Landscaping will be more enjoyable and require less maintenance if you use plants native to your own regional climate. Native plants are easy to care for and resist pests and diseases. Because they’ve naturally adapted to their environment over thousands of years, they won’t need as much fertilizer and water as non-native plants.
If you aren’t familiar with the plants native to Texas, here are a few examples of Texas trees and shrubs ideally suited to the Bryan and College Station climate.
Native Texas Trees
Trees are the largest and most long-lived parts of your landscape. You don’t want to put time and effort into planting a fabulous tree only to watch it wither and die two or three years later. Choosing native varieties will give you plants that will thrive in the Texas heat and require far less water than their northern cousins.
• Live Oak—The live oak is a drought-tolerant shade tree that’s both evergreen and fast-growing.
• Desert Willow—The desert willow has large dark pink flowers that bloom throughout the summer. It grows to a height of about 30 feet and has multiple trunks.
• Texas Mountain Laurel—The Texas mountain laurel is a wonderful landscaping choice when you need a small tree. In the spring, it exhibits beautiful lavender flowers. It’s drought-tolerant but also handles water well as long as the soil has good drainage properties.
Native Texas Shrubs
Shrubs provide elements of space and separation in your garden. These Texas shrubs are great building blocks for the design of your landscape.
• Agave Century Plant—The agave century plant has beautiful leaves that can grow to a length of six feet. It prefers full sun and needs essentially no attention once established. It lives for up to 25 years and produces only a single set of blooms during that time. The huge central stalk, topped with a cluster of white or pink flowers, is definitely a memorable sight!
• Red Yucca—The red yucca is one of the most elegant choices you can make in native drought-tolerant plants. It needs no attention once established and thrives in dry heat and sunshine. Hummingbirds are drawn to its bright red flowers throughout the growing season.
• Green Texas Sage—Green Texas sage, which is sometimes called cenizo, is a semi-evergreen shrub that grows to a height of about eight feet. It sports a beautiful display of small purple flowers throughout the summer and thrives in dry, hot conditions.
If you’d like to learn more about plants that thrive in the Bryan and College station areas, check back next week for the second half of this post, where we detail several local drought-resistant perennials, grass and vines. In the meantime, if you’re looking to optimize your yard, contact the landscaping and lawn care professionals at ABC Home & Commercial Services in Bryan and College Station to schedule service.