Texas Superstar plants are tested and selected for superior performance. It isn’t easy to become a Texas Superstar. Only the toughest, most reliable and best-looking plants make the cut.
Every plant earning the Texas Superstar designation undergoes several years of extensive field trials by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, both part of the Texas A&M System.
One of the keys to the success of the Texas Superstar program is the quality and reliability of the plant material that is highlighted in educational and marketing campaigns. Every effort is made to ensure that highlighted plants will perform well for Texas consumers. Wherever appropriate, limitations to highlighted plants are mentioned during marketing campaigns. Additionally, cultural information is provided to give the consumer guidance regarding proper plant care.
A plant must show superior performance under Texas’ tough growing conditions. During the field trials, plants receive minimal soil preparation, reasonable levels of water and no pesticides.
From the beginning, this program has represented a partnership between the Texas A&M University Agriculture Program and the nursery industry in Texas. Only the most reliable and best-looking plants are so designated.
The criteria for selecting a Texas Superstar plant include:
• It must be attractive and useful to the gardening public.
• It must be unique and offer desirable and ornamental characteristics (i.e., the ability to perform in the heat of a Texas summer or have good pest resistance) not usually available in commonly sold plants.
• It must consistently perform well for most Texas consumers regardless of their gardening expertise and growing locations.
• It must be as pest resistant as possible (deer proof a bonus).
• It must be able to be propagated and mass produced in sufficient numbers to meet consumer demand.
• It preferably is attractive in the sales container because it sells itself to consumers who have never heard of the attributes of the plant.
What does this mean to the average homeowner? It means you will find landscape success with beautiful, proven, Texas-tough plants. There are more than 70 plants — including trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, and vegetables — deemed worthy of the Texas Superstar rating.
The Gregg County Master Gardeners will be hosting a free event at the Longview Arboretum and Nature Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 21, giving you the opportunity to learn the value of selecting Texas Superstar plants for your garden. Participants can also enjoy a propagation demonstration and guided tours through the Arboretum. Feel free to bring lunch and join us to learn more about beautifying your landscape the Superstar way. For more information, call (903) 236-8429.
— Shaniqua Davis is the Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources for Gregg County. Email: Shaniqua.Davis@ag.tamu.edu .