Quick answer: 164 native Texas plants have a recorded bloom range that includes May.
164 species
- Alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus · 15 states
- American basswood Tilia americana · 37 states
- American beautyberry Callicarpa americana · 13 states
- American beech Fagus grandifolia · 31 states
- American bittersweet Celastrus scandens · 33 states
- American holly Ilex opaca · 28 states
- American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana · 33 states
- American smoketree Cotinus obovatus · 2 states
- American strawberry bush Euonymus americanus · 23 states
- American wisteria Wisteria frutescens · 14 states
- Antelope-horns milkweed Asclepias asperula · 2 states
- Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa · 8 states
- Autumn sage Salvia greggii · 2 states
- Birdfoot violet Viola pedata · 34 states
- Black cherry Prunus serotina · 35 states
- Black oak Quercus velutina · 30 states
- Black tupelo Nyssa sylvatica · 31 states
- Black walnut Juglans nigra · 33 states
- Black willow Salix nigra · 24 states
- Blackfoot daisy Melampodium leucanthum · 6 states
- Blackjack oak Quercus marilandica · 24 states
- Blue wild indigo Baptisia australis · 23 states
- Bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata · 16 states
- Broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia · 39 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa · 33 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · 41 states
- Carolina jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens · 10 states
- Chinkapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii · 30 states
- Chocolate flower Berlandiera lyrata · 6 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Claret cup cactus Echinocereus triglochidiatus · 1 states
- Clasping coneflower Dracopis amplexicaulis · 7 states
- Climbing prairie rose Rosa setigera · 27 states
- Colorado four o'clock Mirabilis multiflora · 7 states
- Common blue violet Viola sororia · 37 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Common hackberry Celtis occidentalis · 33 states
- Common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata · 28 states
- Common persimmon Diospyros virginiana · 26 states
- Common selfheal Prunella vulgaris · 25 states
- Common sotol Dasylirion wheeleri · 3 states
- Common winterberry Ilex verticillata · 32 states
- Common yarrow Achillea millefolium · 47 states
- Coral bean Erythrina herbacea · 10 states
- Coral honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens · 16 states
- Coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus · 30 states
- Creosote bush Larrea tridentata · 6 states
- Crossvine Bignonia capreolata · 16 states
- Desert marigold Baileya multiradiata · 4 states
- Desert willow Chilopsis linearis · 5 states
- Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii · 12 states
- Downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis · 24 states
- Downy serviceberry Amelanchier arborea · 37 states
- Drummond phlox Phlox drummondii · 1 states
- Dwarf palmetto Sabal minor · 6 states
- Early azalea Rhododendron prinophyllum · 17 states
- Eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana · 18 states
- Eastern hop-hornbeam Ostrya virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea · 24 states
- Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern red columbine Aquilegia canadensis · 36 states
- Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis · 32 states
- Engelmann's prickly pear (cactus apple) Opuntia engelmannii · 1 states
- Farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum · 16 states
- Flowering dogwood Cornus florida · 31 states
- Foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis · 35 states
- Fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica · 30 states
- Gambel oak Quercus gambelii · 8 states
- Golden alexanders Zizia aurea · 35 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Green milkweed Asclepias viridis · 2 states
- Honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa · 4 states
- Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella · 17 states
- Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides · 17 states
- Indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa · 37 states
- Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum · 35 states
- Lanceleaf coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata · 35 states
- Large penstemon (shell-leaf beardtongue) Penstemon grandiflorus · 12 states
- Largeflower tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora · 25 states
- Lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora · 10 states
- Lewis flax (blue flax) Linum lewisii · 17 states
- Longbract wild indigo (cream false indigo) Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea · 19 states
- Longleaf pine Pinus palustris · 10 states
- Lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata · 22 states
- Mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium · 27 states
- Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum · 35 states
- Maypop passionflower Passiflora incarnata · 21 states
- Mealy blue sage Salvia farinacea · 1 states
- Mexican buckeye Ungnadia speciosa · 2 states
- Mexican hat Ratibida columnifera · 17 states
- Mexican olive Cordia boissieri · 1 states
- Narrow-leaf coneflower Echinacea angustifolia · 11 states
- New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus · 35 states
- Northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa · 9 states
- Northern spicebush Lindera benzoin · 31 states
- Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens · 3 states
- Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra · 20 states
- Pale purple coneflower Echinacea pallida · 17 states
- Pawpaw Asimina triloba · 29 states
- Peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides · 4 states
- Pink evening primrose Oenothera speciosa · 8 states
- Plains coreopsis Coreopsis tinctoria · 16 states
- Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa · 16 states
- Possumhaw Ilex decidua · 17 states
- Post oak Quercus stellata · 28 states
- Prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha · 29 states
- Prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre · 11 states
- Prairie crabapple Malus ioensis · 15 states
- Purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum · 17 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Rattlesnake master Eryngium yuccifolium · 20 states
- Red buckeye Aesculus pavia · 15 states
- Red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia · 22 states
- Red yucca Hesperaloe parviflora · 2 states
- Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii · 11 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii · 11 states
- Royal fern Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis · 30 states
- Rusty blackhaw viburnum Viburnum rufidulum · 18 states
- Sassafras Sassafras albidum · 22 states
- Scarlet sage Salvia coccinea · 3 states
- Shagbark hickory Carya ovata · 34 states
- Showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa · 17 states
- Shumard oak Quercus shumardii · 22 states
- Smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum · 34 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Southern crabapple Malus angustifolia · 14 states
- Southern live oak Quercus virginiana · 10 states
- Southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora · 10 states
- Southern red oak Quercus falcata · 23 states
- Spotted beebalm Monarda punctata · 29 states
- Standing cypress Ipomopsis rubra · 6 states
- Sweetbay magnolia Magnolia virginiana · 17 states
- Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua · 26 states
- Texas bluebonnet (state flower) Lupinus texensis · 2 states
- Texas sacahuista Nolina texana · 1 states
- Three-flower melic grass Melica nitens · 17 states
- Titi cyrilla Cyrilla racemiflora · 8 states
- Tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa · 15 states
- Twistleaf yucca Yucca rupicola · 1 states
- Two-wing silverbell Halesia diptera · 8 states
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · 40 states
- Virginia iris Iris virginica · 26 states
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana · 30 states
- Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica · 19 states
- Water oak Quercus nigra · 17 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
- White ash Fraxinus americana · 35 states
- White fringetree Chionanthus virginicus · 21 states
- White oak Quercus alba · 33 states
- White wild indigo Baptisia alba · 23 states
- Whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata · 30 states
- Wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata · 36 states
- Wild hyacinth (Atlantic camas) Camassia scilloides · 20 states
- Willow oak Quercus phellos · 23 states
- Winecup Callirhoe involucrata · 16 states
- Woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica · 16 states
- Woolly paperflower Psilostrophe tagetina · 7 states
- Yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria · 11 states
- Yellow bells (esperanza) Tecoma stans · 3 states
- Yellow necklacepod Sophora tomentosa · 1 states
May in a Texas native garden
May is Texas's peak bloom month: 164 of the state's 249 native plants in this directory flower in May, more than in any other month.
35 start blooming in May, including American beautyberry, American bittersweet and American strawberry bush. 45 finish in May, including Alderleaf mountain mahogany, American beech and American hornbeam, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
119 of them grow in full or partial sun and 83 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Antelope-horns milkweed and Birdfoot violet to trees such as Alderleaf mountain mahogany and American basswood. For wildlife, 135 support pollinators, 100 provide food or cover for birds and 61 are caterpillar host plants.
128 of the 164 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying American smoketree, American wisteria, Apache plume: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jul
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms May-Aug