Texas Native Plants
Native of the Week
Common Name: Possumhaw Holly
Botanical Name: Ilex decidua
A beautiful native tree loved by birds, pollinators and other local wildlife. It is a deciduous native tree that loses its leaves in the winter, followed by red berries. In the spring, it will leaf back out and become covered in tiny white blooms, perfect for native bees!
The plant can develop many stems from the ground creating dense thickets. If you wish you can prune the multi-trunked specimens to create a tree with one central trunk.
Possumhaw Hollies do well in moist soil but can also thrive under fairly dry conditions.
Other Names: Deciduous Holly, Deciduous Yaupon
Ht:15-30′ W:15′
Going Native
Incorporate Texas Natives into Your Landscape!
Native plants. The term has different meanings for different gardeners. There are Texas natives, US natives and those plants that act like natives. All in all, what most of us want in our garden are low maintenance plants that are attractive and functional. Plants that are not invasive and are a benefit to wildlife. When you plant a garden, it is not just for you – it is a habitat for all living things around you. So with that in mind, here is our top 10 native plants for Houston that do just that. Many are heat and drought tolerant – cheerfully returning year after year in your garden.
Check out our ‘Tree & Shrub Planting Guide’ here.
Colorful Natives
Who Said a Native Garden Can’t Be Colorful?
Incorporate Texas natives into your garden and enjoy low maintenance blooms year after year.
Colorful native blooms you can enjoy now include Turk’s Cap, Gregg’s Mistflower, Fall Obedient, Esperanza, Fall Asters and more. Not only will you get to enjoy them but so will local wildlife and native pollinators.
See more Texas native plants here.
Learn ‘How to Create a Pollinator Garden’ here.