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| Photo Credit: Lynn Means |
| Delicate lavender flowers bloom in great numbers as summer temperatures and humidity rise. |
When I moved to North Carolina in 2004, there were some things I missed from my old Southwest garden. After two years, I caved into my Southwest cravings. By last October, I just had to get my hands on my beloved Texas Rangers (the plant, not the law-enforcement group…or baseball team). I called Starr Nursery in Tucson, AZ, to order a dozen of these plants, and I chose Leucophyllum langmaniae ‘Lynn’s Legacy’, a selection known for its ability to withstand cold, as well as its many blooms.
My little beauties arrived via Priority Mail, individually wrapped in newspaper – and amazingly unharmed by their cross-country journey. It was hard for me to imagine a landscape without these shrubs, and I was so excited to see them! While the many shades of green in Carolina gardens are a wonder in their own right, it was so nice to think of our green space being politely interrupted by this clean, hardy, low-maintenance plant with sprays of gorgeous purple flowers and soft, sage-colored leaves. As natives to the shrublands of Texas and Mexico, Texas Rangers are known for how well they thrive in poor soil, heat and humidity. Amazingly, they’re also cold-hardy to 5 degrees F or below, and they grow comfortably in zones 7-10. This is why I thought they might work well in my yard. One of the really great aspects of Texas Rangers is that they put on their best show during the hot, humid days of summer – when many plants wilt and most of us are considering the risks of heatstroke. Also referred to as barometer bushes, Texas Rangers have gorgeous blooms that intensify as the humidity and heat index soar.
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