Ground Covers
|
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hardi- ness |
Light |
Zone |
Notes |
Asparagus, Sprengeri fern |
Asparagus densiflorus ‘Sprengeri’ |
L,M |
S |
1 |
Root hardy |
Algerian Ivy |
Hedera canariensis |
All |
Sh |
1 |
Needs shade & some wind protection |
Goats-foot Morning Glory |
Ipomoea pes-caprae |
All |
S |
1 |
Native, excellent dune stabilizer |
Trailing Lantana |
Lantana montevidensis |
All |
S |
1 |
Attractive purple flowers, root hardy |
Virginia Creeper |
Parthenocissus quinquefolia |
All |
E |
1 |
Clings to walls, fall color, winter berries |
Stonecrop |
Sedum acre |
All |
S |
1 |
Other species such as S. potosinum also good |
Asiatic Jasmine |
Trachelospermum asiaticum |
L,M |
E |
1 |
Low evergreen ground cover |
Confederate Jasmine |
Trachelospermum jasminoides |
L,M |
E |
1 |
Fragrant, white spring flowers, evergreen |
Wedelia |
Wedelia trilobata |
L,M |
S |
1 |
Perennial with yellow flowers, mowable |
Shore, Blue Pacific Juniper |
Juniperus conferta |
All |
S |
2 |
Needs good drainage |
Lily Turf, Liriope |
Liriope spicata, L. muscari |
All |
Sh |
2 |
Needs shade and some wind protection |
Japanese, Purpleleaf Honeysuckle |
Lonicera japonica |
All |
S |
2 |
Easily grown but can be aggressive |
Mondo or Monkey Grass |
Ophiopogon japonicus |
All |
Sh |
2 |
Needs some shade |
|
Vines |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hardi- ness |
Light |
Zone |
Notes |
Virginia Creeper |
Parthenocissus quinquefolia |
All |
E |
1 |
Clings to walls, fall color, winter berries |
Cape Honeysuckle |
Tecomaria capensis |
L,M |
S |
1 |
Bright orange flowers attract hummingbirds |
Bougainvillea |
Bougainvillea spectabilis |
L,M |
S |
2 |
Top may freeze, many colors |
Trumpet Vine |
Campsis radicans |
All |
E |
2 |
Spring & summer orange blooms, rampant growth |
English Ivy |
Hedera helix |
All |
Sh |
1 |
Needs shade |
Coral Vine |
Antigonon leptopus |
All |
S |
2 |
Pink summer bloom, root hardy |
Fig Ivy, Creeping Fig |
Ficus pumila |
All |
E |
2 |
Clings to walls |
Carolina Jessamine |
Gelsemium sempervirens |
All |
E |
2 |
Yellow spring flowers
|
|
Perennials |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hardi- ness |
Light |
Zone |
Notes |
Yarrow |
Achillea millefolium |
All |
E |
|
Attractive foliage and flowers |
Hinkley’s Columbine |
Aquilegia hinkleyana |
All |
Sh |
|
Yellow spring flowers, blue-gray foliage |
Southernwood |
Artemisia abrotanum |
All |
S |
|
Green, feathery foliage |
Butterfly Weed |
Asclepias tuberosa |
All |
S |
|
Summer yellow/red flowers |
Autumn Aster |
Aster oblongifolius |
All |
S |
|
Lavender fall flowers |
Canna |
Canna X generalis |
All |
S |
|
Herbaceous, leafy perennial; red, pink, and yellow summer bloom |
Shasta Daisy |
Chrysanthemum maximum |
All |
S |
|
White spring flowers |
Garden Mum |
Chrysanthemum morifolium |
All |
S |
|
Several colors of fall flowers |
Baby Sun Coreopsis |
Coreopsis grandiflora |
All |
S |
|
Yellow/orange summer flowers |
Milk and Wine Lilies |
Crinum hybrids |
All |
S |
|
Recurring bloom of pink, white, red flowers from clump of large strap leaves; excellent on coast |
Montbretia |
Crocosmia Pottsii |
All |
S |
|
Gladiolus relative; orange-red early summer |
Cigar Plant |
Cuphea micropetala |
All |
S |
|
Red/yellow flowers late summer & fall |
Purple Coneflower |
Echinacea purpurea |
All |
S |
|
Purple flowers spring through fall |
Perennial Ageratum |
Eupatorium coelestinum |
All |
S |
|
Lavender-blue flowers summer & fall |
Indian Blanket |
Gaillardia spp. |
All |
S |
|
Red-yellow blend spring & fall |
Gerbera |
Gerbera spp. |
All |
E |
|
Needs good soil preparation, protection from afternoon sun and wind; many colors spring & fall |
Byzantine Gladiolus |
Gladiolus Byzantinus |
All |
S |
|
Purple or white spring flowers |
Firebush |
Hamelia patens |
All |
S |
|
Very heat tolerant; red flowers summer & fall |
Maximilian Sunflower |
Helianthus maximiliana |
All |
S |
|
Yellow flowers late summer & fall |
Daylily |
Hemerocallis |
All |
S |
|
Many colors of flowers spring & summer |
Spring Star Flower |
Iphelon uniflorum |
All |
S |
|
Blue spring flowers |
Louisiana Iris |
Iris hybrids |
All |
S |
|
Rich soil, fall & spring moisture required; several colors of spring flowers |
Shrimp Plant |
Justicia brandegeana |
All |
E |
|
Yellow or reddish-brown flowers summer & fall |
Trailing Lantana |
Lantana montevidensis |
All |
S |
|
Purple flowers spring & fall |
Lantana |
Lantana spp. |
All |
S |
|
Heat and drought tolerant; many colors of flowers spring & fall; attracts butterflies |
Red Spider Lily |
Lycoris radiata |
All |
S |
|
Red, white, or yellow flowers in fall |
Turk’s Cap |
Malvaviscus arboreus, M. a. var. Drummondii |
All |
E |
|
Red flowers summer & fall; attracts hummingbirds |
Peppermint |
Mentha piperita |
All |
Sh |
|
Rich soil and plenty of moisture required |
Narcissus |
Narcissus spp. |
All |
S |
|
Small flowered varieties naturalize the best |
Oxalis |
Oxalis crassipes |
All |
S |
|
Pink spring & summer flowers |
Rock Rose |
Pavonia lasiopetala |
All |
S |
|
Drought resistant; pink spring & fall flowers |
Perennial Phlox |
Phlox paniculata |
All |
S |
|
Lavender, pink, or white summer flowers |
Obedient Plant |
Physostegia virginiana |
All |
S |
|
Lavender or white summer & fall flowers |
Blue Plumbago |
Plumbago auriculata |
All |
E |
|
Blue flowers summer & fall |
Oxblood Lily |
Rhodophiala bifida |
All |
S |
|
Dark red flowers in early fall |
Rosemary |
Rosmarinus officinalis |
L,M |
S |
|
Aromatic foliage, blue flowers summer & fall |
Mexican Petunia |
Ruellia Brittoniana |
All |
S |
|
Very drought tolerant; blue-purple flowers spring & fall; invasive |
Blue Shade |
Ruellia sp. |
All |
E |
|
Drought tolerant ground cover- blue flowers |
Mealy Cup Sage |
Salvia farinacea |
All |
S |
|
Drought tolerant; blue or white flowers spring & fall; ‘Victoria’ dwarf form |
Autumn or Cherry Sage |
Salvia greggii |
All |
S |
|
Drought tolerant; white, red, or pink flowers spring & fall |
Santolina |
Santolina sp. |
All |
S |
|
Drought tolerant; needs good drainage |
Purple Heart |
Setcreasea pallida |
All |
S |
|
Drought & heat tolerant; source of purple foliage |
Mexican Marigold Mint, Yerba Anise |
Tagetes lucida |
All |
S |
|
Yellow flowers in fall, aromatic foliage |
Common Thyme |
Thyme vulgaris |
All |
S |
|
Evergreen, spreading aromatic herb |
Verbena, Sand Verbena |
Verbena spp. |
All |
S |
|
Heat tolerant, spreading plant with range of colors spring & fall |
Rain Lily |
Zephyranthes spp. |
All |
S |
|
Summer blooming bulbs of white and pink |
|
Shrubs |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hardi- ness |
Light |
Zone |
Notes |
SMALL SHRUBS (1 to 4 feet tall)
|
Century Plant |
Agave americana |
All |
S |
1 |
Drought tolerant, good as specimen |
Pampas Grass |
Cortaderia selloana |
All |
S |
1 |
Easily grow 5 to 7 feet tall |
Prickly Pear |
Opuntia spp. |
All |
S |
1 |
Spineless forms most useful |
Rosemary |
Rosmarinus officinalis |
L,M |
S |
1 |
Prostrate and upright forms; can freeze |
Yucca (many varieties) |
Yucca spp. |
All |
S |
1 |
Extremely tough; heat, drought, and salt tolerant |
Abelia |
Abelia grandiflora |
All |
E |
2 |
Bronze evergreen foliage, white flowers |
Agarito |
Berberis trifoliolata |
All |
E |
2 |
Spiny leaves, yellow flowers, red fruit |
American Beautyberry |
Callicarpa americana |
All |
E |
2 |
Clusters of purple fruit, attracts birds; best in shade |
Sago Palm |
Cycas revoluta |
L,M |
E |
2 |
Slow growing, good as specimen |
Coralbean |
Erythrina herbacea |
L,M |
E |
2 |
Attractive spikes of red flowers; perennial upper Gulf coast |
Fatsia |
Fatsia japonica |
All |
Sh |
2 |
Needs shade, wind protection |
Red Yucca |
Hesperaloe parvifolia |
All |
E |
2 |
Red flowers on tall spikes |
St. John’s Wort, Hypericum |
Hypericum spp. |
All |
E |
2 |
Needs some shade, wind protection |
Dwarf Yaupon Holly |
Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’, ‘Stokes Dwarf’ |
All |
E |
2 |
Glossy evergreen foliage |
Juniper, many varieties |
Juniperus chinensis cvs. |
All |
S |
2 |
Several forms of tough evergreen shrubs
|
Oleander |
Nerium oleander |
L,M |
S |
2 |
Drought tolerant summer bloomer, can be used in Zone 1 |
Indian Hawthorn |
Raphiolepis indica |
All |
E |
2 |
Spring flowering, blue berries in fall; evergreen |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hardi- ness |
Light |
Zone |
Notes |
MEDIUM SHRUBS (6 to 9 feet tall)
|
Elaeagnus |
Elaeagnus pungens |
All |
S |
1 |
Gray-leaved shrub; small, fragrant flowers |
Wax Myrtle |
Myrica cerifera |
All |
S |
1 |
Native to Texas coast |
Dwarf Wax Myrtle |
Myrica pusilla |
All |
S |
1 |
Native to Texas coast |
Pittosporum |
Pittosporum tobira |
L |
E |
1 |
Glossy foliage, fragrant flowers |
Bamboo |
Bambusa |
All |
S |
2 |
Clumping types less aggressive |
Bird of Paradise Bush |
Caesalpinia gilliesii |
All |
S |
2 |
Attractive summer red & yellow flowers |
Hollywood Twisted Juniper |
Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’, 'Hollywood’ |
All |
S |
2 |
Large, upright evergreen shrub with unsymmetrical growth |
Ligustrum, Glossy Privet |
Ligustrum lucidum |
All |
E |
2 |
Large evergreen shrub or small tree |
Waxleaf Ligustrum |
Ligustrum japonicum |
All |
E |
2 |
Large evergreen shrub |
Oleander |
Nerium oleander |
L,M |
S |
2 |
Drought tolerant summer bloomer, can be used in Zone 1 |
Texas Sage, Ceniza |
Leucophyllum spp. |
All |
S |
2 |
Needs good drainage |
Arborvitae |
Thuja spp. |
All |
S |
2 |
Symmetrical evergreen shrub |
Common Myrtle |
Myrtus communis |
All |
S |
2 |
Small leaves, evergreen |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hardi- ness |
Light |
Zone |
Notes |
LARGE SHRUBS (greater than 10 feet tall)
|
Feijoa or Pineapple Guava |
Feijoa sellowiana |
All |
S |
2 |
Large shrub or small tree |
Yaupon Holly |
Ilex vomitoria |
All |
E |
2 |
Large shrub or small tree, glossy evergreen foliage, fall red berries |
Oleander |
Nerium oleander |
L,M |
S |
2 |
Drought tolerant summer bloomer, can be used in Zone 1 |
Japanese Yew |
Podocarpus macrophylia |
All |
E |
2 |
Large, upright evergreen shrub |
Arborvitae |
Thuja spp. |
All |
S |
2 |
Symmetrical evergreen shrub |
|
Trees |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hardi- ness |
Light |
Zone |
Notes |
SMALL TREES
|
Chinaberry, Texas Umbrella |
Melia azedarach |
All |
S |
1 |
Brittle wood yet grows well on barrier islands |
Huisache |
Acacia farnesiana |
All |
S |
2 |
Yellow spring bloom, thorny |
Texas Persimmon |
Diospyros texana |
All |
S |
2 |
Handsome trunks, black fruit on female - good wildlife food |
Southern Golden Raintree |
Koelreuteria bipinnata |
L,M |
S |
2 |
Fast growth, handsome fall seed pods |
Mulberry |
Morus alba |
All |
S |
2 |
Fast growth, invasive roots |
Mesquite |
Prosopis glandulosa |
All |
S |
2 |
Light green, lacy look; takes wind well |
Lavender Chaste Tree, Vitex |
Vitex agnus-castus |
All |
S |
2 |
Small tree, lavender bloom in spring |
Camphor Tree |
Cinnamonum camphora |
L.M |
S |
2 |
Evergreen |
Citrus |
Citrus spp. |
L |
S |
2 |
Cold hardiness varies among types; some types may be grown on the upper & middle coast (e.g., mandarins, tangelos, & kumquats) |
Loquat |
Eriobotrya japonica |
All |
S |
2 |
Large leaves, edible fruit |
Retama |
Parkinsonia aculeata |
All |
S |
2 |
Makes light shade; yellow flowers |
Japanese Black Pine |
Pinus thunbergia |
All |
S |
2 |
Evergreen, interesting form |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hardi- ness |
Light |
Zone |
Notes |
LARGE TREES
|
Australian Pine |
Causarina stricta |
L |
S |
1 |
Freezes mid-20s |
Tamarisk, Salt Cedar |
Tamarix spp. |
L,M |
S |
2 |
Freezes upper teens |
Deodar Cedar |
Cedrus deodar |
All |
S |
2 |
Pyramidal form |
Arizona Cypress |
Cupressus glabra |
All |
S |
2 |
Evergreen, use for windbreaks |
Live Oak |
Quercus virginiana |
All |
S |
2 |
Evergreen, spreading tree |
Eucalyptus |
Eucalyptus spp. |
L |
S |
2 |
May freeze, select most hardy spp. (e.g., E. rostrata, camaldulensis, microtheca) |
Cottonwood |
Populus deltoides |
All |
S |
2 |
Fast but weak growth; takes wind |
Bald Cypress, Montezuma Cypress |
Taxodium distichum, T. mucronatum |
All |
S |
2 |
Deciduous conifer (T. mucronatum tends to stay evergreen L,M); long-lived |
|
Palms |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hardi- ness |
Light |
Zone |
Notes |
Palmetto Palm |
Sabal minor |
All |
E |
1 |
Very short, hardy fan palm |
Texas Palmetto |
Sabal texana |
All |
S |
1 |
Hardy, very cold tolerant fan palm; slow growing |
Cabbage or Florida Palmetto |
Sabal palmetto |
All |
S |
1 |
Hardy, very cold tolerant; slow growing, long-lived fan palm |
Washington Fan Palm |
Washingtonia filifera and hybrids |
L,M |
S |
1 |
Fan palm, may freeze; hardier than W. robusta |
Pindo Palm |
Butia capitata |
All |
S |
2 |
Slow growing, hardy feather palm |
European Fan Palm |
Chamaerops humilis |
L,M |
S |
2 |
Hardy, low, clustering fan palm |
Phoenix or Canary, Island Date Palm |
Phoenix canariensis |
L,M |
S |
2 |
Large, slow growing feather palm; may freeze in M |
|
Grasses for Lawn & Turf |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hardi- ness |
Light |
Zone |
Notes |
Buffalograss |
Buchloe dactyloides |
L,M |
S |
|
Does best on clay or loamy soil in areas with low rainfall, most drought tolerant |
Bermuda grass |
Cynodon dactylon |
All |
S |
|
Common on coast |
St. Augustine grass |
Stenotaphrum secundatum |
All |
E |
|
Requires most water to maintain |
Zoysia grass |
Zoysia japonica |
All |
E |
|
Slow spreading |
Seashore Paspalum, Adalayd |
Paspalum vaginatum |
All |
S |
|
High tolerance to salt |
|
Native and Ornamental Grasses for Rough Areas |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hardi- ness |
Light |
Zone |
Notes |
Sea Coast Blue Stem |
Adropogon scoparius |
All |
S |
1 |
|
Salt grass |
Distichlis spicata |
All |
S |
1 |
|
Lindheimer’s Muhly Grass |
Muhlenbergia Lindheimeri |
All |
S |
2 |
|
Sand Knotgrass |
Paspalum distichum |
All |
S |
1 |
|
Fountain Grass |
Pennisetum setaceum |
All |
S |
2 |
Several cultivars, including Purple Fountain Grass |
Giant Seaoats |
Chasmanthium paniculata |
All |
S |
1 |
Valuable native, soil/dune stabilizer; ornamental seed heads |
Miscanthus ‘Adagio’ |
Gramineae |
All |
S |
1 |
|