Native Plants at The History Center

Posted 12/08/2012 |  Updated 09/07/2022

Introduction

The History Center’s mission to collect, preserve, and make available the history of our region is not limited to the records and photos kept in our climate controlled vault or displayed in our exhibit spaces – it also includes our gardens of native plants. The History Center believes that just as an area’s material history grounds it in the past, its native vegetation gives both the past and the present a context, anchoring it with a sense of place. Visitors to The History Center can welcome spring with the red buds, admire the full springtime glory of the native wisteria blooms, get relief from the late summer browns with the vibrant cardinal flowers, marvel at the pink-hued gulf muhly in the fall, and find some cheer in the American beauty berry bush’s purple pops of color on dreary winter days.

The native plants used in The History Center’s gardens also serve another purpose. From the beginning, the gardens were designed to both beautify the property and provide a place for native plants to show off. History Center visitors see beautiful gardens filled with native plants that are incorporated into a modern, controlled landscape and it is hoped, they will begin to add native plants to their own gardens. The Center’s gardens allow visitors to get to know these interesting and beautiful plants, see them in a landscaped environment and observe their relatively easy care.

Native plants offer benefits to commercial and residential landscapes beyond their historical and aesthetic properties. Gardens filled with native plants are also much better stewards of money, time, and land than the genetically engineered and foreign plants used in most landscaping. Because these plants are adapted to the local environment, they are more able to survive the fluctuations in the native climate, requiring less water in the hot summers, less care to maintain their attractiveness, fewer pesticides to counter predators, and generally do not require drastic changes to the soil to thrive. Due to the nature of landscaping within a residential or commercial setting, native gardens do still need tending, but once established do not need as much attention as their non-native counterparts. In short, they belong to the area, and so will survive in the area as they have always done.

Click through the exhibit for photos and specific information on The History Center’s native plants. Additionally, click the hyper-link on each plant's Latin name to be directed to that plant's entry in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Native Plant Database.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Green Lady Bug on Pale Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea Sanguinea), May 2014

Native Plants at The History Center
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Bee on Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea Purpurea), May 2014

Native Plants at The History Center
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Cone Flowers and Coreopsis

Varieties of Purple Cone Flowers (Echinacea sanguinea, Echinacea pallida, and Echinacea purpurea) mix with Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolatia) in several areas of our property from April through early July.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Coreopsis and Purple Cone Flowers

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolatia) and Pale Purple Cone Flowers (Echinacea sanguinea and Echinacea pallida) share this bed near our drive entrance. Coreopsis, also known as tickseed, is a hardy flower that grows in small clumps of 1-2.5 feet tall and forms extensive colonies. The vibrant yellow flowers bloom from early spring into summer, at times blooming in the fall as well. It is easily propagated and transplanted and is an easy plant to grow, with medium water needs, and occasional deadheading in the summer to prolong the blooming cycle.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Pale Purple Cone Flower

Pale Purple Cone Flowers (Echinacea sanguinea and Echinacea pallida) are hardy and bloom from spring well into summer. They are found in the wild in and near pine forests, especially the natural home of longleaf pines, such as in southern Angelina County and northern Jasper and Newton counties. Butterflies love them. Bees and butterflies love the 2-4 foot tall stems with lavender, white, or pale rose-pink flowers.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Little Blue Stem

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grows lush in early April, as shown here in the foreground, just west of our entrance. Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) can be seen in the background, left and middle, and Gulf Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris), not yet green, in the right middle ground. This area receives mostly full sun, although it is slightly shaded at times by the building, a pergola, and a few wax myrtles. A few Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis), barely visible to the far left, have not yet bloomed.

Also known as bunch grass, the Little Bluestem is a colorful grass, growing in clumps of about one foot in diameter, with a blue base in springtime that turns reddish tan in fall and winter. Its white, fuzzy seeds feed small birds in winter. The Sea Oats are a low maintenance shade grass that grows in two to four foot clumps requiring a medium amount of water. The clumps are useful for preventing soil erosion and are also favored by small mammals, birds, and butterflies. Birds like the grass as a material for their nests.

For a list of Greg Grant's suggested native plants for East Texas, click here. Greg Grant is on the faculty of Stephen F. Austin State University's SFA Gardens and Pineywood Native Plant Center.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Coreopsis and Pale Purple Cone Flowers

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolatia) and Pale Purple Cone Flowers (Echinacea sanguinea and Echinacea pallida) share this bed near our building entrance. Coreopsis, also known as tickseed, is a hardy flower that grows in small clumps of 1-2.5 feet tall and forms extensive colonies. The vibrant yellow flowers bloom from early spring into summer, at times blooming in the fall as well. It is easily propagated and transplanted and is an easy plant to grow, with medium water needs, and occasional deadheading in the summer to prolong the blooming cycle.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Virginia Sweetspire

Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica). This shrub, which can get as large as 8 feet tall if left untrimmed, has graceful arching branches and its leaves are red to purple in the fall and winter. It is deciduous and does well in mass plantings where it receives plentiful moisture and part shade. Virginia Sweetspire is useful for erosion control and as an understory planting with fall color and is used by small animals as cover, as well as being attractive to insects and birds.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Virginia Sweetspire

Another view of Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica), which we have planted along our train display. The blooms of this plant grow on 4 inch spires and have a pleasant aroma in spring and are beautiful in their intricate detail.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Cardinal Flowers

Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) bloom from mid July all the way into November. Requiring a little more water than some other native flowers, they are most often found in the wild along river banks, creeks and streams. This 1-6 foot tall perennial with bright red, 8 inch flowers is very attractive in summer and fall landscapes and also attracts butterflies and birds, particularly hummingbirds, who love its nectar.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Dam B Wisteria

Our native wisteria (Wisteria frutescens, "Amethyst Falls"), vines give a fragrant and colorful show each April, on the pergola at our front entrance. The high climbing, woody vines show off their 6-9 inch clusters of flowers, which grow on new wood after the plant leafs out. Native wisteria is less aggressive than the foreign varieties and is very trainable. It attracts butterflies and is used as a nectar source and as a larval host. Residential landscapers might find their deer resistance useful.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Purple Cone Flowers

Purple Cone Flowers (Echinacia purpurea) bloom from spring well into summer and can grow thick. They are relatively easy to grow and offer lots of showy lavender blooms on 2-5 foot stems that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Purple Cone Flower and Butterfly

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (papilio glaucus) enjoys our Purple Cone Flowers (Echinacea purpurea).

Native Plants at The History Center
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Dam B Wisteria

Another view of our native wisteria (Wisteria frutescens, "Amethyst Falls" ) vines, showing off on the front pergola during April. The "Dam B" variety's blue flowers attract butterflies and bees and grace The History Center's front entrance, welcoming visitors every spring.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Switchgrass

Our Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)grows in clumps that can reach up to 5 feet tall. The extensive roots of this grass can provide excellent erosion control. The seeds, which can be seen from August to October, are song and game bird favorites, and the rest of the grass provides cover and nesting material. This perennial is deer resistant but serves as a larval host for Delaware and Dotted Skipper butterflies.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Beauty Berry

Our American Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana) shrubs grow from 3 to 5 feet tall and about that wide. They are planted along the east side of our building, with Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) and Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor), and they require little water. The reddish-purple berry clusters are quite showy, and have almost a metallic luster, though they are quite soft. Birds, particularly the northern bobwhite, feed on the berries and the plant's foliage is a favorite of whitetail deer. The foliage is yellow-green in the fall, adding color to the landscape throughout the year.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Indian Grass

Our Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) can grow up to 4 feet tall and produces dramatic seed heads in early fall. Indiangrass is a larval food source for butterflies, particularly Pepper and Salt Skippers. Small mammals and birds eat the seeds and also use the grass as a source of nesting material. The tall bunches have a metallic gold sheen in the warm seasons that changes to a gold and purple in the fall, when it begins to bloom. This grass is a sod-former, making it useful in prairie restoration efforts.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Purple Cone Flower

Another view of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (papilio glaucus) enjoys our Purple Cone Flowers (Echinacea purpurea).

Native Plants at The History Center
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Gulf Muhly

Gulf Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) blooms a vibrant pink in September and October, reminiscent of cotton candy. The blooms are especially attractive when backlit by the low-on-the-horizon fall sun and are an anticipated signal to the shortened days of fall. The clumps grow to 1.5 to 3 feet tall.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Gulf Muhly Grass

Another view of our Gulf Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) highlighting the purple-pink spikelets in the fall. These Gulf Muhly bunches grow beneath Dwarf Palmettos (Sabal minor) and an Eastern Red Bud tree (Cercis canadensis).

Native Plants at The History Center
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Crossvine

We have Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) planted on tall trellises on the north and south sides of the building. These woody, climbing vines grow fullest on the south side of the building due to the full sun they receive most of the day. Untrained, the vines can climb to heights near 50 feet. Crossvine is a colorful addition to the landscape, with green leaves in summer that turn reddish purple in winter. The trumpet shaped flowers, which bloom best in full sun, are an orange-red and attract hummingbirds. Deer will eat the leaves in winter.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Crossvine

Another view of our Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata), which is planted on tall trellises on the north and south sides of the building. The vines grow fullest on the south side, because of the full sun they receive most of the day. In this photo, the flowers are more yellow that orange, and the green leaves are beginning to turn red. Mockingbirds seem to always nest in our vines on the south side of our building.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Turk's Cap

Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) is an extremely hardy shrub that requires less water than any of our blooming plants. These are planted along the east side of our building and bloom throughout the summer and into fall. They receive full sun during the first half of the day and full shade the second half. For much of the year we are greeted each morning by dozens of hummingbirds here, at the staff entrance. The red flowers never fully open, but attract hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, and other insects. Birds and small mammals will eat the fruit.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Turk's Cap

Another view of Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) and its red blooms.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Entrance

The blooms of Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolatia) and native Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens, “Amethyst Falls”) adorn our building entrance in April, as seen here. Note the Cardinal Flowers ( Lobelia cardinalis) in the foreground, which have not yet bloomed.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Fall Blooms

Our Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) and Gulf Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) grasses still give a show of color into early November, as shown here.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Cardinal Flower

Another view of a couple of our Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis), and their vibrant red blooms.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Bee in Crossvine

A bumble bee enjoys one of our Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) blooms.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Bee in Wisteria

A bee enjoys one of our native Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens, “Amethyst Falls”) blooms.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Pale Purple Cone Flowers

Another view of some of our Pale Purple Cone Flowers (Echinacea sanguinea andEchinacea pallida) and their delicate pink blooms.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Butterfly and Purple Cone Flowers (Echinacea Purpurea)

Native Plants at The History Center
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Purple Cone Flowers (Echinacea Purpurea), June 2013

Native Plants at The History Center
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Train Display, June 2013, Purple Cone Flowers

Native Plants at The History Center
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Train Display, Coreopsis, May 2013

Coreopsis is a hardy flower that blooms from early spring into summer, at times blooming in the fall as well. It is easily propagated and transplanted and its bright yellow blooms provide a cheerful pop of color.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolatia) , May 2014

Coreopsis is a hardy flower that blooms from early spring into summer, at times blooming in the fall as well. It is easily propagated and transplanted and its bright yellow blooms provide a cheerful pop of color.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Lanceleaf Coreopsis(Coreopsis lanceolatia), May 2014

Coreopsis is a hardy flower that blooms from early spring into summer, at times blooming in the fall as well. It is easily propagated and transplanted and its bright yellow blooms provide a cheerful pop of color.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Big Blue Stem

Our Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grows lush in early spring, beneath pines (Pinus taeda), dwarf wax myrtles (Myrica pusilla), and a red maple (Acer rubrum drummondii). The Big Bluestem is a perennial grass that grows in bunches. It provides cover for songbirds and is a larval host for Delaware and Dusted Skipper butterflies. Cows love Big Bluestem, but it is not recommended for concentrated grazing.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Coreopsis

Another view of the Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolatia), a hardy flower that blooms from early spring into summer, at times blooming in the fall as well. It is easily propagated and transplanted and its bright yellow blooms provide a cheerful pop of color.

Native Plants at The History Center
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Purple Cone Flowers, May 2014

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