was grown on large acreages in Mexico in the 1400’s.
Fun Facts:
1. Once considered a staple food to the Inca, Maya, and Aztec civilizations
2. Rich in fiber, proteins, and micronutrients
3. Can produce hundreds of thousands of seeds
4. Seeds make excellent pancakes, muffins, and biscuits
Native American Uses:
1. Several species of Amaranth have been used for food by Native Americans.
2. Aztecs and peoples of other cultures consumed both the leafy greens and the seeds.
3. Native Americans used the plants as medicinal herbs.
4. This plant is also used for Native American ceremonial face and body paint.
Basket Flowers are a common sight on the shortgrass prairie.
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Basket Flower
Latin Name: Centaurea americana
Common Name: Star Thistle, Thornless Thistle, Basket Flower
Habitat: Best in full sun in a slightly acidic soil
Blooming Period: June and July
This native wildflower grows to heights of 5 to 6 feet tall and the blooms have pink to lavender petals. Basket Flower is found throughout Texas. In the fall after the colorful flowers have disappeared, the plant can be used as dried flower in winter arrangements. Basket Flower is used today in native plant landscaping.
Fun Facts:
1. Common name comes from the underside of the flower, which has a basket weave pattern
2. Flowers have fluffy seed heads that songbirds love to feast on
3. Used in xeriscaping projects
Latin Name: Monarda citriodora
Common Name: Lemon Beebalm, Plains Horsemint
Blooming Period: May through July
Habitat: Prairies, roadsides, and other sunny habitats.
This aromatic plant is common in oil fields, prairies, and roadsides. It grows in the southern Great Plains and Mexico.
Butterflies and bees can often be found in a field of Lemon Beebalm.
Fun Facts:
1. Crushed leaves smell like lemons
2. Develops a oregano taste
Native American Uses:
1. Contains an antiseptic oil called thymol to be used medicinally
2. Tea is made from the leaves to treat fevers, colds, and coughs
3. Flavors desserts and salads
A Black Sampson in bloom
NPS Photo
Purple Cone Flower
Latin Name: Echinacea angustifolia
Common Name: Purple Coneflower, Black Sampson
Blooming Period: Spring to mid-summer
Habitat: Dry prairies and barrens with rocky to sandy-clay soils
This native wildflower has daisy-like blossoms in early summer and has a very thick black root. A juice made from the black root was used by Native Americans to apply to wounds and burns. Purple Coneflower is a suitable addition to xeriscaping gardens. It tolerates well-drained, clay-loam soils.
Fun Facts:
1. Purple Coneflower boosts the immune system to prevent colds and flu
2. Contains anti-inflammatory properties
3. Helps rid the body of both bacterial and viral infections
4. Used for upper respiratory tract infections such as laryngitis, tonsillitis, and sinus infections
Native American Uses:
1. Used to treat snakebites
2. Utilized as a headache remedy
3. A treatment for mumps, tonsillitis, and smallpox
4. Root can be chewed and made into tea
Indian Blanket Flower
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Indian Blanket
Latin Name: Gaillardia pulchella
Common Name: Indian Blanket, Blanket Flower, and Firewheel
Blooming Period: Summer to early fall
Habitat: Sandy and well-drained soils in full sun
This flower has upright stems and grows up to 2 feet tall. The pinwheel, daisy-like flowers are colored with red, orange and yellow. Indian Blanket is sometimes called Firewheel and grows in prairies and pastures of Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. This brightly colored wildflower blooms in the early summer.
Fun Fact:
Native Americans considered Indian Blanket Flower to be a sign of good luck.
Native American Uses:
1. Tea made from the root used for gastroenteritis
2. Roots ground into powder for skin disorders and sore eyes
Blue Gilia
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Blue Gilia
Latin Name: Gilia rigidula
Common Name: Blue Gilia, Bluebowls
Blooming Period: Early spring to summer
Habitat: Dry sandy, rocky limestone, or chalky soils
The deep purple blooms are about ¾ of an inch wide and standout because of their vibrant color. The lavender-blue flowers have a yellow center and are about an inch long. With extra rains in the summer, it can continue to bloom into the fall. The flower opens early in the morning.
Fun Facts:
1. A rare plant
2. A very low growing groundcover
3. An excellent plant to use in a rock garden or for xeriscaping
4. Flowers are attractive to birds, bees, and insects
Native American Uses:
1. Crushed the plant and used it to massage the muscles for cramps
A Chocolate Flower in bloom
NPS Photo
Chocolate Flower
Latin Name: Berlandiera lyrata
Common Name: Chocolate Flower
Blooming Period: Spring until the first freeze
Habitat. Dry and rocky soils
Fun Facts:
1. Flowers attract beneficial insects to the garden
2. Stamens have a chocolate flavor and are edible
Native American Uses:
1. Alleviates symptoms of stomach problems
2. Root was burned to treat nervous conditions
A Common Sunflower
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Common Sunflower
Latin Name: Helianthus annuus
Common Name: Common Sunflower, Sunflower
Blooming Period: July to August
Habitat: Native to dry plains, prairies, and meadows
The Common Sunflower is a fast-growing wildflower and grows 5-10’ tall. The flowers are 3-6” wide with orange-yellow rays and brown to purple center disks. This wildflower grows well in ditches and disturbed areas.
Fun Facts:
1. Provides cover for many species of wildlife
2. A food for wild birds
3. Seeds are popular in breads, cereals, salads and many other dishes
Native American Uses:
1. Used for lung ailments
2. Leaf tea is given for high fevers
3. Used as an astringent poultice used on snake bites and spider bites
Englemann Daisy
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Engelmann Daisy
Latin Name: Engelmannia pinnatifida
Common Name: Engelmann's Daisy, Cutleaf Daisy
Blooming Period: Spring to first frost
Habitat: Grows well in sandy and clay soils and found in roadside ditches, vacant lots, and prairies
This drought tolerant wildflower grows up to 24 inches tall and is an evergreen perennial that forms dense, deep-green leaves. Engelmann Daisy is a very common plant of the Great Plains and Texas.
Fun Facts:
1. Very high in protein (25%) and easily digested
2. Ideal for livestock and wildlife consumption
3. Provide nectar for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds
Native American Uses: May have extracted dye from the plant for dying clothes and other crafts
Feather Dalea
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Feather Dalea
Latin Name: Dalea formosa
Common Name: Feather Dalea, Feather Peabush, and Feather Plume
Blooming Period: April to August
Habitat: Dry rocky slopes and prefers full-sun soils
Feather Dalea is a low shrub with greyish woody branches. In full bloom, the bush presents a pink appearance. This shrub is found in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Sheep, goats, and deer use this plant as an edible browse. Feather Dalea grows well in semi-arid climates of the Southwest.
Fun Facts:
1. Change colors from yellow to maroon after pollination
2. Fills the air with a sweet-smelling perfume
Native American Uses:
1. Traditional uses include bathing in the tea for arthritis relief and bodily pains
2. Used to treat colds with feverish conditions
Gayfeather Wildflowers
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Gayfeather
Latin Name: Liatris spicata
Common Name: Gayfeather, Blazing Star
Blooming Period: Late August to September
Habitat: Well-drained, fertile, and sandy, clay soils
This wildflower is characterized by large spikes 6-12 inches long and each flower stalk can grow 18 to 36 inches. This species is a native to prairies and grasslands. This wildflower will grow wild in a variety of natural settings and is a good addition to a xeriscaping garden. Gayfeather is a hardy, attractive plant. The blooming season lasts from early in the summer into late autumn.
Fun Facts:
1. Represents three emotions: joy, bliss, and happiness
2. Highly recommended for wedding flowers
3. Often given as a romantic gift
Native American Uses:
1. Used for many remedies
2. Used as an analgesic, a diuretic, an expectorant, and for stomach issues
Mexican Hat
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Mexican Hat
Latin Name: Ratibida columnifera
Common Name: Cone Flower, Upright Prairie Coneflower, and Mexican Hat
Blooming Period: June to September
Habitat: Prairies, plains, roadsides, and disturbed areas
Mexican Hat is a long-headed coneflower that typically grows 1-3 feet tall. It forms a long cylindrical, center disk for each flower and has deep cut leaves. Each flower features a long narrow center disk up to 2” long, with 3-7 bright yellow flower rays at the base. Rays are occasionally deep red or yellow streaked with red. This wildflower can be found from Canada to Mexico. It grows in ditches, open pastures, and fields.
Fun Facts:
1. Mexican Hat is a close relative of Purple Coneflower
2. Used for colds and respiratory conditions
Native American Uses:
1. Leaves and flowers are boiled to make a tea to use externally on snakebites
2. Used to reduce symptoms caused by poison ivy
Navajo Tea
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Navajo Tea
Latin Name: Thelesperma megapotamicum
Common Name: Rayless Greenthread, Wild Tea, and Navajo Tea
Blooming Period: March to October
Habitat: Sandy or rocky prairies and roadsides
This perennial herb produces a slender, branching stem 12-24 inches tall. Its leaves are narrow and mostly compound with threadlike segments. This wildflower grows well in harsh conditions and is widespread on the Texas Plains. Today, Native Americans in New Mexico use this plant as a tea.
Fun Facts:
1. All parts of the plant are edible
2. Yellow or reddish-brown dyes are obtained from the flowers
3. Can be made into a brown dye from the leaves and stems
4. An orange-yellow dye can be made from boiling the roots
Native American Uses:
1. Used as an herbal tea
2. Also used for various medicinal remedies
Scarlet Globe Mallow blooms from early spring through late summer.
NPS Photo
Scarlet Globe Mallow
Latin Name: Sphaeralcea coccinea
Common Name: Scarlet Globe Mallow, Red Globe Mallow
Blooming Period: May to October
Habitat: Grasslands and prairies of the Great Plains
The flowers of this wildflower are reddish-orange and saucer-shaped, with 5 notched broad petals, in small terminal clusters. The plant grows from 4-12 inches in height. The stems are grayish in color with dense, star-shaped hairs and alternately arranged leaves that are palm shaped and deeply cut. This wildflower grows on dry, grassy plains and in sandy-clay soils of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Vitamin A has been found in this flower by scientists and are they are researching its value for humans and wildlife.
Fun Fact: Meriwether Lewis collected a specimen of Scarlet Globe Mallow.
Native American Uses:
1. Used mainly as emergency rations by chewing the roots
2. A medicinal use for sores, burns, and swellings
3. Stops bleeding
4. Pain medication
Pink Plains Penstemon
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Pink Plains Penstemon
Latin Name: Penstemon ambiguus
Common Name: Pink Plains Penstemon, Phlox, and Gilia Penstemon
Blooming Period: May to August
Habitat: Dry sandy soil on lower elevation plains
This plant forms a perfectly symmetrical bush and is covered with pink to white flowers. The bush grows to approximately 2 feet tall. This wildflower grows best in sandy soils of stream banks, pastures, and roadsides. From a distance it appears to be white, but the flowers are soft pink.
Fun Facts:
1. Often used in xeriscape gardening
2. Native to desert or alpine regions
3. The largest collection of these wildflowers is found at The Arboretum in Flagstaff, Arizona
Native American Uses:
1. Used as a medicinal remedy for humans and animals
2. Roots chewed for toothaches
3. Disinfectant for livestock with snakebites
4. Helped treat chills and fever
Prickly Poppy
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Prickly Poppy
Latin Name: Argemone pleiacantha
Common Name: White Prickly Poppy, Texas Prickly Poppy, Prickly Poppy
Blooming Period: Mid-spring to mid-summer
Habitat: Arid regions of the southern Midwest along roadsides and disturbed land
Plants of this species are prickly, deep-rooted plants with a large white flower. The flowers grow at the top of the plant. This wildflower can be found in Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas. White Prickly Poppy grows best in sandy and gravelly soils, but also does well in clay soils.
Fun Facts:
1. Oil used as a lubricant during World War II
2. Oil content of the seed is much like the oil in soybeans
Native American Uses:
1. Used to treat a variety of eye ailments
2. The sap is used to treat sore eyes
3. Medicinal use for pinkeye
4. Used as an eyewash
During times of drought Pink Lady flowers decrease in size.
NPS Photo
Showy Evening Primrose
Latin Name: Oenothera speciosa
Common Name: Pink Ladies, Pink Evening Primrose, and Showy Primrose
Blooming Period: May to July
Habitat: Rocky prairies and plains
The Showy Primrose features fragrant, bowl-shaped, four-petaled, white flowers (to 2-3” diameter) with yellow anthers. These wildflowers grow to a height of 10 to 24 inches. The flowers open in the evening or on overcast days. They remain open through the morning but close during the heat of the day. Pollinators for these wildflowers are Hawk moths, hummingbirds, and bees.
Fun Facts:
1. Can be cooked as greens or added to salads
2. Best when collected before flowering
3. Seed capsules attract birds and various mammals
4. Beneficial to native bees
Native American Uses:
1. Used as a liniment for boils
2. Decoction of the root used as a body steam for snake sickness or itchy skin
Red Dome Blanketflower can grow up to three feet tall.
NPS Photo
Yellow Gaillardia
Latin Name: Gaillardia pinnatifida
Common Name: Yellow Gaillardia, Slender Gaillardia
Blooming Period: July to September
Habitat: Open grasslands, light sandy, medium loam, and heavy clay soils
The flower heads are 1 3/4 inches wide and have a fuzzy, domed, red disk with yellow, 3-lobed rays. The leaves are light green and covered in fine, whitish hairs. This wildflower grows in southern Nevada, Texas and Oklahoma and tolerates a wide variety of climates. Yellow Gaillardia requires little care once established and butterflies are attracted to this plant.
Fun Facts:
1. Genus name, “Gaillardia”, honors M. Gaillard de Charentoreau, the patron of botany
2. Species name, “pinnatifida”, means “pinnately cut” referring to the leaves
3. Attractive to butterflies
4. Drought tolerant
5. Winner of the Fleuroselect Gold Medal for 2010
Native American Uses:
1. Used the plant as a diuretic
2. A decoction for heartburn and nausea
Sacred Datura flowers open in the evening and close in the morning.
NPS Photo
Sacred Datura
Latin Name: Datura wrightii
Common Name: Sacred Datura, Moon Flower, and Jimsonweed
Blooming Period: April thru October
Habitat: Open disturbed land and along roadsides with well-drained sandy soils
The leaves of the Sacred Datura are broad and rounded at the base, tapering to a point, often with wavy edges. The flowers are the most striking feature, being sweetly fragrant. They are sometimes tinted purple, especially at the edges. Datura is a very showy plant with large, white flowers that bloom in the late afternoon and close in the morning. The Hawk moths pollinate the Datura at night and will hover like hummingbirds to get to the nectar. Sacred Datura grows alongside roads, ditches, and sandy areas from 1,000 to 6,000 feet in elevation.
Fun Facts:
1. In the nightshade family, the same family as potatoes and tomatoes
2. Sometimes used as a hallucinogen
3. If not used properly, can become deadly to the user
4. Pollinated by moths
Native American Uses:
1. Used to induce visions during rite of passage ceremonies
2. Medicine can be made from the root
Tahoka Daisy
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Tahoka Daisy
Latin Name: Machaeranthera tanacetifolia
Common Name: Tahoka Daisy, Purple Tansy Aster, and Wild Aster
Blooming Period: May to October
Habitat: Well drained, sandy or gravelly soil in pastures, roadsides, hillsides, meadows, and rock gardens
This wildflower has flower heads at the end of branches and are 1 to 2 inches across. Tahoka Daisy is purple with a brilliant yellow center. The plant usually has many branches and is bushy with green leaves. This wildflower is native throughout the Southwest and grows in open places below 8000’.
Fun Fact:
1. Seeds were collected for commercial use in Tahoka, Texas
2. A tough and hardy plant
Native American Uses:
1. Used the dried roots to reduce nasal congestion
2. Utilized as a sneeze-inducing snuff
Dayflower
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Day Flower
Latin Name: Commelina erecta
Common Name: Day Flower, Widow’s Tears, and Slender Day Flower
Blooming Period: July to August
Habitat: Dry sandy prairies, woodlands, or anywhere drier than normal
Day Flowers are approximately one inch across and have three petals. The upper petals are round and bright blue, while the lower petal is much smaller. This wildflower blooms in the spring and has blueish-purple buds. Native to North America, South America, and Central America, it's used for landscaping projects because of its easy care. Dayflower is characterized by a grass-like form and leaves can grow up to two feet. The small flowers last only one day, but each plant produces many buds throughout spring and into early summer.
Fun Facts:
1. Each flower lasts for only one day
2. Leaves, flowers, and immature seeds are good to eat
Native American Uses:
1. Used it as an aphrodisiac for livestock
2. Sap is utilized to soothe skin irritations
