Keith Hansen

What do you think of when you hear the word "Superstar"? Perhaps Tom Brady or Eli Manning?

What about a Texas Superstar? While you may be thinking about a sports, movie or music icon, I have superstar plants in mind.

For 20 years, Texas A&M has conducted statewide evaluations of landscape plants, searching for outstanding plants for the gardeners of Texas.

Plants with superior characteristics, including great garden performance in all areas of Texas, reduced need for chemicals or sprays, and a relative ease of propagation and culture, are then designated as Texas Superstars.

These plants have proven themselves in trials conducted across Texas, from Beaumont to Lubbock, and Overton to El Paso. Only the best performers are selected for the Texas Superstar name, which are then marketed through cooperation with growers and retailers and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Try one or more of the Texas Superstars this year in your garden. You can't go wrong, and they are worth searching out for their outstanding performance in Texas gardens. Here are a few of the Superstars that will add great impact in the sunny spots of your yard:

"Knock Out'' Rose was added to the Texas SuperStar lineup in 2004. For superior disease resistance coupled with knockout color, this rose just cannot be beat. "Knock Out'' rose was an All American Rose Selections (AARS) winner in 2000.

The outstanding qualities of this rose were noticed in field trials conducted at Texas A&M-Overton where researchers were evaluating rose varieties for disease resistance, especially for resistance against the serious rose disease called blackspot, which will defoliate susceptible roses if left untreated.

The rose varieties in this field study were not treated with fungicides in order to identify superior varieties for a breeding program. Even after the study was terminated, and the field abandoned, this rose literally stood out like a beacon with its healthy, dark green leaves and bright red blooms, surrounded by other trial rose varieties that were either dead or had lost most of their leaves due to blackspot. Several beds of "Knock Out'' can be found at the Tyler Rose Garden.

"Belinda's Dream'' was the first rose to be selected as a Texas Superstar. The large, fragrant, double pink flowers are born abundantly on this upright plant. It was selected for its superior disease resistance and large, fragrant flowers. While not immune to blackspot, it will continue to bloom and put on new growth all summer long, rarely needing any preventative fungicide treatments. "Belinda's Dream'' can be seen in the main Tyler Rose Garden, the IDEA Garden and the Heritage Rose Garden.

"Flare'' Perennial Hibiscus is a large, hardy perennial hibiscus that blooms non-stop all summer and fall, sporting very large, showy, bright red blooms in a continuous show. Don't confuse this mallow hibiscus with the tropical Chinese hibiscus, which also has beautiful blooms, but will not survive a hard freeze.

"Flare'' will return year after year with stunning red flowers, set off by its apple-green leaves. Give plenty of sun and room for this traffic stopper which grows about 4 foot tall and wide.

Gold Star Esperanza (Tecoma stans) is a South Texas native that was selected for early production of bright yellow, tubular flowers on a dark green, upright plant. It laughs at the heat, and flowers better the hotter and brighter it gets. Though it is tender for us, Gold Star Esperanza provides so much color and flower power during the summer, right up to first frost, you'll be glad you found a sunny spot for it in your yard.

Firebush (Hamelia) was selected and promoted as a Texas Superstar more than 15 years ago for its Texas-tough constitution, giving a summer-long display of bright red-orange tubular flowers in the hottest, sunniest spots of your yard. This readily available tropical perennial is grown not only for its beauty, but also for its drought-hardy constitution. Firebush is a hummingbird magnet and even though it may not come back reliably every year in your yard, it's another one of those kinds of plants that are well worth replanting every year. It is a mainstay in the IDEA Garden and has faithfully returned each spring for many years.

"New Gold" Lantana is a staple in the nursery trade for good reason - it blooms nearly non-stop all summer long with bright yellow masses of small flowers on a low growing, spreading plant.

"New Gold'' Lantana makes a great ground cover or border plant, and looks great spilling over sunny walls. Because it does not set seed, flowering is almost continuous. It may not come back after a cold winter, but deserves a place in the sunny garden. Like all lantana, the sunnier and hotter it is, the better it performs!

For the latest information on the Texas Superstar program, come to the East Texas Spring Landscape and Garden Conference on Saturday, Feb. 16 at the Tyler Rose Garden Center.

Dr. Jerry Parsons, Extension Horticulturist from San Antonio and founder of the Texas Superstar program, will speak on the Superstar program, highlighting both the plants and the process of selecting them, and will give you a look at future Superstar prospects. Parsons will also speak on spring vegetable gardens, and more specifically on growing great tomatoes.

The conference agenda is available at EastTexasGarden-ing.tamu.edu - go to the Events and News, and click on Programs.

Keith Hansen is Smith County Horticulturist with Texas AgriLife Extension Service. His Web page is http://EastTexasGardening.tamu.edu

His blog is http://tceblogs.ta-mu.edu/mt/etg. Texas AgriLife Extension Service educational programs are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin.

Keith Hansen
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