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Texas · Zones 6–9

Native Plants for Texas

Texas gardens sit in the South-Central region — a landscape of Hill Country limestone, blackland prairie, and Gulf coast. The plants below evolved with that climate (hot, dry west to humid east) and are hardy through zones 6–9, so once established they shrug off the local weather without fuss, fertilizer, or much water.

the South-Central regionthe Great Plainsthe desert Southwestthe Southeast

Ecoregion: Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast

Collections for Texas

Find the right natives for your yard.

Each collection is filtered to what actually grows in Texas. Pick the goal that fits your conditions.

Pollinators

72 native species

For bees

67 native species

Butterflies

60 native species

Hummingbirds

21 native species

For birds

34 native species

Deer-resistant

58 native species

Full sun

70 native species

For shade

17 native species

Drought-tolerant

49 native species

Clay soil

52 native species

Rain garden

26 native species

Groundcovers

14 native species

Flowering shrubs

18 native species

Grasses

9 native species

Low-maintenance

36 native species

Evergreen

7 native species

Fall color

15 native species

Fragrant

13 native species

Notable natives

Plants to know in Texas.

A cross-section of the 84 species native to your region — the workhorses worth starting with.

Vine

Crossvine

Bignonia capreolata

A Texas native at 25–50 ft tall that flowers in Apr and May, comfortable in zones 6–9.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 25–50 ft
  • Blooms Apr–May
Perennial wildflower

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed

Eutrochium maculatum

Native to Texas and hardy in zones 3–8; it blooms Jul through Sep and reaches 4–7 ft.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 4–7 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Wild Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Native to Texas and hardy in zones 3–8; it blooms Apr through Jun and reaches 1–2.5 ft.

  • Part shade
  • Dry–average
  • 1–2.5 ft
  • Blooms Apr–Jun
Perennial wildflower

Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

Native to Texas and hardy in zones 3–9; it blooms Jun through Sep and reaches 2–4 ft.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Golden Alexanders

Zizia aurea

A Texas native at 1.5–2.5 ft tall that blooms Apr through Jun, comfortable in zones 3–8.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 1.5–2.5 ft
  • Blooms Apr–Jun
Spring ephemeral

Virginia Bluebells

Mertensia virginica

1–2 ft tall and it blooms Mar through May — an easy fit for Texas, hardy in zones 3–8 here.

  • Part shade
  • Average–wet
  • 1–2 ft
  • Blooms Mar–May
Small tree

Serviceberry

Amelanchier canadensis

Native to Texas and hardy in zones 3–8; it flowers in Apr and May and reaches 15–25 ft.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 15–25 ft
  • Blooms Apr–May
Perennial wildflower

Wild Bleeding Heart

Dicentra eximia

12–18 in tall and it blooms Apr through Aug — an easy fit for Texas, hardy in zones 3–8 here.

  • Part shade
  • Average
  • 12–18 in
  • Blooms Apr–Aug
Perennial wildflower

Gregg's Mistflower

Conoclinium greggii

Native to Texas and hardy in zones 7–10; it blooms May through Oct and reaches 1–2 ft.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 1–2 ft
  • Blooms May–Oct
Shrub

Apache Plume

Fallugia paradoxa

A Texas native at 3–6 ft tall that blooms Apr through Sep, comfortable in zones 5–9.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 3–6 ft
  • Blooms Apr–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Prairie Smoke

Geum triflorum

A Texas native at 6–16 in tall that flowers in Apr and May, comfortable in zones 3–7.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry
  • 6–16 in
  • Blooms Apr–May
Perennial wildflower

Foamflower

Tiarella cordifolia

Native to Texas and hardy in zones 3–8; it flowers in Apr and May and reaches 6–12 in.

  • Part shade
  • Average
  • 6–12 in
  • Blooms Apr–May
Perennial wildflower

Obedient Plant

Physostegia virginiana

2–4 ft tall and it flowers in Aug and Sep — an easy fit for Texas, hardy in zones 3–9 here.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Aug–Sep

Browse the full plant guide

Sourcing

Where to buy Texas natives

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.