Local Gardening Gurus Reveal Their Favorite Flora

My Favorite Flora
Dallas gardening gurus reveal their true loves.

Plant people are really passionate about their flora. In fact, when we called five local gardening notables and asked for their favorite plants, we had a hard time getting off the phone. For the record, out of—what?—tens of thousands of possibilities, the ginkgo tree and Lenten rose got two votes each. Here’s what a handful of Dallas experts list as their favorites.
 
DAVID ROLSTON is a former Iowa farm boy and has been a registered landscape architect in Dallas since 1982. His work has been featured in Metropolitan Home, D Magazine, and D Home.
Favorite plant: David loves the beautiful Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis) because it is a hardy perennial that is well adapted to our soil.” This evergreen comes in several stunning shades and, as David puts it, “blooms like crazy” from January to April.
Favorite tree: The columnar Eastern Red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) or, as David calls it, the Texan-Italian cypress,” is a hardier version of its ancient counterpart. Its tall, moderated form can be easily incorporated into many different landscapes, and, contrary to popular belief, this cedar is hypoallergenic. The Texas native nestles comfortably into its surroundings,” David says, “and adds a vertical element that is usually lacking in most landscapes.”
Favorite flower: Don’t be fooled by its name; the Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum) is actually a flower, and David counts it as his very favorite. Joe Pye is a self-sowing perennial, which means it’s easy to control, and David tells us that the dusty pinkish-lavender blooms lend an element of surprise to any late-summer garden. “The foliage is such a nice color and texture,” David says, “that I like them even when they are not in bloom.” The flower heads look just as beautiful when dried.
I’m-so-totally-bored-with-it plant: David is over pansies (Viola). They’re purple; they’re plain; and they’re everywhere,” he says. Pansies only bloom in a very sunny climate, which is why they thrive in every garden, every backyard, and every terra-cotta pot in Texas.

LESLIE FINICAL HALLECK, who holds a Masters of Science in Horticulture, was the Dallas Arboretum’s director of horticulture research and now serves as director of the Texas Organic Research Center (TORC) and as a writer for Texas and national publications.
Favorite plant: On a sunny day the poppy (Papaver) tickles my fancy because of the way sunlight shines through the brightly colored, paper-thin petals,” Leslie says. “Every part of a poppy plant, from the silvery foliage to the unique, furry flower buds, offers a bounty of interest.
Favorite tree: Leslie says the unique and sometimes curious form of the ginkgo adds an element of intrigue to any landscape. I have always loved the shape of ginkgo leaves—so much so, in fact, that I collected and pressed hundreds of them one autumn in Michigan. After guarding these treasures for many years, Leslie attached one to the front of each of her wedding invitations.
Favorite flower: Leslie tells us that she fell in love with the complexity of the columbine (Aquilegia) when she spent much of her graduate study researching it. “The long-spurred and brightly colored varieties are especially dramatic,â Leslie says. “But I also love the lesser-known species with strange coloring, such as Aquilegia viridiflora.
Nemesis plant: Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is Leslie’s least favorite plant. She and this itchy enemy have been “embroiled in a battle for supremacy for many years now,” she says. “And so far, the poison ivy is winning.”

NEIL SPERRY is the publisher of Neil Sperry’s Gardens magazine in McKinney and the host of Texas Gardening weekend mornings on KRLD 1080 AM. He is also the author of Neil Sperry’s Complete Guide to Texas Gardening.
Favorite flowering plant: What plant typifies Texas and the South better than the crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)? Neil asks. This shrub stands up to the heat and keeps blooming month after month, all summer long.” The crape myrtle comes in more than 300 varieties and, thanks to Neil, can be seen in its many forms in McKinney. Neil and others are working to give the town a world collection of crape myrtles.
Favorite tree: Neil can’t choose between the Lacey oak (Quercus glaucoides) and the Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora). There is a beautiful big Lacey oak in southwest Texas,” he says. “I sat under that tree with my father on many summer days, eating lunch and discussing his research on the Texas mountain laurel. Now I have my own big Lacey oak on the east side of my driveway. I planted that tree thinking of my dad.” Opposite the Lacey oak, there is a Texas mountain laurel given to Neil in memory of his mother.
Favorite flower: The day lily (Hemerocallis, or Beautiful for a Day, in Greek) is Neil’s favorite flower, in particular, the Hearts Afire variety. It was expensive, Neil recalls, so I had to mow lots of lawns to afford it, but it was my first true-red day lily. Nearly immune to pests and disease, this perfect perennial is a favorite among gardeners worldwide.
Heart-breaker plant: The purplish-blue periwinkle (Vinca) “has broken my heart, Neil says, because of its susceptibility to Phytophthora, a disease that flourishes in early spring and causes the plant to shrivel.

HOWARD GARRETT hosts Channel 8’s Garrett’s Organic Garden, writes the weekly The Natural Way column for the Dallas Morning News, and hosts a radio show of the same name on Talk 820 AM.
Favorite plant: The Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) has always been a favorite, The Dirt Doctor says. This early bloomer is the plant for instant-gratification gardeners and can bloom as early as February, long before its woodland neighbors begin to show signs of new life.
Favorite tree: Howard’s favorite tree “literally is the State Champion Pecan Tree in Weatherford, Texas. At 91 feet tall and 256 inches in circumference, the towering trunk is a living testament to the awesome power of nature,” he says. Pecan trees have thrived in Texas for more than 8,000 years.
Favorite flower: The Lantana or Shrub verbena (Lantana camara) is a wonderful plant, Howard says. It’s hardy, low-maintenance, and very attractive.” And not just to Howard—the lantana’s red, orange, and yellow flowers are butterfly and hummingbird magnets, especially the Dallas Red. Lantanas can bloom almost year-round in our climate and will quickly spread throughout a garden.
Get-rid-of-’em-all plant: The Fruitless mulberry (Morus alba ‘Chaparral’), according to Howard, is “nothing more than a big weed and should be banned.” This deciduous, fast-growing shrub has long, draping branches similar to a willow but without the elegance. It is also one of the most allergenic plants and, unfortunately, thrives in the hot, sunny climate of Texas.

CHRISTINE ALLISON is the editor of D Home and spent most of her gardening life in New York. She is the author of 365 Days of Gardening.
Favorite plant: “The Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis) is my heart plant. In late winter, I greet my tiny patch of Lenten roses like they were the first flowers in the universe.”
Favorite tree: “I fell for a guy in college when he plucked a leaf from an ancient ginkgo tree and caused me to admire its beautiful fan shape,” Christine says. “I couldn’t tell you the guy’s name if my life depended on it, but I’ve been in love with the ginkgo tree for decades.”
Favorite flower: “I prefer the old-fashioned flowers, and I suppose nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) would be at the top of my list. Thomas Jefferson had monster beds at Monticello. My nasturtium crops in Dallas have been total duds, but even a single bloom gives me pleasure.”
Avert-my-eyes plant: “I know this is heresy, but azaleas (Rhododendron) en masse make me extremely uncomfortable. I inherited about 50 azaleas on my property. They have a beautiful bloom, but right around the first of April, I feel like I’ve overdosed on Double Bubble. My eye prefers the judicious use of azaleas in a woodland setting.”