Native plants for North Texas gardens
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The bloom of a Texas baby blue eyes, which is found in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Photo: Joseph A. Marcus/Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Want flowers in your yard without worrying about when it's going to rain? Selecting native Texas plants means less watering, fertilizing and pest control.
- Plus, they have a higher chance of survival in extreme temperatures.
Why it matters: Multiple plants in a backyard or one on an apartment overlook can make a difference for pollinators.
Details: With summer heat on the way, consider what's possible to plant right now. If you're not ready to plant just yet, hold off until the fall.
- It's too late for spring annuals, but you can still plant perennials, which come back every year, while annuals complete their life cycle in one year.
Here are some native perennials:
1. Rock rose (Pavonia lasiopetala)
This small shrub can thrive in sun or shade and grows 2 to 3 feet tall.
- Pink blooms last from April through November.
2. Gregg's mistflower (Conoclinium greggii)
The palm-leaf mistflower needs plenty of sun and grows about 2 feet tall.
- Small purplish flowers bloom from March through November.
3. Liatris (Liatris punctata var. mucronata)
Known as the Texas Blazing Star, this plant needs sun and gravelly, well-drained soil to flower in succession from top to bottom over several weeks.
- It reaches about 2 feet tall and blooms between August and November.
4. Mealy blue sage (Salvia farinacea)
This 2-3 foot shrub needs full sun and usually forms a mound as wide as the plant is tall.
- Blue or white tubular flowers bloom April to October.
5. Shrubby boneset (Ageratina havanensis)
The Havana snakeroot or mistflower is a drought-tolerant, rounded shrub that can grow in the sun or shade.
- It grows about 4 feet tall and blooms white in October through December.
6. Turk's cap (Malvaviscus arboreus)
For a shady yard, try this spreading shrub that typically grows 2-3 feet tall, occasionally reaching 10 feet.
- It blooms red in June through November.
7. Velvet leaf mallow (Allowissadula holosericea)
Also great in the shade, this eye-catching shrub reaches about 6 feet in height.
- It blooms yellow in May through November.
The bottom line: Watering and maintenance vary for each native plant.
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has a full list of plants native to North Texas.