Learning That Plant Lesson...AGAIN!

For several years, as members of a naturalist organization, my wife and I would give talks to civic groups and garden clubs about attracting backyard wildlife. An integral part of the presentations was concentration on native plants and how they are adapted to the environment. Ready? Here’s the lesson learned again.

In our part of Texas we set the record for the warmest July on record, we’ve had 32 consecutive days (so far) with high temperatures greater than 100°F (49 total), and our rainfall is 10” below average. And, as mentioned on the forum, our “bug du jour” is the grasshopper who eats almost everything in sight: except for native and adapted plants.


The Mealy blue sage in the photo is doing just fine, thank you. It gets no watering and seems to enjoy itself. It is not as robust as it would be if the climate was a bit less harsh, but it’s doing OK and actually provides some food for the bees, but not the grasshoppers.


I think the last syllable of the word “milkweed” is probably correct. Three weeks ago this little guy was mowed. Now look at him! I’ve always held off mowing the field until after the Monarch migration, but I think next year I’ll cut it in February, before the migration. The milkweed should grow back in time for the migration and the early mowing might also help with grasshopper control…I’ll let you know.


Finally, another plant that seems to laugh in the face of adversity: the Turk’s Cap. Its bright red flowers attract hummingbirds and add a splash of color to the flower bed. Again, this plant gets no additional watering, only what Mother Nature supplies. And, while it feeds hummingbirds, the grasshoppers want nothing to do with it.

So, the lesson has been learned again. If you want plants that can survive whatever nature throws at them, landscape with those that are native or adapted to your area.