FLOWERS THAT FAVOR OKLAHOMA CONDITIONS
Below is a listing of proven plants for superior Oklahoma growing recommended by: Oklahoma State University (OSU) Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, OSU Botanical Garden, Oklahoma Botanical Garden & Arboretum, and Oklahoma Garden Industry Cooperators.

Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata 'Tangerine Beauty'

Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Tolerates a wide range of conditions
Hardiness: USDA Zone 6

A true beauty, especially in the spring when ‘Tangerine Beauty’ is covered in orange, trumpet-shaped flowers. This semi-evergreen vine can climb by twining its branches around a structure or can use its adhesive tendrils to cling to a wall, easily reaching heights of 30' or more. As temperatures cool in the fall, the leaves have a purple cast and are evergreen during a mild winter or in a protected spot. Beauty is not the only reason for using Crossvine; it is also a tough plant, tolerant of heat and drought once established.


Summer Snapdragon
Angelonia angustifolia

Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Hardiness: Use as an annual

Summer snapdragon is a tropical sub-shrub that can be used as an annual in Oklahoma and will bloom from summer until the first frost. Orchid-like flowers are produced on 2' tall spikes and depending on cultivar, flower color ranges from blue to purple, pink, or white with bicolor forms also available. Summer snapdragon may be used as a bedding plant, to add color to a mixed border, or in a container. It is drought tolerant and loves full sun and summer heat. Learn more about Summer Snapdragon at OKPLANTid
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Perennial Plumbago
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

Sun Exposure: Partial shade to full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Hardiness: USDA Zone 5

Perennial plumbago is a neat, well-behaved plant that grows 8" to 12" high and spreads to 18" making it welcome at the front of a mixed border or massed as a ground cover. The terminal clusters of blue flowers appear from summer through fall when the foliage turns a bronze-red before going dormant for the winter. It is best to use perennial plumbago in a well-drained soil and to cut old stems to the ground each spring for vigorous re-growth. Learn more about Perennial Plumbago at OKPLANTid

Winter Jasmine
Jasminum nudiflorum

Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Tolerates a wide range of conditions
Hardiness: USDA Zone 6

Winter Jasmine is often mistaken for forsythia but it flowers earlier and has a longer lasting floral display. It flowers as early as December before its glossy green leaves are formed. It can be pruned and used as a hedge but left untrimmed it will arch gracefully, forming a four foot high mound spreading to seven feet. Winter Jasmine requires very little care and is easily rejuvenated by cutting it to the ground every three to five years. Learn more about Winter Jasmine at OKPLANTid

Firebush
Hamelia patens

Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil: Well-drained
Hardiness: Use as an annual

This Central and South American native is a small tree when grown in the deep South but is best used as a heat tolerant annual in Oklahoma. The lush green foliage can produce a dense mound over three feet high in full sun and color is added by the interesting orange-red flowers and the reddish tinge on the leaf petioles. Firebush thrives in the summer heat and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden. Learn more about Firebush at OKPLANTid

Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii 'Pink Preference'

Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Hardiness: USDA Zone 6

'Pink Preference' is a cultivar of Autumn Sage that was selected for its bright pink flowers. Like the species, it is a heat and drought tolerant perennial that starts blooming in the spring but blooms most in the autumn as other flowers in the garden start to fade. It forms a two to three foot mound and attracts humming birds and butterflies to the garden. Pruning to six inches high each spring will help keep Autumn Sage dense and full. Learn more about Autumn Sage at OKPLANTid