Texas Wildflower Bingo : See What's In Bloom

The antelope horn flower is not your typical flower. It has extra parts; such as the star-shaped ring of “horns,” which is made of highly modified stamens. It is one of the few plants that packages pollen into microscopic saddlebags called pollinia.

This tall annual can grow from 1.5 to 4 feet tall depending on rainfall and soil type. Large flower heads are 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Blooms have creamy centers ringed by lavender, pink or purple petals. Some flowers are found all white in the case of albinos.

Black-Eyed Susans are pioneer plants; meaning that they are the first plants to grow in an area damaged by fire or natural disasters. Their name likely comes from a popular ballad written by English poet John Gay, about a woman searching for her sailor. 

The blackfoot daisy, also known as plains blackfoot or rock daisy, is a resilient, native Texas perennial with a unique feature: foot-shaped bracts (reduced leaves) on the underside of its white ray flowers that turn black when mature.

Although this perennial plant has grass-like leaves, it is actually more closely related to Iris. While grass flowers are typically inconspicuous and wind-pollinated, blue-eyed grass flowers are conspicuous and colorful because they must attract insect pollinators in order for fertilization to occur.

Bluebonnets are the official state flower of Texas, and while beautiful it should be noted that the entire plant. This includes seeds and pods, which are toxic to humans and animals, potentially causing nervous system damage. 

The name "coreopsis" comes from the Greek words "koris" (meaning bug) and "opsis" (meaning "like a bug"), referring to the seed capsules that resemble ticks. It is also one of the few flowers known widely by its scientific name.

Drummond phlox ( Phlox drummondii), also known as annual phlox or Texas Pride, is a showy annual wildflower native to Texas, named after Scottish botanist Thomas Drummond who collected seeds in 1835. 

Eryngo, also known as Leavenworth's eryngo or sea holly, is a spiny, purple-flowered annual wildflower native to Texas, often mistaken for a thistle, but actually part of the carrot family, blooming in late summer and early fall, and attracting bees and butterflies. 

False dragonhead, also known as Obedient Plant, is a unique perennial in the mint family, native to Texas and other parts of North America, with the flowers staying in place when pushed, earning it the name "obedient".

This native Texas wildflower is often mistaken as a weed, but has a history of being used as an insect repellent and has daisy-like flowers that attract pollinators. Its name comes from folklore, where dried or burned fleabane was thought to ward off fleas and other insects, though its effectiveness is questionable. 

Indian blanket flowers are so named due to their appearance, which resembles the vibrant patterns found in Indigenous American blankets. Other names for it include Firewheel or Gaillardia pulchella.

The Indian Paintbrush is actually a hemiparasite, meaning it obtains some nutrients from the roots of other plants, particularly grasses. The vibrant color comes from modified leaves (bracts) surrounding the small, greenish-white flowers, not the flowers themselves. 

Indians boiled the leaves to make a type of tea that they applied externally to treat snakebites and to reduce the symptoms of poison ivy. They reportedly also made a medicinal tea from the ripened flower heads and leaves to treat non-specified medical issues. 

While most evening primroses open their flowers in the evening, populations in different regions of Texas show varying blooming patterns, with some opening in the morning and closing at night. 

Rain lilies in Texas, also known as zephyr lilies or fairy lilies, are native plants that bloom after rain, typically in the spring and early summer, and are known for their ephemeral beauty. The plant may or may not have leaves when the flower appears. Prairie Rain-Lily tends to be a spring bloomer with its flowers opening in the evening and only lasting a day.

The name "spiderwort" is thought to come from the plant's sap, which appears sticky and cobweb-like when broken, resembling spider silk. Native to Texas and known for their blue, purple, or pink flowers, they are perennial herbs that thrive in various conditions, with some species even being edible.

Also known as Texas plume or red gilia, is a native, showy biennial wildflower that thrives in Texas, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies with its bright red, tubular flowers.

Depending on where this species is grown, it may act like an annual, a biennial or a perennial. In most of its native range it's a perennial. One reason Texas Bluebells are not as common now as they once were is due to their beauty. People have literally picked them from the wild in such numbers that the wild populations have been unable to reseed in their native habitat.

The Texas coneflower, or Rudbeckia texana, is a native perennial herb known for its bright, daisy-shaped flowers, thriving in sunny spots and attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. It's a perennial herb that can grow up to 5 feet tall. The flowers are typically bright golden yellow, but can also be red, yellow, or green. 

It's also known as Calico bush, West Indian shrub-verbena, and sometimes "bacon 'n eggs" due to the patchwork colors in the flower clusters. It's highly drought-tolerant, making it an excellent choice for xeriscaping and moisture-conserving landscapes. 

While most verbena species bloom from summer to autumn, their flowering periods can vary in length. After flowering, the seed-carrying fruit develop. Verbena flowers come in pale and vibrant shades of purple. The flowers are rich in pollen and nectar and are valuable for pollinators.

The seeds of the white prickly poppy are said to be an excellent source of food for quail and other birds because of their high oil content. Additionally, the oil from the white prickly poppy was used as an alternative fine lubricant during WW II.

Callirhoe involucrata, commonly called wine cups, purple poppy mallow or buffalo rose, is a native North American member of the Malvaceae (mallow family).