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 7/25/26 Martin Byhower 7/25/26

Horseherb/ Straggler Daisy

Horseherb (Straggler Daisy) (Calyptocarpus vialis) is a tough, low-growing native groundcover that thrives in the dappled shade and partial sun common beneath Central Texas trees. Its cheerful yellow daisy-like flowers appear from spring through fall, providing nectar for small pollinators while its dense green foliage helps suppress weeds and reduce erosion. Exceptionally drought tolerant once established and able to handle light foot traffic, Horseherb spreads naturally to create a lush, low-maintenance living carpet that’s perfect for replacing patches of turf in native landscapes.

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

Webberville Sedge

Webberville Sedge (Carex perdentata) is a graceful, clump-forming native sedge that thrives in the shaded woodlands and limestone soils of Central Texas. Its fine-textured, arching foliage creates a soft, natural groundcover that blends beautifully beneath trees, along woodland paths, or in shaded garden beds. Highly drought tolerant once established, Webberville Sedge requires little maintenance and helps suppress weeds while providing habitat for beneficial insects and shelter for small wildlife. It is an excellent lawn alternative for dry shade and pairs well with ferns, inland sea oats, woodland phlox, and Turk’s cap for a naturalistic Texas landscape.

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

Dwarf Yaupon Holly

Dwarf Yaupon Holly is a compact evergreen Texas native shrub that forms a dense, rounded mound of attractive small green leaves with very little pruning. It thrives in full sun to part shade, tolerates drought once established, and performs well in a wide variety of soils, including the limestone soils common in Central Texas. Its neat appearance makes it an excellent choice for foundation plantings, borders, low hedges, mass plantings, and formal or natural landscapes. While this dwarf cultivar rarely produces berries, it provides excellent evergreen texture and year-round structure in the garden.

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

Agarita

Agarita (Mahonia trifoliolata) is a tough, evergreen native shrub prized for its holly-like foliage, fragrant yellow flowers, and bright red berries. Blooming in late winter and early spring, it provides an important nectar source for early pollinators, while the tart berries are enjoyed by birds and other wildlife.

Agarita thrives in full sun to part shade and is exceptionally drought tolerant once established. Its dense, thorny branches make it an excellent choice for wildlife cover, natural hedges, security plantings, and low-maintenance landscapes adapted to Central Texas conditions.

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.

Martin Byhower 6/18/26 Martin Byhower 6/18/26

Coralberry

Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) is a tough native understory shrub that produces clusters of bright pink to reddish-purple berries that often persist well into winter. The berries provide food for birds and other wildlife, while the dense branching habit offers valuable cover and nesting sites.

Coralberry grows best in part shade but will tolerate a range of conditions, including dry soils once established. Its modest flowers attract pollinators, and its attractive berries and wildlife value make it an excellent choice for naturalistic, bird-friendly landscapes.

Martin Byhower 6/18/26 Martin Byhower 6/18/26

American Beautyberry

American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is one of the most attractive native shrubs for Central Texas shade gardens. Its arching branches produce clusters of vivid purple berries in late summer and fall, creating a striking display and providing an important food source for mockingbirds, thrashers, robins, and many other songbirds.

Beautyberry grows best in part shade to filtered sun and is adaptable to a variety of soils. It is drought tolerant once established, deer resistant, and highly valuable for wildlife, making it an excellent choice for bird-friendly native landscapes.

Martin Byhower 6/17/26 Martin Byhower 6/17/26

Turks Cap

Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) is one of the best native plants for shaded and partially shaded gardens in Central Texas. Its distinctive red flowers resemble unopened hibiscus blooms and provide nectar for hummingbirds from spring through fall. Turk’s Cap is easy to grow, tolerant of heat and drought once established, and spreads gradually to form an attractive wildlife-friendly groundcover.