Low-Maintenance Native Plants
Natives that don't ask for much once they're settled in: no spraying, little pruning, and water mainly during their first season or a hard drought. Match them to the right sun and soil and they'll largely look after themselves.
Every plant here is native to Texas. For non-native plants that also do well here, see our well-adapted plants.
21 plants
In stock American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A native shrub famous for the clusters of electric-purple berries that wrap around its stems every fall.
In stock Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
A compact, drought-tolerant native shrub that blooms nearly year-round in reds, corals, pinks, and whites.
Buffalo Grass
Bouteloua dactyloides (syn. Buchloe dactyloides)
Buffalo Grass is a native, low-water turf grass that forms a dense, fine-textured lawn alternative requiring minimal mowing.
In stock Chile Pequin
Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum
Chile pequin is a small native Texas shrub that bears tiny, intensely hot red peppers from summer until frost. Songbirds eat the fruit and spread the seed across brushy landscapes.
In stock Columbine (Texas Gold)
Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana 'Texas Gold'
A true Texas endemic columbine with fern-like foliage and nodding golden flowers built for shade gardens.
Low stock Compact Texas Sage
Leucophyllum frutescens 'Compactum'
Compact Texas sage is a smaller, denser form of the silver-leaved native cenizo, staying about three to four feet tall. It bursts into purple bloom after rain and shrugs off drought, heat, and deer.
In stock Damianita
Chrysactinia mexicana
Damianita is a compact, evergreen native shrub covered in golden-yellow daisies from spring into fall. Its aromatic, needle-like foliage resists deer and thrives in heat, rock, and drought.
Low stock Dwarf Yaupon Holly
Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'
Dwarf Yaupon Holly is a compact, mounding evergreen shrub that reaches 3 to 5 feet tall with small, spineless, dark green leaves. It tolerates heat, drought, and clay soil and responds well to shearing for low hedges and borders.
Out of stock Echinacea purpurea
Echinacea purpurea
The classic native prairie coneflower — a long-blooming, pollinator-magnet perennial with a well-known medicinal reputation.
Low stock Four Nerve Daisy
Tetraneuris scaposa (syn. Hymenoxys scaposa)
Four Nerve Daisy is a compact native perennial with bright yellow blooms and a remarkably long flowering season.
In stock Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
A tough, spreading native shrub with brilliant fall color, winter berries for birds, and early spring pollen for bees.
Low stock Northern Sea Oats
Chasmanthium latifolium
Northern Sea Oats is a native shade-loving grass with bamboo-like foliage and dangling oat-like seed heads that persist through winter.
In stock Rock Penstemon
Penstemon baccharifolius
A tough, rock-garden native with brilliant red blooms that peak during the hottest part of summer.
In stock Silver Ponyfoot
Dichondra argentea
Silver ponyfoot is a low, trailing groundcover with silky silver leaves. It forms a dense mat that tolerates heat, drought, and lean soil.
Low stock Texas Kidneywood
Eysenhardtia texana
Texas kidneywood is a native shrub with fine, aromatic foliage and fragrant white flower spikes that draw butterflies and bees from spring through fall. It thrives in heat, drought, and rocky soil.
In stock Texas Lantana
Lantana urticoides (syn. Lantana horrida)
A tough, long-blooming native shrub with multi-colored flower clusters that draw butterflies from May through frost.
In stock Texas Prickly Pear
Opuntia engelmannii
Texas Prickly Pear is a sculptural native cactus with bright yellow spring blooms and edible purple-red fruit, thriving on neglect.
Low stock Texas Sage
Leucophyllum frutescens
A silver-leaved native shrub that erupts in surprise blooms after every rain — the legendary "barometer bush."
Out of stock Turk’s Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
A shade-loving native perennial with distinctive spiraled red blooms that flower nonstop from late spring through fall.
In stock Wright's Skullcap
Scutellaria wrightii
A low, mat-forming Hill Country native prized as a tough groundcover for rocky, sun-baked spots where little else thrives.
Low stock Zexmenia
Wedelia texana (syn. Zexmenia hispida)
A tough, free-blooming native subshrub that covers itself in small orange-yellow daisies from late spring clear through fall.