In Houston, it needs VERY good drainage, & I wouldn't water it at all since you normally get so much rainfall.

I used to live sw of Houston & was finally able to get it to survive hot humid summers by planting in a raised area of sand & oyster shell.

Now I live where it's native & it's amazing to see a beautiful Blackfoot covered with flowers in blazing sun in solid caliche.

Lovely plant--well worth experimenting to see if you can keep it happy. Flowers until hard frost.

Bluegirl is right. It survives wonderfully without supplemental water after its roots have time to spread far and wide -- as they surely will. They do best when planted in the fall so the roots have time to grow in the winter. When planting this time of year, IF it doesn't rain, you may have to water it lightly to keep the small root ball that was contained in the pot from drying out completely.

Do you agree, Bluegirl?

It's good that you have a raised bed because they don't like soggy soil. I've seen them growing right beside the highways in the Hill Country.

This post was edited by roselee on Thu, Jun 5, 14 at 19:58

Oh, yes, I'd water a baby, cautiously, until established--they always seem to come from the nursery potted up in a dense peat mix.

Back when I was dieing to get it established on the rainy Gulf coast, I also mulched it with white gravel/oyster shell. Those things love extreme heat, but they'll rot like a cactus if they get too much water.

Thank you both for the advice. Seems like it will be a great addition to my garden.