Nemastylis geminiflora, also known as celestial, prairie celestial or pleat Leaf lily.
One Man’s Dream Of Turning Native Plants Into A Song Of Texas
The sounds of Texas.
Courtesy of Bob Kemper
The view from Bob Kemper's deck showcases Mealy sage, Engelmann's daisies and winecups. Kemper loves the plants that call Texas home. He fills his Round Rock, Texas, yard with native varieties, and watches as they wax and wane year-round. He's so devoted to the living world of plants and flowers that he wants to put them to music.
“I put the lyrics that I made up to ‘The Yellow Rose of Texas,’ which I thought was the state song, but it’s not.”
A rain lily that has turned from white to red.
“I would love it if they would name the ‘Native Plants of Texas’ to the tune of ‘The Yellow Rose of Texas’ as the Texas native plant song. If we could get a well-known name to do a recording … that would be a dream fulfilled for me.”
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