The "What Should I Plant Here?" Problem

Choosing the right plants for Central Texas yards is harder than it should be. Big box stores stock plants that aren't built for our heat, our clay soil, or our hard water. You end up buying plants that struggle without constant attention and care.

Native plants thrive because they've evolved here. We want to help you skip the trial and error and plant the ones that actually work in your yard.

What's Different Here

Most guides give you every plant and that can feel overwhelming. When starting out picking the right plants for your space can mean the difference between giving up and loving your space. We want to help you spend more time enjoying your yard, and less time figuring it out.

The Central Texas Context

Central Texas doesn't follow conventional rules. The USDA hardiness zone maps measure cold tolerance, and not heat tolerance. As winters here get colder and summers hotter, it's hard to find the right plants. Those that survive our heat can't survive the freezes.

Plants that can survive the cold really struggle in summer when the sun is up for 14 hours and the heat can easily exceed 100°F for weeks on end. Plants that thrive in the South East or Pacific Northwest won't do well here. The recommendations on this site are built for the specific intersection of Edwards Plateau and Blackland Prairie — where the right plant in the right spot can genuinely thrive without irrigation or intervention once it's established.

What You'll Find Here

The Newsletter

Practical guidance for the plants that thrive here. Specific recommendations so you plant with confidence.

The Honest Part

Native planting involves real variables — deer pressure, drainage issues, unexpected challenges. That's part of the process. We share what's worked in Central Texas yards so you have trusted starting points, not because there's one perfect answer.

The Goal

Leaving our natural home a little bit better than we found it. More native plants in Central Texas yards. More habitat for the birds, butterflies, and pollinators that live here and pass through.

Every yard and every plant matters. Start with one plant and grow from there. Progress compounds.

What should you plant there? That's what we're here to answer.