According to new research from the horticulture guide Gardening Chores, Texas’ favorite flower to grow is lavender.
The study analyzed the number of Google searches for various flower names, combined with the search terms “how to grow flower name” and “buy flower name,” to discover the state's favorites.
Lavender is the most popular flower in Texas, with an average of 5,380 searches per year, followed by roses with 4,460 searches on average.
“Lavender provides many benefits to the area in which it is grown and can thrive both outdoors and indoors with proper care," said Amber Noyes, a horticultural expert at Gardening Chores. "From its widely acknowledged pleasant fragrance to its beautiful violet flowers, it provides a welcoming space for pollinators, and acts as an excellent repellent of nuisance garden insects, such as mosquitoes and ticks.
Here are a few tips from the experts on how to cultivate the most popular flowers in Texas.
Lavender
Lavender is Texas’ favorite flower, with an average of 5,380 collective yearly searches. Lavender is a hardy plant that brightens up any space. Great for pollinators like bees, the purple plant grows best in bright, dry conditions in not very fertile soil with good drainage.
Rose
With 4,460 searches per year on average, the rose ranks as Texas’ second most popular flower. There are a huge variety of roses, generally, roses come in three types: climbing, groundcover, and shrub. Roses generally grow best in full sun, with soil of medium moisture and a pH ranging from neutral to slightly acidic. However, specific types of roses can tolerate conditions outside of this range.
Sunflower
The sunflower comes in as Texas’ third most popular flower, with an average of 3,880 yearly searches. The common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), is known for its towering height, bright yellow outer petals, and its large, sun-following flower head. The common sunflower is an annual flower, meaning that it dies after one growing season, which is the period from germination to seed production. It grows best in full sun or partial shade, in average fertile soil with good drainage.
Hydrangea
With an average of 2,790 yearly searches, Hydrangeas rank fourth most popular. Famous for their large blooms in striking colors, they are reliable flowers that don’t require much maintenance. Hydrangeas grow best in full sun, although areas with afternoon shade will be preferred in hotter climates. They also prefer rich soil that is well-drained and moist. Remember: hydrangeas grow quickly. The flowers can spread up to ten feet, so make sure to plant them in a space that can accommodate this.
Tulip
The tulip is the fifth most popular flower in Texas, with an average of 2,130 searches per year. There are around 75 species of tulips, with more than 3,000 varieties altogether. Tulips generally grow best in full sun conditions and prefer fertile, well-drained, evenly humid loam, chalk, or sand-based soil, with the soil pH ranging from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline. Tulips require plenty of attention to return year after year.