Giant spiderwort: Victoria Dawson in Lakeway

Last year, Lakeway gardener Victoria Dawson took the excellent Go Native U Native Plant Gardening courses at the Wildflower Center. Since then, she’s converted her “suburban yard” into a native plant showcase for honey bees, birds, butterflies and people to enjoy.

She tells us: “Over the past year I have removed much of the typical lawn and planted more natives trees, grasses and flowers. This spring I was pleased to see so many plants recovered and in full bloom after taking a beating in last April’s severe hailstorm. Here’s one of my new resilient favorites: native giant spiderwort (Tradescantia gigantea) giant gleaming in the afternoon sun in my yard.”