Plant of the Month
The plants listed on this page were selected by the members of the Allen Garden Club at their monthly meetings. Look for these plants at your local nurseries to grow in your own home gardens.
February 2025: Daffodil Narcissus
If you want to grow your own, follow these tips. Plant the bulbs in late fall to early winter under three to four inches of soil. Then water them and feed with an all purpose fertilizer or composted manure. After they bloom, allow the tall green leaves to yellow before cutting them back. This will allow the daffodil bulb to generate new energy for the next growing season. Daffodils can be planted when they become available in the fall through December.
There are thousands of hybrid varieties in as many combinations of colors. Most daffodil flowers are fragrant, and some even appear and bloom in early winter.
Daffodil bulbs are used extensively in landscaping because they are quick to naturalize and they deter animal pests. Both bulbs and leaves produce toxic crystals that rodents and deer don’t like. Thus, they protect more scrumptious flowerbed or garden delicacies with which they share soil.
March 2025: Grape Hyacinth Muscari neglectum
Grape hyacinths are a nice little flower that adds a pop of blue to the landscape from February through mid March. Plant the bulbs in the fall when they become available through December. Fertilize the area with organic matter or composted manure. These little bulbs will naturalize in the gardens and can also be planted in lawn areas since their flowers and foliage will fade before it is time to mow.
April 2025: Iris Iris
August through September is the best time to plant iris although it can be planted almost anytime during the growing season. Plant your iris in soil that has been amended with plenty of organic matter to improve drainage. Plant your iris so the tops of the rhizomes are at the top of the soil or barely covered. Place your iris divisions 12-24 inches apart in a sunny part of your garden. They need at least 4 hours of direct sunlight. You'll need to water your newly planted iris, but once established, don't let the soil get soggy. Fertilize your iris in October with a low nitrogen fertilizer - 10-20-10 or similar balance. Cut the bloom stalks close to the ground after they finish blooming.
May 2025: Rose 'Peggy Martin'
Peggy Martin rose is a vigorous spring blooming climbing rose that can easily reach 15 feet or larger. Grow this rose in full sun along a sturdy fence or pergola. As with all roses, it is best to plant it in a raised bed that has been amended with plenty of compost. This rose has prickles on the leaves' backs, while the canes are free of thorns.
The ‘Peggy Martin’ rose is one of the easiest climbing roses to care for. It is incredibly disease resistant and requires very little TLC. It will climb a trellis or fence over 20 feet in height. Once established, it will bloom in fall as well as spring. This rose can be expected to live up to 30 years.
June 2025: Indian Blanket Gaillardia pulchella
Firewheel or Indian Blanket is a popular annual growing 1-2+ ft. tall. This Texas native prairie plant is happy growing anywhere in full sun, including a home garden. When grown in a home garden, it will continue blooming all through the summer until the first frost. Each of the seed heads contains about 100 seeds. It is grown as an annual so allow some of the seed to drop in your garden for repeated blooms the next growing season.
Frequent along roadsides in the Southwest, these wildflowers stand like hundreds of showy Fourth of July pinwheels at the top of slender stalks. Varieties are popular in cultivation, for they tolerate heat and dryness. Among several species in the Southwest, some flowers are entirely yellow.
August 2025: Turk's Cap Malvaviscus arboreus
Turk's cap is a very versatile native plant for your garden. It can have different growth habits depending on the amount of direct sunlight it receives. The one on the left receives full sun for most of the morning and has grown large to almost 6 feet tall against that 8-foot fence. The one on the right is in full shade in the morning and gets dappled sunlight in the afternoon. It is about knee-high. Both have blooms. Turk's cap attracts hummingbirds and large butterflies. It produces small apple-like fruit that is eaten by birds later in the season. It is looking great this month and that is why it is our plant of the month.
"This spreading shrub, often as broad as high, grows 2-3 ft., sometimes reaching 10 ft. Bright-red, pendant, hibiscus-like flowers never fully open, their petals overlapping to form a loose tube with the staminal column protruding, said to resemble a Turkish turban, hence its most common name, Turk's Cap. Especially useful in shady situations.
September 2025: Rock Rose Pavonia lasiopetala
Rock rose is a native plant of Texas, specifically the Edwards Plateau south to the Rio Grande, but it adapts to a wide range of soils and climates. It blooms from spring to frost with small hibiscus like pink flowers that are about 1-2 inches across. It tends to get a bit leggy in late summer, but light pruning will encourage thicker growth and more blooms. It reseeds easily and can also be propagated with soft wood cuttings. It grows best in full sun and can also tolerate a little afternoon shade. It has a tendency to get powdery mildew, but more sunlight resolves that problem. This perennial grows to about 3-4 feet tall and wide. It requires little care once established. It can be cut back to about 8-12 inches in late winter to encourage new growth the next growing season.
October 2025: Autumn Sage Salvia greggii
Autumn sage is a favorite in local landscapes in our area. It is drought tolerant, prefers full sun, attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. The most common color is red and it is available in a variety of other colors such as pink, white, yellow, purple, peach, bi-color, etc. It is a soft mounding shrub that will grow to about 2-3 feet tall and wide. It can be left to grow to its natural size or prune it back by about half in late winter. Autumn sage has a flush of blooms through the spring and is sporadic in the heat of summer. It can be pruned back by about a third in late July or early August to encourage another flush of blooms in the fall.
November 2025:
Previous Years Plants of the Month
2024 Plants of the Month:
February: Pansy Viola
March: Daffodil Narcissus
April: Iris Iris
May: Oakleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia
June: Zinnia Zinnia angustifolia
August: Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
September: Spider Lily Lycoris Radiata
October: Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum
November: Turk's Cap Malvaviscus arboreus Dill. ex Cav. var. drummondii
2023 Plants of the Month:
February: Lenten Rose Hellebores orientalis
March: Redbud Cersis canadensis
April: Bluebonnet Lupinis texensis
May: Salvia "Henry Duelberg" Salvia farinacea
June: Daylily Hemerocallis
August: Lantana Lantana urticoides (L. horrida)
September: Butterfly Weed Asclepsias tuberosa
October: American Beautyberry Callicarpa americana L.
November: Fall Aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium
December: Tillandsia Tillandsia
2022 Plant of the Month:
February: Lenten Rose Hellebores orientalis
March: Daffodil Narcissus
April: Texas Gold Columbine Aquilegia chrysantha ‘Hinckleyana’
May: Iris Iris
June: Plumeria Plumeria
August: Turk's Cap Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
September: Plant of Barbados Caesalpinia pulcherrima
October: Autumn Sage Salvia greggii
November: Fall Aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium
December: Kalanchoe Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
2021 Plants of the Month:
February: Ornamental Kale/Cabbage
March: Daffodil Narcissus
April: Texas Gold Columbine Aquilegia chrysantha ‘Hinckleyana’
May & June: Lance-leaf Tickseed Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata
August: Shasta Daisy Leucanthemum × superbum
September: Turk's Cap Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
October: Autumn Sage Salvia greggii
November: Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum