Save yourself time, money, and frustration by sticking with the best plants for Texas Hill Country gardens and landscapes.
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Image copyright Shirley Fox. Used with permission.
Editor’s Note: We’re delighted to feature two articles by Shirley Fox, an outstanding Central Texas garden blogger.
The beauty of the Texas Hill Country has drawn people in from all over, and most bring along some idea of how to garden. If you’re new to the area—or simply new to gardening, you’re in for a challenge, especially if you try to grow plants you’ve seen on the East Coast or other parts of Texas. Most of those popular plants won’t grow here, alas, at least not for very long. Why? The short explanation is they will eventually succumb to our intense summer heat, soil conditions, and occasional winter deep freezes.
Fortunately, there are several great plant options to be found and added to your landscape!
As a gardener, my best advice is to start with native plants which have proven to grow well in our widely varied climate. I’ve provided some of my personal favorites here, along with helpful links to help you take a closer look at your options. All are easy to grow with a little supplemental watering in summer’s scorching heat and an occasional trim to keep them looking their best.
Before making any selection, however, it’s best to take time to think about your yard and where you want to plant. Sun or shade makes a big difference for plants as does the space available, so check the sizes listed on all plant tags before committing.
Flowering perennials add color and keep your landscape looking good from spring through fall. For hot sunny spots it’s hard to beat Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana) with those bright yellow blooms topping off evergreen foliage. An added bonus is that the pesky deer completely avoid it.
Another heat and drought tolerant perennial is Autumn Sage or Salvia greggii. Colors range from white to deep red, and it’s available almost everywhere, from big box stores to your favorite local nursery.. Since it blooms most of the year, it provides almost continuous color, something that can be difficult to sustain in the Texas Hill Country’s rugged environment.
A great shrub for sun is Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens), known for its silvery foliage and bright lavender that burst open after a rain. At the nursery look for plants tagged with names like “Silverado” and “Green Cloud” for denser foliage and compact growth.
Deep blue Mealy Sage (Salvia farinacea) is a good perennial for sun or part shade. Look for “Henry Duelberg” salvia at the nursery. It’s a fast spreader, so give it plenty of room.
For evergreen foliage shrubs in sun or part shade try Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) which is available in sizes from tiny “Micron” to “Will Fleming” with its tall columnar form.
Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) blooms in deep shade to full sun. Red blooms are the most common, but you can also find pink at most local nurseries. The rarer white-blooming version can be found in shops specializing in native plants. Turk’s Cap is a good plant for providing height in the garden.
Native ornamental grasses add texture and movement to the garden. Lindheimer’s muhly (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri) produces striking bloom stalks each fall with almost no care.
Looking to add height and architectural interest? My favorites are agave, yuccas, and cacti. If prickly plants are a problem, there are quite a few non-spiky choices. Soft-leaf yucca, for example, will add an impact among your softer flowering plants and shrubs.
Although these plants may not have the same deep, lush green found in other areas, there’s plenty of beauty in these hardy, resilient beauties. Over time, you may come to not only love but also prefer their rugged, striking presence in your landscape.
Shirley Fox has a degree in interior design and worked as a commercial interior designer on both business and government projects for more than 20 years. Now retired to San Antonio, she focuses her creativity and skills on gardening. Shirley also blogs about “living and gardening in San Antonio” at Rock-Oak-Deer (Facebook | Instagram).
This article was last updated in January 2024.
Great article, especially for people new to Texas. It’s always sad to see them trying to grow an “East Coast” garden here. Hopefully they will see this article and learn about some of the lovely choices they have with native plants.