To continue on the tour of the local area, here is a list of flowers you may see growing in the wild or in people's yards in southeast Texas. Many have medicinal properties but you will have to do your own investigating in that area as I can not give medical advice.

 BLACKBERRY-IF you see these flowers growing then know that blackberry fruit is soon to follow. The flowers bloom in March and the fruit can be found by April-May. The fruit is edible. Watch for snakes that like to hang out around these plants.

 Bluebonnet- Our state flower....it can be seen along Texas Highways in the Spring. Don't pick them because it's against the law! Please forgive us if you see us on the side of the highway taking pictures of our children among the bluebonnets. It may seem crazy but it's sort of a tradition with some families. Besides, the bluebonnets look beautiful in photos.

 Buttercup- as a child, I walked around with a yellow nose from playing with these flowers. They grow all over our part of Texas.

 Cherokee Rose- This one grows all over the place in Northwest Harris County and in my yard. Be careful of the areas it grows in though because there will be thorns. You can make a tea from this one.

 Indian Paintbrush- Also seen growing along Texas Highways, it compliments the blue of the bluebonnets. There are stories or legends surrounding both this flower and the bluebonnet that we all read as children. I won't tell the story here but if you've never heard the legend, then search for it on the internet.

 Lantana- this is one of my personal favorites. It's a flower made up of many small flowers. It really doesn't smell too good but it is pretty.

 Texas Sage- Silvery grey with pinkish- purple flowers. What can I say about this one except that it grows well here and it's pretty. It is a very hardy plant that can survive a dry summer.

 Black-eyed Susan- People confuse these with sunflowers but they are NOT sunflowers. You won't get seeds to eat from this little flower but they do brighten the scenery with their autumn colors.

 Sweet Pea- My grandmother's favorite, I've seen this one growing around mailboxes my whole life.

 Petunia- This "creeping" flower can take over your garden if you allow it to and why not, it's beautiful when it makes a big carpet across an area.

 Daylilies- They are named this because they close at night and open up to welcome you in the morning. When the flower goes away you still have a nice ornamental grass border. I dig mine up  and seperate them and make two or three more plants out of one every year.

 Goldenrod- a lot of people confuse this with ragweed. They say it doesn't effect you like ragweed but I'm telling you that when this stuff is blooming.......I get sick!

 Wisteria- Another of my personal favorites. It smells Heavenly. It looks like grape clusters hanging. I love to wake up to the smell of Wisteria.

 Nettle- Also known as stinging nettle. Touch it and you will see why.

 Dandelion- you either hate it or love it but if you have grass, you will eventually have this growing in your yard. It looks like a ball of cotton when it seeds and kids like to blow them all over the yard so they can grow more the next year. You can eat this one on salads.

 Honeysuckle- this one smells really good too. You can pinch the bottom off and suck on the nectar. Well, at least we did as kids.

 Prickly pear cactus- This one REALLY doesn't grow here as much as it does in the more western areas like Laredo but it does grow here. It gets pretty yellow flowers but beware the thorns!

 Agave- there's one of these growing in front of a store on FM 2920. When it's blooming it gets REALLLLLY tall.

 Thistle- Beware the cactus that make you want to reach out and touch the flower!! It's nature's little trick on kids who don't know any better.

 Winecup- I always thought these were poppies until someone set me straight.

 Azalea- Seems to be a favorite among gardeners in the Houston area. You will see these in the color shown plus pink and white and even a reddish color.

 Gardenia- Another favorite of mine because it's easy to grow in our climate and it smells great. I use this one to make my own perfumes.

 Trumpet vine- This one is actually illegal in some states because it can be very invasive and likes to grow up phone poles.

 .....and you thought Texas was all about cactus and cows!!!