- Rolling fields of Tennessee soybeans.Soybeans image by bonjo from Fotolia.com
More than 21 million acres of Tennessee land are devoted to agriculture. Warm temperatures, moderate rainfall and three different land types (row crop land, rolling land and hilly land) make Tennessee's conditions perfect for food crops and other agricultural staples. Tennessee produces cotton, corn, soybeans and tobacco, among other crops. What many do not know is that Tennessee is also rich in flowering plants, many of which make beautiful garden additions. - Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is native to Tennessee and other parts of North America, a hardy perennial which brows bright orange flowers. The flower clusters blossom at the top of the stems. Butterfly weed requires well-drained soil and full sunlight to thrive. Sandy and gravel soil types provide the best environment for butterfly weed. The flowers may take up to two years to blossom.
Butterfly weed grows 1 to 2 feet high, germinating in 30 to 90 days. Place butterfly weed seeds approximately 1/16 inch into the soil, very close to the surface of the dirt. The flowers will bloom in June through September. Butterfly weed is a very hardy plant that will grow well in gardens once established, but the long taproot makes it very difficult to transplant. - Bright red geranium flower in full bloom.red geranium 34 image by mdb from Fotolia.com
Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum), another Tennessee native flowering plant, reaches 12 to 18 inches in height. Each flower needs room to grow, so place seeds 18 to 24 inches apart when planting wild geranium. Plant in full to partial sunlight.
Geranium flowers are popular garden additions because the bright, colorful blossoms grow in several different shades of pink, purple and red. The flowers bloom in late spring and early summer. Wild geranium is deer-resistant, meaning that flowers will not be eaten by this creature at least. Keep the soil around wild geranium moist but not too wet. - Mist flower (Conoclinium coelestinum), also known as blue bonnet or wild ageratum, is native to Tennessee. Mist flower plants grow approximately 3 feet high with large flower clusters of small, purple-blue, hairy flower blossoms. Mist flower grows best in full sunlight, blooming for several weeks in August and September.
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