Start with These 5 Plants

The 5-Plant Starter Garden

Don’t overthink it. These five plants are beginner-proof, available at Austin nurseries, and will transform your yard. Pick the ones that match your conditions and start there.

1. Turk’s Cap — The Shade Solution

Best for: Shade and part shade (under oak trees, north-facing spots)

Turk’s Cap is the #1 recommendation for Austin shade gardens. It blooms from June through November with red, turban-shaped flowers that hummingbirds can’t resist. Plant it in that impossible dry shade spot under your oaks and watch it thrive.

• Sun: Part shade to full shade
• Water: Medium (low once established)
• Height: 2-3 feet
• Wildlife: Hummingbirds, butterflies
• Deer resistant: Yes

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2. Gregg’s Mistflower — The Butterfly Magnet

Best for: Sun to part shade, attracting monarchs

If you want butterflies — especially monarchs during fall migration — this is your plant. The purple flower clusters in September-November are irresistible to pollinators. It spreads to form an attractive groundcover.

• Sun: Full sun to part shade
• Water: Low to medium
• Height: 2-3 feet
• Wildlife: Butterflies (especially monarchs), bees
• Deer resistant: Yes

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3. Mexican Bush Sage — The Show-Stopper

Best for: Full sun, fall color, wow factor

The velvety purple and white flower spikes are unlike anything else in the fall garden. Plant it where you need a focal point. Extremely low maintenance — cut it back in February and watch it put on a show every fall.

• Sun: Full sun
• Water: Low
• Height: 3-4 feet
• Wildlife: Hummingbirds, butterflies, bees
• Deer resistant: Yes

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4. Texas Redbud — The Spring Headliner

Best for: Yards that need a small native tree with incredible spring color

In late February, before the leaves appear, Texas Redbud explodes with pink-purple flowers on bare branches. It’s one of the most beautiful moments in Central Texas. Great as a patio tree or understory tree under larger oaks.

• Sun: Full sun to part shade
• Water: Medium
• Height: 15-20 feet (small tree)
• Wildlife: Early-season bees and butterflies
• Deer resistant: Moderate

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5. Cedar Sage — The Shade Brightener

Best for: Small shady spots, woodland gardens, hummingbirds in shade

Bright red tubular flowers in spring that glow in shady spots. Stays compact at 1-2 feet tall, making it perfect for edges and borders. One of the few shade plants that reliably attracts hummingbirds.

• Sun: Part shade to full shade
• Water: Low to medium
• Height: 1-2 feet
• Wildlife: Hummingbirds, bees
• Deer resistant: Yes

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Planting Tips for All Five

1. Buy locally — The Natural Gardener, Barton Springs Nursery, and Great Outdoors carry all of these
2. Plant in fall (Sep-Nov) for best results — or spring (Mar-Apr) as second choice
3. Don’t amend the soil — these plants want Austin’s native clay
4. Water to establish — every 2-3 days for the first month, weekly for months 2-3
5. Be patient — Year 1 they sleep, Year 2 they creep, Year 3 they leap

What’s Next?

Once your first five are established, explore more options in our Plant Directory. Read about Austin’s clay soil to understand why natives outperform here. And join our weekly newsletter for seasonal tips on what to do and when.