Martin Byhower 7/24/26 Martin Byhower 7/24/26

Blue Agave/ Century Plant

Blue Agave

Agave americana ‘Mediopicta’

Blue Agave is a bold, architectural succulent prized for its broad blue-gray leaves that form a dramatic, symmetrical rosette. Its striking color and sculptural form make it an outstanding focal point in xeriscapes, rock gardens, and Southwestern landscapes. Once established, Blue Agave is exceptionally drought tolerant and thrives in full sun with excellent drainage. Mature plants eventually produce a spectacular flowering stalk before completing their life cycle, while offsets continue the colony.

Martin Byhower 7/24/26 Martin Byhower 7/24/26

Texas Green Sotol

Dasylirion texanum

Texas Green Sotol is a rugged, evergreen native of Central and South Texas that forms a bold, symmetrical rosette of narrow green leaves. Its architectural shape provides year-round interest and serves as a striking focal point in rock gardens, xeriscapes, and native landscapes. Mature plants may produce an impressive flowering stalk that rises well above the foliage, attracting bees and other pollinators. Exceptionally heat and drought tolerant, Texas Green Sotol thrives in full sun and well-drained soils with very little maintenance.

Martin Byhower 7/24/26 Martin Byhower 7/24/26

Blue Twist-Leaf Yucca

Blue Twist Yucca
Yucca ‘Blue Twist’ (Y. rupicola × Y. pallida)

Blue Twist Yucca is a striking hybrid that combines the graceful, twisting foliage of Yucca rupicola with the powdery blue coloration of Yucca pallida. It forms a compact, evergreen rosette of soft, blue-gray leaves that add year-round texture and color to the landscape. In late spring, tall flower stalks emerge with creamy white, bell-shaped blooms that attract pollinators. Exceptionally heat and drought tolerant once established, Blue Twist is an outstanding choice for xeriscapes, rock gardens, and water-wise gardens with well-drained soils.

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

Silver Ponyfoot

Silver Ponyfoot is a beautiful low-growing native Texas groundcover prized for its soft, silvery foliage that cascades gracefully over walls, containers, and garden edges. It thrives in full sun to part shade, tolerates heat and drought once established, and provides an attractive contrast to flowering perennials and shrubs. Its trailing habit makes it an excellent choice for rock gardens, dry landscapes, hanging baskets, and erosion control on slopes.