5 Reasons to Grow Cutleaf Daisy (Engelmannia peristenia)
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5 Reasons to Grow Cutleaf Daisy (Engelmannia peristenia)

​Looking for a beautiful native wildflower to add to your garden? Look no further than Cutleaf Daisy, also known by the common name Engelmann’s Daisy and scientific name Engelmannia peristenia! One of my favorite Texas native plants, Cutleaf Daisy has large, showy yellow flowers through spring and summer. It can handle full sun and intense heat, and is drought tolerant thanks to its deep taproot.

5 Reasons to Grow Agarita (Mahonia trifoliolata)
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5 Reasons to Grow Agarita (Mahonia trifoliolata)

​Agarita (Berberis trifoliolata or Mahonia trifoliolata) is an evergreen shrub with holly-like foliage that thrives in full sun and provides year-round interest in your garden. It has clusters of fragrant yellow flowers in early spring, bright red berries in summer, and evergreen foliage throughout winter!

Top 7 Texas Evergreen Shrubs

Top 7 Texas Evergreen Shrubs

ne of the questions I get from readers most often is, “What native Texas evergreen shrubs and plants can I incorporate into my yard?” We have become accustomed to evergreen landscapes thanks to non-native shrubs like Sunshine Ligustrum, Nandina, and Japanese Boxwood.

The reality is that there are not a ton of Texas native plants that are evergreen, but there are a handful of great options. Read on for the 7 best evergreen shrubs native to Texas.

5 Reasons to Plant a Desert Willow Tree (Chilopsis linearis)
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5 Reasons to Plant a Desert Willow Tree (Chilopsis linearis)

We had one of the hottest summers on record here in Texas, but the Desert Willow tree (Chilopsis linearis) didn’t seem to notice! This small tree thrives in full sun and hot temps.

A lot of people have been singing the praises of Desert Willow trees lately. The beautiful tubular flowers remind me of orchid blooms. I’m going to bet that this is going to be one of the most popular native plants in Texas going forward!

5 Reasons to Grow Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides)

5 Reasons to Grow Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides)

If you live in Texas, you are probably used to seeing Lantana in landscaping. There are a variety of Lantanas for sale at the nursery, but Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides or Lantana horrida) is THE one you want in your garden!

This hardy Texas native plant thrives in full sun. It is covered in orange and yellow flowers periodically throughout the growing season, from early summer through fall. It is a perennial shrub that tolerates a wide range of soils and requires little water once established.

5 Great Reasons to Grow an Esperanza Plant (Tacoma stans)
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5 Great Reasons to Grow an Esperanza Plant (Tacoma stans)

Want a plant that thrives in full sun and blooms through the hot Texas summer? You need some Esperanza plants in your life! Also known as Yellow Bells, the scientific name for this plant is Tecoma stans. This shrub has bright yellow bell-shaped flowers paired with olive green leaves. It is one of the few Texas native ornamental shrubs that is frequently used by San Antonio landscapers. I have one in my garden and love it!

Top 5 Texas Fall Flowers to Grow
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Top 5 Texas Fall Flowers to Grow

These five native Texas fall flowers not only look good, they DO good in your garden beds! They serve as host plants for butterflies and moths and provide a critical nectar source for Monarch butterflies which migrate through the state at this time of year. In fact, several of these native species are considered keystone species – some of the best pollinator plants around!