16 Kinds of RED Wildflowers in Texas (w/Pics)
Did you find a RED wildflower in Texas?
If so, I’m sure you’re wondering what type of wildflower you found! Luckily, you can use this guide to help you identify it. 🙂
Please be aware that I’m ONLY listing the most common red wildflowers today. There are so many species, varieties, and subspecies that it would be impossible to name them all. But if you want to dive even deeper into ALL the red wildflowers in Texas, check out this field guide!
Today, we will look at 16 RED wildflowers you can find in Texas.
#1. Columbine
- Aquilegia canadensis
Also known as: Red Columbine, Wild Columbine, Canadian Columbine, Jack-In-Trousers, Meeting Houses
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3b-8
- Life Cycle: Perennial or Biennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 6-48 in (15-122 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Spring
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun
You might be more familiar with Columbine varieties from Europe that are purple and blue. However, Red Columbine is a native red wildflower in Texas! You’re probably looking at Columbine if you spot drooping, bell-like red wildflowers near woodlands.
Columbine grows particularly well in gardens or even as a potted plant. Aside from painting your garden with a myriad of colors, the Columbine can attract hummingbirds, bumblebees, and butterflies, which help to pollinate these beauties. Finches and Buntings are also known to eat the seeds!
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#2. Cardinal Flower
- Lobelia cardinalis
Also known as: Red Bay, Scarlet Lobelia, Indian Pink, Water Gladiole, Slinkweed, Bog Sage, Hog’s Physic
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9a
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 3.6-72 in (9-183 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Mid Summer to Early Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
The blooms on this red wildflower in Texas cluster on the end of a long stalk. The Cardinal Flower has dark green leaves with purple undersides.
If you’re especially fond of hummingbirds, you can use the Cardinal Flower to attract them to your neighborhood. While other insects might find it hard to reach the sweet nectar inside, the tubular flowers are perfect for the long beaks of hummingbirds.
Cardinal Flowers grow well in a garden setting. Plant it in an area with partial sun for a beautiful pop of red that will attract hummingbirds!
#3. Spotted Coralroot
- Corallorhiza maculata
Also known as: Summer Coralroot, Speckled Coral Root, Many-flowered Coral Root
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-8
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 3.9-31 in (10-79 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Early Summer
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Shade
This red wildflower is commonly found in wooded areas in Texas.
The most interesting feature of Spotted Coralroot is that it doesn’t have any leaves! Instead, the bare stalks produce clusters of flowers. Since this plant isn’t capable of photosynthesis, it siphons nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi, which is a natural fungus that occurs in its roots.
Mining bees are especially attracted to Spotted Coralroot. Although they pollinate this native orchid, it can also self-pollinate by transferring its pollen as its flower opens.
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#4. Scarlet Creeper
- Ipomoea hederifolia
Also known as: Scarlet Morning Glory, Trompillo
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 8-11
- Life Cycle: Annual
- Approximate Mature Size: 36-120 in (91-305 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Summer to Winter
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Scarlet Creeper is often used as a climbing addition to gardens in the southeast. It grows well in most conditions, and its vines can reach well over 10 ft. (3 m.)
Planting this red wildflower in Texas will attract butterflies and hummingbirds, but be aware that you must prune it regularly. Scarlet Creeper can quickly become invasive to your yard by climbing fences, trellises, walls, and trees.
#5. Trumpet Honeysuckle
- Lonicera sempervirens
Also known as: Scarlet Honeysuckle, Coral Honeysuckle, Honeysuckle, Woodbine
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4b-9a
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 10-20 ft (3-6 m) tall
- Bloom Time: Mid Spring to Summer
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Trumpet Honeysuckle attracts birds, butterflies, and bumblebees. Its red, trumpet-shaped flowers are especially attractive to hummingbirds.
In addition to pollinators, birds are attracted to this red wildflower in Texas because they eat its bright red berries. Purple Finches, Goldfinches, Hermit Thrushes, American Robins, and quails are frequent visitors to Trumpet Honeysuckle vines.
It has similar features to the Trumpet Creeper, and many people get the two mixed up. However, a benefit of the Trumpet Honeysuckle is that it’s not as aggressive and does not get as big as the Trumpet Creeper. Because of this, Trumpet Honeysuckle may fit better in your garden.
#6. Painted-leaf
- Euphorbia cyathophora
Also known as: Wild Poinsettia
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-11
- Life Cycle: Annual
- Approximate Mature Size: 28-35 in (71-89 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Spring to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
You can easily identify the Painted-leaf by its fiddle-shaped leaves with blotches of reddish pink near the base. Their coloring gives them a painted look, which is where their common name came from. You might mistake these colorful leaves as petals, but if you take a closer look, you will see that the true flowers are small and yellow.
This red wildflower in Texas grows in many different soil types, and it’s common across its range. So you’re likely to spot it in habitats ranging from forest edges to open fields.
#7. Woodland Pinkroot
- Spigelia marilandica
Also known as: Indian Pink, Pinkroot
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 12-18 in (30-46 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Late Spring to Summer
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Shade
This red wildflower grows in Texas in moist woods, streambeds, and ravines with lots of shade. The Woodland Pinkroot is a favorite of hummingbirds, songbirds, and butterflies.
If you’re looking for a versatile, easy-to-care-for ornamental plant, Woodland Pinkroot is perfect for city and coastal gardens. It has upward-facing, trumpet-shaped red flowers. Each flower has a yellow middle that flares outward to form a star.
#8. Tropical Sage
- Salvia coccinea
Also known as: Red Salvia, Red Sage, Wild Salvia
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4, 8b-10a
- Life Cycle: Annual or Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 24-48 in (61-122 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Summer to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Look for this red wildflower in Texas in woods, disturbed fields, and vacant lots. It attracts pollinators, including hummingbirds and butterflies. Its bright-red flowers grow from a central stem and look a little like clusters of bells.
Tropical sage has a longer blooming season than most wildflowers. You can expect to see its flowers from the beginning of summer through late autumn.
#9. Coralbean
- Erythrina herbacea
Also known as: Red Cardinal, Cherokee Bean, Mamou Plant
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 6b-10
- Life Cycle: Annual or Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 3-25 ft (91-762 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Spring to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Don’t be confused by the similar names: Coralbean (sometimes called Red Cardinal) is a completely different plant from Red Cardinal Flower. Coralbean is generally a lighter, more pinky shade of red, and its petals are more openly spaced.
This plant is taller and bigger than most red wildflowers in Texas.
The Coralbean blooms are irresistible for hummingbirds. It also has thick, thorny foliage that serves as a refuge for birds and small animals against other wildlife. Look for Coralbean in the sandy soil of open woods and forest clearings.
#10. Trumpet Creeper
- Campsis radicans
Also known as: Trumpet Vine, Trumpet Climber, Hellvine, Devil’s Shoestring
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-10a
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 29-40 ft (9-12 m) tall
- Bloom Time: Summer
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Trumpet Vine is a perfect hummingbird flower (it’s even commonly referred to as “hummingbird vine”), as it features long, tubular, bright flowers with lots of nectar.
This reddish-orange wildflower is easy to grow in most of the country. And I do mean GROW. It has a reputation for growing like crazy, and I can second that with my first-hand experience. It needs to be trimmed regularly, or it will take over an entire area. The vine gets so big that many birds will even nest in its dense foliage!
#11. Wax Mallow
- Malvaviscus arboreus
Also known as: Bleeding Hearts, Manzanilla, Sleeping Hibiscus, Ladies Teardrop
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 7-10
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 12-16 ft (4-5 m) tall
- Bloom Time: Late Summer to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun
Wax Mallow boasts overlapping vermillion red blooms similar to hibiscus flowers. Look for it in dense forest understories, where it grows in a shrub-like shape.
Wherever this red wildflower in Texas grows, you’re likely to find hummingbirds. It’s an important food source for these pollinating birds, particularly juveniles.
#12. Scarlet Beardtongue
- Penstemon murrayanus
Also known as: Red Beardtongue, Red Penstemon, Scarlet Penstemon, Cupleaf Penstemon, Cupleaf Beardtongue
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5b-9
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 24-72 in (61-183 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Late Spring to Early Summer
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
This red wildflower is an essential nectar source for many hummingbirds in Texas.
Scarlet Beardtongue stands up to 6 feet tall, and its flowers are scattered on the end of the stalks. This plant earned its common name of Cupleaf Pentsemon for the upward-facing leaves that look like tiny green cups stacked on top of each other.
The thready stems and widely spaced flowers are common in wildflower fields and along roadsides.
#13. Scarlet Gilia
- Ipomopsis aggregata
Also known as: Scarlet Trumpet, Skyrocket
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 6-9
- Life Cycle: Biennial or Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 12-60 in (30-152 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Late Spring to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
The Scarlet Gilia is also called Skunk Flower for its potent putrid odor. However, that won’t stop long-tongued moths and hummingbirds from enjoying the sweet nectar inside the flowers.
The nickname “Skyrocket” is especially fitting for this red wildflower in Texas.
Its pointed, long petals extend from a central flower and look like a vibrant firework!
#14. Wine Cup
- Callirhoe involucrata
Also known as: Purple Poppy Mallow
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8a
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 4-12 in (10-30 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Late Spring to Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
The Wine Cup is named for its vibrant chalice-shaped flowers. The blooms are magenta, with a white spot at the base of the five upturned petals.
You can plant the beautiful Wine Cup in hanging pots, garden walls, or open meadows to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The stems trail along the ground and spread to about three feet but won’t smother your other plants.
This drought-resistant red wildflower is found in open fields and clearings in Texas.
#15. Blanket Flower
- Gaillardia pulchella
Also known as: Indian Blanket, Indian Blanketflower, Beach Blanket-flower, Firewheel, Sundance
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 2-11
- Life Cycle: Annual
- Approximate Mature Size: 12-24 in (30-61cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Summer to Early Fall
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Blanket Flower is a sunflower with an impressive display of red, orange, and yellow petals. Don’t be surprised if you spot many bees and birds where these flowers grow!
Many beekeepers use Blanket Flower in the production of honey. The honey made from this red wildflower is mild, buttery, and amber-colored.
Goldfinches enjoy the seeds of Blanket Flower, so don’t forget to leave some seedheads after the flowering season!
#16. Pinedrops
- Pterospora andromedea
Also known as: Giant Pinedrops, Woodland Pinedrops, Giant Bird’s Nest
Growing Information
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-8
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Approximate Mature Size: 12-79 in (30-201 cm) tall
- Bloom Time: Early Summer to Mid Summer
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Pinedrops spend most of their life as a clump of fleshy roots underground. Without leaves, Pinedrops don’t need chlorophyll like other plants do. Instead, they are parasitic and steal nutrients from their host plants.
Sometimes, the roots of the Pinedrops will sprout tall, stiff, reddish-purple stems that will grow upright without branches. From these stems, you will see urn-shaped yellow, pink, or white flowers which face downward.
What are your FAVORITE red wildflowers in Texas?
Let us know in the COMMENTS below!
