
Have a question about a specific plant at home or want to learn more about one of the plants you see here? Visit
https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ and use the “custom search” feature to find more information.
Landmark Nurseries Tree Park
We currently have two dozen trees in the Tree Park that are busy growing into a rich canopy to create a relaxing, shaded plot. Looking to identify a particular species in the Tree Park? Below is a list of all the trees we are growing, as donated by Landmark Nurseries.
- Bur Oak / Quercus macrocarpa: A deciduous* tree that can exceed 100 feet in height and width. This species has the largest acorns of all the native oaks.
- Chinkapin Oak / Quercus muehlenbergii: A deciduous tree with leaves up to eight inches long with wavy margins. The Latin species name honors Henry Ernst Muehlenberg (1753–1815), a Pennsylvania botanist.
- Monterey Oak / Quercus polymorpha: This tree grows native between Val Verde County in west Texas and south through Mexico to Guatemala. Resistant to oak wilt, this is a hardy evergreen** oak tree.
- Shumard Red Oak / Quercus shumardii: A pyramidal tree, growing 50–90 feet, with leaves that typically turn scarlet in the fall. Named for Benjamin Franklin Shumard / 1820–1869, state geologist of Texas.
- Cathedral Live Oak / Quercus virginiana: This species grows upright with a dominant trunk, which is ideal for street tree planting.
- Cedar Elm / Ulmus crassifolia: An oval-rounded tree growing 50–70 feet. The common name refers to the leaves, whose texture resembles the scale-like leaves of a cedar. The Latin species name means “thick leaf.”
*Deciduous – The tree sheds its leaves each year.
**Evergreen – The tree keeps green leaves all year.
The Texas A&M Forest Service provides more information on how to identify and plant Texas trees.
Mary Helyn’s Rain Garden
Rain gardens turn rain collection methods and drought preparation into a sensible and eye-catching creation. If you want to learn how to design a rain garden, visit https://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/raingardens/ on the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension page.
Below are some of the plants most often used in rain gardens
- American Beautyberry / Callicarpa americana
- Berkeley Sedge / Carex divulsa
- Black-Eyed Susan / Rudbeckia hirta
- Cardinal Flower / Lobelia cardinalis
- Crinum Lily / Crinum augustum
- Daylily / Hemerocallis ‘Lemon’
- Giant Turk’s Cap / Malvaviscus arboreus / ‘Big Mama’
- King Tut Umbrella Sedge / Cyperus articulates / ‘King Tut’
- Lousiana Iris / Iris giganticaerulea / ‘Sinfonietta’
- Purple Coneflower / Echinacea purpurea
- Russelia / Russelia equisetum
- Seashore Mallow / Kosteletzkya virginica
- Spider Lily / Hymenocallis liriosme / ‘Tropical Giant’
- Spiderwort / Tradescantia x andersoniana
- Switch Grass / Panicum virgatum
Stephens Family Texas Superstar® Garden
Texas Superstar® flowers, plants, and trees are those that have been certified as the toughest, most reliable, and most beautiful plants to grow in Texas. Below, you will find a basic list of some Texas Superstar® plants. For a full list, visit texassuperstar.com.
Here is a list of the perennial Texas Superstar® plants in our garden.
- Cape Plumbago / Plumbago auriculata
- Pride of Barbados / Caesalpinia pulcherrima
- Golden Dewdrops / Duranta erecta
- Yellow Bells / Tecoma stans / ‘Gold Star’
- Thryalis / Galphimia glauca
- Fire Bush /Hamelia patens
- Peppermint Flair Hardy Hibiscus / Hibiscus x ‘Peppermint Flair’
- Lynn’s Legacy Cenizo / Leucophyllum langmaniae / ‘Lynn’s Legacy’
- Purple Trailing Lantana / Lantana montevidensis / ‘Purple’
- Silver Mound Lantana / Lantana camara / ‘Silver Mound’
- Trailing Lantana / Lantana montevidensis / ‘White’
- Turk’s Cap / Malvaviscus drummondii
- White Lightning Turks Cap / Malvaviscus arboreus drummondii / ‘White Lightning’
- Pam Puryear Turk’s Cap / Malvaviscus drummondii / ‘Pam Puryear’
- Variegated Tapioca / Manihot esculenta / ‘Variegata’
- Butterfly Deep Pink / Pentas lanceolata / ‘Butterfly Deep Pink’
- Black Stockings Napier Grass / Pennisetum x ‘Black Stockings’
- John Fanick Phlox / Phlox paniculata / ‘John Fanick’
- Princess Caroline Napier Grass / Pennisetum purpureum / ‘Princess Caroline’
- Phlox ‘Victoria’ / Phlox paniculata / ‘Victoria’
- White Cape Plumbago / Plumbago auriculata / ‘White’
- Knock Out Shrub Rose / Rosa x / ‘Radrazz’
- Belinda’s Dream Rose / Rosa x ‘Belinda’s Dream’
- Red Knockout Rose / Rosa x ‘Red Double Knockout’
- Grandma’s Yellow Rose / Rosa x ‘Nacogdoches’
- Mystic Spires Mexican Bush Sage / Salvia leucantha / ‘Mystic Spires’
- Mystic Spires Blue Sage / Salvia x ‘Mystic Spires Blue’
- Gregg’s Salvia / Salvia / ‘Greggii’
- Yellow Butterfly Vine / Mascagnia macroptera
- Little Ruby / Alternanthera brasiliana / ‘Little Ruby’
- Cora Red Periwinkle / Vinca catharanthus roseus
- Blue Bells / Ruellia brittoniana / ‘White Dwarf’
- Blue Princess Verbena / Verbena x hybrida / ‘Blue Princess’