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

Mexican Oregano

Mexican Oregano (Poliomintha longiflora) is an outstanding evergreen Texas native shrub prized for its fragrant foliage, abundant lavender flowers, and exceptional value to pollinators. Blooming from spring through fall, it attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees while thriving in full sun and well-drained soils. Its aromatic leaves can be harvested fresh or dried for culinary use, offering a flavor similar to oregano with hints of citrus and mint. Heat, drought, and deer resistant once established, Mexican Oregano is one of the most dependable and attractive shrubs for Central Texas landscapes.

Martin Byhower 7/21/26 Martin Byhower 7/21/26

Sangria Esperanza

Sangria Esperanza Tecoma ‘Sangria’ is a compact selection of Yellow Bells prized for its rich reddish-orange buds that open to deep reddish- golden-yellow trumpet-shaped flowers from late spring until frost. It thrives in full sun and handles Central Texas heat, drought, and alkaline soils with ease once established. Its colorful blooms are a favorite of hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees, providing months of nectar when many other plants slow down during summer. More compact and densely branched than standard Yellow Bells, Sangria Esperanza fits well in smaller landscapes while delivering continuous color with minimal maintenance. It may freeze back after hard winters but reliably returns from the roots each spring.

Martin Byhower 7/21/26 Martin Byhower 7/21/26

Yellow Bells

Yellow Bells Tecoma stans is a fast-growing shrub or small tree that produces clusters of brilliant golden-yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers from late spring until frost. It thrives in full sun, tolerates heat, drought, and a variety of soils once established, making it an excellent choice for Central Texas landscapes. Its nectar-rich blooms are especially attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees, providing color and wildlife value through the hottest months of the year. Although it may freeze back during unusually cold winters, established plants usually recover quickly from the roots. With its long bloom season, ease of care, and vibrant display, Yellow Bells is an outstanding focal point or background shrub for water-wise gardens.

Martin Byhower 7/21/26 Martin Byhower 7/21/26

Pride of Barbados

Pride of Barbados Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a spectacular tropical shrub known for its brilliant orange, red, and yellow flowers that bloom from late spring until frost. It thrives in full sun and tolerates heat, drought, and alkaline soils once established. Although it freezes to the ground during most Central Texas winters, it quickly returns in spring and often reaches 5–8 feet tall in a single growing season. It is highly attractive to butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, providing abundant nectar during the hottest months when many other plants have stopped blooming. While I generally recommend native plants whenever possible, Pride of Barbados is one of the few non-native species I consistently endorse because it is exceptionally well adapted to our climate, is not considered invasive, requires very little supplemental water once established, and offers outstanding value to pollinators and hummingbirds. For gardeners seeking dramatic summer color with relatively little maintenance, it is an excellent choice.

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

Button Bush

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is one of the best native shrubs for supporting wildlife in moist areas. Its unique, spherical white flowers resemble pincushions and bloom in summer, attracting a remarkable variety of butterflies, native bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. The flowers are followed by decorative seed heads that provide food for ducks and other birds, while the dense branching offers excellent cover for wildlife. Buttonbush thrives in consistently moist soils and even tolerates standing water, making it an outstanding choice for rain gardens, pond edges, low spots, or streambanks. Although it naturally prefers wet conditions, it can adapt to average garden soils with supplemental watering during dry periods.

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

Texas Prickly Pear

Texas Prickly Pear
Opuntia engelmannii
Texas Prickly Pear is an iconic native cactus that adds bold texture, year-round interest, and outstanding drought tolerance to Central Texas landscapes. Its broad blue-green pads are topped in spring with large, cheerful yellow flowers that often develop orange centers as they mature, followed by colorful reddish-purple fruits that provide food for birds and other wildlife. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soils, Texas Prickly Pear is an excellent choice for rock gardens, xeriscapes, wildlife gardens, and natural landscapes where its striking form creates a dramatic focal point.

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 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

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

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

Yaupon Holly

Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) is one of the most versatile and valuable native shrubs or small trees for Central Texas landscapes. Its dense evergreen foliage provides year-round beauty, nesting cover, and shelter for birds, while female plants produce bright red berries that are an important winter food source for many species. Yaupon Holly thrives in sun or shade, tolerates drought once established, and can be used as a screening plant, hedge, accent shrub, or small tree.

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

Esperanza/ Yellow Bells

Esperanza (Yellowbells) (Tecoma stans) is a fast-growing native shrub that produces brilliant golden-yellow trumpet-shaped flowers from late spring through fall. Its long blooming season makes it one of the best plants for adding continuous color to Central Texas landscapes while attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators. Esperanza thrives in full sun, tolerates heat and drought once established, and can be grown as a large shrub or small ornamental tree.

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

Flame Acanthus

Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii) is one of the finest native shrubs for attracting hummingbirds to Central Texas gardens. Its bright orange-red tubular flowers bloom from summer into fall, providing color during the hottest months when many other plants have stopped flowering. Flame Acanthus thrives in full sun, tolerates drought and poor soils, and is highly resistant to deer, making it an excellent choice for wildlife-friendly, low-maintenance landscapes.

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

Texas Sage

Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) is one of the most dependable evergreen native shrubs for Central Texas landscapes. It tolerates heat, drought, and reflected sun while producing lavender-purple flowers after periods of humidity and rain. Deer resistant and often used near utility boxes.