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cathedralplantco

Small-batch grower of Texas natives; Texas Master Naturalist, native plant/ecosystem enthusiast.

Salvia greggii is one of my “anchor” plants. This

Salvia greggii is one of my “anchor” plants. This entire section was done with existing plants moved from a different area of the yard (they came with the house!). I was so grateful that the previous owners went with 90% natives and/or left the property wild. This cluster here receives almost full sun and is very happy with 1” of recent rainfall. I don’t grow these for sale because they’re very common, but they ARE a great landscaping plant! These were about 1 ft tall when I transplanted them 3 years ago and receive no supplemental water.

Fall aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) is begin

Fall aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) is beginning to bloom!

Round 2 of Schoenocaulon blooms! This time of year

Round 2 of Schoenocaulon blooms! This time of year, it’s S. ghiesbreghtii blooming. (The spring bloomer is S. texanum.) They all look like a grass until these scapes emerge! 😍

First bloom on Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus ma

First bloom on Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani), with plenty more on the way after some decent rain last week.

Evergreen sumacs (Rhus virens) are starting to blo

Evergreen sumacs (Rhus virens) are starting to bloom. This particular one is male and gets the brutal afternoon sun. After the recent rain, I guess he decided to show off. Such a beautiful mature plant!

Finally got a second bloom on Nymphaea mexicana! 😍

Finally got a second bloom on Nymphaea mexicana! 😍

Two blooms in one day! This is a first. 😍 Nymphaea

Two blooms in one day! This is a first. 😍 Nymphaea odorata continues to shine.

This Lassaux’s sphinx moth is growing quickly! It

This Lassaux’s sphinx moth is growing quickly! It was feasting on Funastrum cynanchoides but has moved on to Matelea reticulata. Since I read they host on all milkweeds, I should move my Funastrum crispum inventory to a safer location. 😉

Giant swallowtail – snuck into the greenhouse whil

Giant swallowtail - snuck into the greenhouse while the doors were open. No worries - he/she was safely relocated back outdoors! It is always a treat to be able to get so close and rescue one.

Flame acanthus is thriving in the heat, in spite o

Flame acanthus is thriving in the heat, in spite of the lack of rain. This is a favorite of hummingbirds; it’s one of the few things blooming during their migration.

Escobaria tuberculosa – flowers were hand-pollinat

Escobaria tuberculosa - flowers were hand-pollinated by me, apparently successfully!! I’m thrilled that it worked; looking forward to trying to grow these from seed.

Indigofera lindheimeriana (Lindheimer’s indigo) is

Indigofera lindheimeriana (Lindheimer’s indigo) is starting to bloom! This is a nice, compact shrub (up to 5 ft, but I’ve only seen them here up to about 3 ft around the lake). They supposedly need a bit more water than I care to provide, but this one is next to a wildlife trough, so it gets a little extra water by accident. 🙂 This one gets full sun.

Mimosa borealis vs. Mimosa texana I have both of

Mimosa borealis vs. Mimosa texana

I have both of these in my yard and only realized that recently. I noticed that the new plants (planted last year) were a much different shape that the M. borealis I’ve had since I bought this place. After further investigation, I’ve learned that the new plants are actually M. texana due to a couple of key differences!
- Mimosa borealis is more of a shrub shape, while Mimosa texana is more tree-like; due to this, M. texana may get much larger than M. borealis.
- Mimosa texana seed pods have prickles, while Mimosa borealis seed pods do not.
*There are also differences in the inflorescence, but I don’t have photos of both that are detailed enough to show that.

My own observations: My Mimosa borealis rarely produces seeds, while the Mimosa texana is a prolific seeder. And there is another type of mimosa that I also love, but we won’t cover that here 🥂😂

I hope to be offering M. texana AND M. borealis in the spring, but I have only a few M. borealis seeds, so we’ll see how it goes! :)

Cover photo is Mimosa borealis in full bloom from 30 March 2026.

Oenothera kunthiana – such an interesting little p

Oenothera kunthiana - such an interesting little plant. The flower are white and open up at dusk, but the seed pods are the most intriguing. They stay closed unless they get wet; then they will open up in the morning to release the tiny seeds inside, closing up again after a few hours.

Photos:
1 - Flower
2 - Closed seed pods
3 - Open seed pod, full of seeds
4 - Open seed pods, after dispersing seeds

Look at those legs!!! This morning, I trimmed up

Look at those legs!!!

This morning, I trimmed up one of my mature evergreen sumacs (Rhus virens) to highlight the old growth wood at the base. Since evergreen sumacs like to grow low and shrubby, I trim them up every year or two so I can see these gorgeous, old, gnarled trunks.

Evergreen sumac is dioecious; this particular one is a male, but thankfully I also have some females as well. They are late season bloomers and VERY popular with bees and butterflies of all kinds. (I’ll share some photos of flowers & berries later this season.) They do very well here in full sun with no supplemental water once established.

I haven’t tried to grow them from seed yet, but maybe I’ll give it a whirl!

I’m still not tired of this 😍 Nymphaea odorata

I’m still not tired of this 😍 Nymphaea odorata

Eryngium leavenworthii has begun developing its ch

Eryngium leavenworthii has begun developing its characteristic purple color! These sprouted from seeds left behind a few years ago; I had one plant in this area that bloomed and went to seed, and the seeds finally sprouted this year with all the spring rains. Love these!

Gulf coast toad hanging out in one of my Funastrum

Gulf coast toad hanging out in one of my Funastrum crispum pots this morning. He enjoyed the little shower he got as I watered the plants. :)

Penstemon cobaea – looking good in spite of the he

Penstemon cobaea - looking good in spite of the heat!

Even in tiny 4” pots, Passiflora foetida thrives i

Even in tiny 4” pots, Passiflora foetida thrives in this heat! These are still INSIDE my greenhouse. Who wants one?? 😍

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Cathedral Plant Company is a small-batch grower based in Canyon Lake, Texas. Our focus is growing regional native plants in order to support healthy ecosystems, conserve water, and beautify our surroundings.

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kristin.grahmann@gmail.com

Canyon Lake, TX

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