Native plants for Central Texas yards
Discover the plants that thrive here.
Practical recommendations built for the heat, clay soil, freezes, and droughts. Get inspired and plant with confidence.
Why native plants
Native plants work harder so you don't have to.
Save our water.
Once established, native plants need little to no watering. They've adapted to Central Texas heat, clay soil, and unpredictable rain over thousands of years. The right plants in the right spot take care of themselves — and lower your water bill in the process.
Bring pollinators to your yard
Plant for habitat and wildlife follows. Invite Monarchs, Gulf Fritillaries, native bees and hummingbirds to your yard. When you plant the right things in the right spots, the magic happens.
Built for our conditions
Clay soil. 14 hour days that can reach 105°F+. Unexpected freezes. Natives can handle almost anything our local climate throws at them. Give them a solid start and watch them thrive year after year.
What's growing right now — Spring
Favorite Spring Plants
Six natives doing something interesting this season in Central Texas.
Tree
Texas Redbud
Cercis canadensis var. texensis
Bursts magenta-pink across bare branches in late winter, then gives you dense shade and glossy heart-shaped leaves all summer.
Tree
Texas Mountain Laurel
Sophora secundiflora
Fills the air with a sweet, grape-like fragrance in early spring — an evergreen anchor that asks for almost nothing.
Tree
Mexican Buckeye
Ungnadia speciosa
One of the first to bloom in Austin, turning bare branches pink in late winter before most other plants wake up.
Flowering Perennial
Indian Blanket
Gaillardia pulchella
Blankets dry beds and roadsides in red-and-yellow blooms from spring through fall with almost no care.
Groundcover
Winecup
Callirhoe involucrata
Sprawls into a deep purple ground cover from spring through fall, filling gaps in dry rocky beds where little else thrives.
Shrub
Goldenball Leadtree
Leucaena retusa
Blooms golden-yellow pom-pom spheres from spring through summer, thriving in full sun and poor caliche soil.
Resources worth your time
A curated list of helpful resources
The books, nurseries, and local resources that work. Curated because we know Central Texas gardening, not because we've read everything.
Native Texas Plants
Sally Wasowski
A plant-by-plant guide to what thrives in Texas soils and climate, written by someone who actually lives and gardens here.
Shoal Creek Nursery
Locally grown and community focused. The experienced staff help Austin gardeners find the right plants for their space.
The Natural Gardener
One of Austin's best sources for natives, with an emphasis on organic growing. Good for beginners who want to ask questions in person.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
The definitive plant database for Central Texas natives. Providing detailed information on native and non-native species.
The Newsletter
Inspiration to plant confidently
Practical guidance for the plants that thrive here. Specific recommendations so you plant with confidence.
Free. No spam.