Texas Superstar Plantsidentifies superior landscape plants for Texas.
Combining the expertise of university and industry leaders, the cooperative program also promotes their introduction in the marketplace.
Cutting back the spikes after the flowers are spent encourages the plant to rebloom.
It can be in bloom virtually all season.
Once established, this salvia is incrediblyheat- and drought-tolerant.
It’s perfect for water-wise gardeners.
The only thing this plant doesn’t like is wet feet.
The tree has a beautiful habit, resembling a miniature white oak.
It makes a lovely shade tree and is also perfect in a garden ofnative Texas plants.
Lacey oak is highly tolerant of heat, drought, and high pH soils, once established.
The bright blossoms light up a shady border.
Columbine can be a short-lived perennial but will reseed itself if you let the seedlings grow.
‘Texas Gold’ reaches 2-3 feet tall.
It prefers well-drained soil, part shade, and adequate moisture, though it will tolerate some heat.
‘Lord Baltimore’ Hibiscus
Zones 5 to 9
Who says native plants aren’t well-behaved and gorgeous?
Once established, this tropical-looking perennial provides years of color.
You’ll often see ‘Lord Baltimore’ growing near ponds because it loves moist soil.
The flowers look much like hibiscus but never fully open, so they look like little turbans.
The flowers appear in a range of colors from red to pink to white and attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
It is a fast-growing shrub that reaches between 3 feet and 6 feet in height and width.
It may not be hardy in north planting zones in Texas but could be used as an annual there.
It’s drought-tolerant, once established.
This tender perennial loves the Texas heat and will flower profusely from May until frost.
The flowers look a little likephloxand attract all kinds of butterflies.
Luckily,deer don’t seem to find them very delicious.
Cape plumbago can be left tosprawl as a groundcoveror to fall over a wall.
It respondswell to pruningand can be kept in a neat mounded form or trained to climb a trellis.
It does best in light, sandy soils with good drainage.
Besides inheriting a good compact form, ‘Mystic Spires Blue’ produces more blooms.
Tolerant ofheat and humidityand rarely bothered by pests or disease, this perennial has no appeal to deer either.
Too much love can kill these plants so use fertilizer and irrigation sparingly.
Cut back to about 1 foot after the first frost.
The foliage has a waxy texture that discourages powdery mildew, a disease that lesser phlox often succumb to.
Lovely combined with ‘Mystic Spires Blue’ salvia, this perennial alsomakes good cut flowers.
It tolerates heat and humidity.
Grow it in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.
This oak is heat-tolerant and, once established, can tolerate considerable drought.
Although adaptable, the tree prefers to grow in neutral to somewhat alkaline soil.
It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.
It is fairly adaptable but prefers moist, acidic soil in sun or part shade.
After the foliage drops in autumn, the slim gray branches are covered with berries that persist into winter.
This is an outstanding choice if you hope to welcome wildlife, especially birds into the garden.
You need both a male and female plant to ensure good berry production.
It is a slow-growing woody shrub that will eventually reach about 5 feet tall.
Thesilvery foliageis quite handsome and provides a lovely contrast to dark green shrubs.
The violet-blue bell-shaped flowers stand out beautifully against the silver leaves.
This sun-lover resents wet feet; be careful to avoid overwatering.
Growing 4-5 feet tall and about 3 feet wide, every garden should find a place for this beauty.
It needs sunshineat least six hours a day of good lightand regular watering.
Of course, it makes beautiful cut flowers.
‘Blue Princess’ Verbena
Zones 7b to 10
Verbenaxhybrida’Blue Princess’thrives in Texas heat.
“Most people make the mistake of pampering it,” says Brent Pemberton,Texas AgriLifeResearch horticulturist.
“It must be planted in the sunniest, best-drained spot in your landscape.
It will not bloom profusely unless theplant gets plenty of sunlight.”
it’s possible for you to’t be afraid to prune it either.
After the first exquisite flush of lavender blooms, give the plant a haircut.
Pruning encourages another round of flowers and keeps the plant from getting lanky and unkempt-looking.
This perennial grows about 1 foot tall.
Mexicanpetunia(Ruellia brittoniana)is very adaptable and will tolerate wet and dry soils.
This perennial prefers full sun and will tolerate shade, but it will flower less in low-light situations.
This dwarf variety grows less aggressively than the species and is a great choice for along season of color.
‘Belinda’s Dream’ Rose
‘Belinda’s Dream’ was the firstroseto be named a Texas Superstar.
‘Belinda’s Dream’ grows to about 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
The fragrant pink blossoms are fully double with a whopping petal count of more than 100.
The blue-green foliage provides a lovely background for the delightful blooms.
