Martin Byhower 7/26/26 Martin Byhower 7/26/26

Prairie Coneflower

Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) is a cheerful, long-blooming native Texas wildflower that produces distinctive yellow petals surrounding a tall, reddish-brown central cone. Blooming from late spring through fall, it provides an abundant nectar source for butterflies, native bees, and other pollinators while its seeds feed songbirds later in the season. Exceptionally heat- and drought-tolerant, Prairie Coneflower thrives in full sun and poor, well-drained soils, making it an excellent choice for wildflower meadows, pollinator gardens, and water-wise landscapes. Its carefree nature and extended bloom season make it one of the easiest and most rewarding Texas natives to grow.

Martin Byhower 7/26/26 Martin Byhower 7/26/26

Frostweed

Frostweed (Verbesina virginica) is a striking native Texas perennial that brightens woodland edges and shaded gardens with large clusters of brilliant white flowers from late summer through fall. It is a favorite of butterflies, bees, and many other pollinators, providing an important late-season nectar source. Frostweed is especially famous for the beautiful ribbons of ice that form around its stems on the first freezing mornings of autumn—a rare natural phenomenon that gives the plant its common name. Thriving in part shade to full sun with average to moist soils, it adds both seasonal beauty and fascinating winter interest to native landscapes.

Martin Byhower 7/26/26 Martin Byhower 7/26/26

Cedar Sage

Cedar Sage (Salvia roemeriana) is a beautiful native Texas perennial that brings brilliant red flowers to shady gardens from spring through early summer, with occasional reblooming after rains. One of the best hummingbird plants for Central Texas, it also attracts butterflies and native bees while thriving beneath trees and in limestone soils where many flowering plants struggle. Its lush green foliage forms an attractive mound, making it an excellent choice for woodland gardens, shaded borders, and naturalized landscapes. Once established, Cedar Sage is easy to grow, deer resistant, and a dependable source of color and wildlife value.

Martin Byhower 7/26/26 Martin Byhower 7/26/26

Texas Star Hibiscus

Texas Star Hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) is a spectacular native perennial that makes a dramatic statement with its enormous, brilliant scarlet flowers and distinctive star-shaped foliage. Blooming from midsummer into early fall, it attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators while adding a bold tropical look to ponds, rain gardens, and moist landscape beds. Although it thrives in consistently moist soils, Texas Star Hibiscus is surprisingly easy to grow and returns reliably each year. Its striking blooms and architectural form make it one of the most eye-catching native wildflowers for Central Texas gardens where supplemental water is available.

Martin Byhower 7/26/26 Martin Byhower 7/26/26

Fragrant Mistflower/ White Boneset

Fragrant Mistflower / White Boneset (Ageratina havanensis) is a graceful native Texas perennial that produces airy clusters of fragrant white flowers from late summer through fall, just when many other garden plants are winding down. A magnet for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, it thrives in full sun to part shade and tolerates drought once established. Its soft, billowy blooms brighten native gardens, woodland edges, and limestone landscapes, making it an outstanding choice for adding late-season beauty and wildlife value to Central Texas landscapes.

Martin Byhower 7/26/26 Martin Byhower 7/26/26

Mexican Mint Marigold

Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida) is one of the finest fall-blooming native plants for Central Texas, prized for its clouds of golden-yellow flowers and sweet anise-scented foliage. This drought-tolerant perennial thrives in full sun to part shade, attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, and is generally ignored by deer. Its aromatic leaves can even be used as a culinary substitute for French tarragon, making it as useful as it is beautiful. Blooming from late summer into fall, Mexican Mint Marigold adds brilliant color to native landscapes when many other plants are fading.

Martin Byhower 7/20/26 Martin Byhower 7/20/26

Chile Pequin

Chile Pequin (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum) is a hardy Texas native shrub-like perennial that produces hundreds of tiny, fiery red peppers beloved by birds but ignored by deer and most mammals. Delicate white flowers appear from late spring through summer, followed by bright red fruits that persist into fall, providing an important food source for mockingbirds, thrashers, cardinals, and many other songbirds. Thriving in dappled shade or morning sun, Chile Pequin is exceptionally heat and drought tolerant once established and makes an attractive addition to native gardens, woodland edges, and edible landscapes. The peppers are extremely hot and can be harvested for fresh or dried culinary use, adding both wildlife value and ornamental appeal to the garden.

Martin Byhower 7/20/26 Martin Byhower 7/20/26

Fall Aster

Fall Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) is one of the stars of the autumn garden, producing masses of lavender to violet, daisy-like flowers with bright yellow centers just as many other plants are finishing their bloom season. This hardy Texas native perennial forms a dense, rounded mound of aromatic foliage and thrives in the heat, drought, and limestone soils of Central Texas. Its late-season flowers are an invaluable source of nectar for native bees, butterflies, and migrating monarchs, making it one of the most important pollinator plants for fall. Easy to grow and long-lived, Fall Aster adds a spectacular splash of color to native gardens, borders, meadows, and wildlife landscapes.

Martin Byhower 7/20/26 Martin Byhower 7/20/26

Brazos (Gulf Coast) Penstemon

Brazos Penstemon (Penstemon tenuis) is an elegant Texas native perennial prized for its tall spikes of soft lavender to pale purple, tubular flowers that bloom in spring. A favorite of hummingbirds, native bees, and butterflies, it adds height and graceful movement to sunny or lightly shaded gardens while thriving in the clay and limestone soils common across Central Texas. Once established, Brazos Penstemon is both drought tolerant and easy to grow, making it an excellent choice for native plant gardens, pollinator habitats, and naturalized landscapes. Its delicate blooms and upright form pair beautifully with grasses, salvias, and other native wildflowers.

Martin Byhower 7/20/26 Martin Byhower 7/20/26

Orange Zexmenia

Orange Zexmenia (Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispida) is a tough, long-blooming Texas native perennial that lights up the garden with cheerful golden-orange, daisy-like flowers from spring through fall. Adapted to the heat, drought, and limestone soils of Central Texas, it thrives in full sun and asks for very little care once established. Its bright blooms attract a wide variety of native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while its spreading habit makes it an excellent choice for naturalized plantings, meadows, slopes, and informal borders. Orange Zexmenia combines exceptional resilience with months of color, making it one of the most dependable native wildflowers for water-wise landscapes.

Martin Byhower 7/19/26 Martin Byhower 7/19/26

Woodland Sedge

Woodland Sedge Carex blanda is a graceful Texas native sedge that thrives in the dappled shade of woodlands, beneath mature trees, and in other low-light garden settings. Its fine-textured, arching green foliage forms soft, attractive clumps that provide year-round interest while helping suppress weeds and stabilize soil. Woodland Sedge is an excellent low-maintenance alternative to traditional groundcovers or turf in shaded landscapes and provides valuable habitat for beneficial insects and other small wildlife. It tolerates a variety of soils, including the limestone soils common in Central Texas, and becomes moderately drought tolerant once established.

Martin Byhower 7/19/26 Martin Byhower 7/19/26

Inland Sea Oats

Inland Sea Oats Chasmanthium latifolium is one of the finest native ornamental grasses for shaded Texas landscapes. Its graceful, arching foliage and distinctive dangling seed heads add texture and movement from summer through winter, while the seeds provide food for songbirds and cover for wildlife. Inland Sea Oats spreads slowly to form attractive colonies, making it an excellent choice beneath trees, along woodland edges, or in naturalized gardens where it thrives in shade or part sun.

Martin Byhower 7/19/26 Martin Byhower 7/19/26

Rock Rose

Rock Rose Pavonia lasiopetala is a charming Texas native perennial that produces an abundance of delicate, hibiscus-like pink flowers from spring through fall. Its long bloom season provides a dependable source of nectar for native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while its compact size makes it ideal for borders, cottage gardens, and naturalized landscapes. Rock Rose thrives in the heat of Central Texas and tolerates drought once established, performing best in well-drained soils with full sun to partial shade.

Martin Byhower 7/19/26 Martin Byhower 7/19/26

Datura

TEXAS Datura Datura wrightii is one of Texas’ most striking native wildflowers, producing large, fragrant, trumpet-shaped white flowers that open in the evening and attract sphinx moths and other nighttime pollinators. Its bold gray-green foliage and spectacular blooms make it a dramatic addition to naturalistic landscapes, moon gardens, and wildlife-friendly plantings. Once established, it is highly drought tolerant and thrives in the hot, sunny conditions of Central Texas. Caution: All parts of the plant are highly toxic if ingested by people, pets, or livestock.

Martin Byhower 7/16/26 Martin Byhower 7/16/26

Damianita

Damianita ( Chrysactinia mexicana) is one of the brightest little native shrubs for Central Texas landscapes. This compact evergreen forms a tidy mound covered with cheerful golden-yellow daisy-like flowers from spring through fall, often blooming after rains. Its fine, aromatic foliage stays attractive year-round, and once established it thrives in hot, dry conditions with very little maintenance. Damianita is an excellent choice for rock gardens, borders, pathways, and pollinator gardens where its long bloom season provides nectar for native bees and butterflies. It performs best in full sun and well-drained limestone soils and is highly deer resistant.

Martin Byhower 6/20/26 Martin Byhower 6/20/26

Mealy Blue Sage

Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea) is one of the most reliable and longest-blooming native perennials for Central Texas gardens. Its spikes of blue to violet flowers provide months of color from spring through fall and are highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The cool flower color combines beautifully with yellow, orange, and red flowering natives, making it a valuable addition to mixed garden beds.

Mealy Blue Sage thrives in full sun and is remarkably tolerant of heat, drought, and a variety of soil conditions. Easy to grow and low maintenance, it is an excellent choice for pollinator gardens, native plant landscapes, and water-wise designs.

Martin Byhower 6/20/26 Martin Byhower 6/20/26

Skeletonleaf Goldeneye

Skeletonleaf Goldeneye (Viguiera stenoloba) is a dependable native perennial that brightens Central Texas gardens with masses of cheerful golden-yellow flowers from late summer through fall. Its long bloom season provides valuable nectar for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators at a time when many flowering plants are beginning to fade.

Skeletonleaf Goldeneye thrives in full sun and is highly tolerant of heat, drought, and poor soils. Its attractive dark green foliage and profusion of blooms make it an excellent choice for pollinator gardens, naturalized landscapes, and low-maintenance native plantings.

Martin Byhower 6/20/26 Martin Byhower 6/20/26

Gregg’s Mistflower

Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii) is one of the finest native plants for attracting butterflies to Central Texas gardens. Its clusters of soft lavender-blue flowers bloom from late summer through fall, often covering the plant with color when many other perennials have finished flowering. Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators are drawn to the abundant nectar produced by its blooms.

Gregg’s Mistflower thrives in full to part shade and is remarkably drought tolerant once established. It spreads gradually to form attractive colonies, making it an excellent choice for naturalized areas, pollinator gardens, and wildlife-friendly landscapes.

Martin Byhower 6/19/26 Martin Byhower 6/19/26

Red Yucca

Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) is one of the most reliable and widely used native plants for Central Texas landscapes. Its graceful, arching flower stalks produce coral-red blooms from spring through fall, attracting hummingbirds and other pollinators for months at a time. Unfortunately deer eat the blooms, so caging during blooming is recommended if you want to feed hummingbirds. The evergreen, grass-like foliage provides year-round structure and beauty while thriving in heat, drought, and poor soils.

Red Yucca performs best in full sun and requires very little maintenance once established. Its exceptional drought tolerance, deer resistance, and long bloom period make it an outstanding choice for water-wise gardens, rock gardens, and wildlife-friendly landscapes.

Martin Byhower 6/19/26 Martin Byhower 6/19/26

Pigeonberry

Pigeonberry (Rivina humilis) is a graceful native perennial that thrives in the dappled shade of Central Texas woodlands and gardens. Its delicate white to pinkish flowers are followed by clusters of bright red berries that often persist for months, providing color and interest through much of the year.

Pigeonberry spreads slowly to form an attractive ground cover beneath trees and shrubs, where it helps soften the landscape while supporting wildlife. The flowers attract small pollinators, and the berries are eaten by birds and other wildlife. Its tolerance of shade, drought, and poor soils makes it an excellent choice for naturalistic and bird-friendly gardens.