Pollinator Plants

Autumn Sage

Salvia greggii

A compact, drought-tolerant native shrub that blooms nearly year-round in reds, corals, pinks, and whites.

Blue Mistflower

Conoclinium coelestinum

A native perennial that erupts into clouds of soft blue-purple blooms just as fall pollinator activity peaks.

Bubba Desert Willow

Chilopsis linearis 'Bubba'

A desert willow selection bred for heavier flowering, with the same orchid-like summer blooms and exceptional drought tolerance as the species.

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.

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.

Coral Honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens

A fast-growing native vine covered in coral-red trumpet blooms that hummingbirds can't resist.

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.

Desert Willow

Chilopsis linearis

A fast-growing native flowering tree with orchid-like summer blooms and exceptional drought tolerance.

Echinacea purpurea

Echinacea purpurea

The classic native prairie coneflower — a long-blooming, pollinator-magnet perennial with a well-known medicinal reputation.

Elderberry

Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis

A fast-growing native shrub with broad white flower clusters in early summer followed by dark, bird-favorite berries in fall.

Esperanza

Tecoma stans

A fast-growing native shrub with bold yellow trumpet blooms from spring straight through the first frost.

Eve’s Necklace

Styphnolobium affine

A Texas native small tree with early spring wisteria-like blooms and distinctive bead-like seed pods.

Fall Aster

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

A native fall-blooming perennial that covers itself in lavender-purple flowers just as everything else fades.

Flame Acanthus

Anisacanthus wrightii

A Texas native hummingbird magnet with brilliant orange-red tubular blooms from late spring through fall.

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.

Frogfruit

Phyla nodiflora (L.) Greene

A low, spreading native groundcover and butterfly host plant that works as a genuine lawn alternative.

Gaura

Oenothera lindheimeri

A native perennial with airy, wand-like sprays of white and pink flowers that flutter like tiny butterflies all summer.

Gregg’s Mistflower

Conoclinium dissectum

A spreading native perennial that erupts into clouds of lavender-blue blooms right as fall monarch migration peaks.

Hardy Hibiscus

Hibiscus moscheutos (and hardy hybrid cultivars)

Hardy Hibiscus is a native perennial with enormous, dinner-plate-sized blooms that open fresh daily through summer.

Little Bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium

A native prairie grass with striking fall color that shifts from blue-green to fiery red and copper.

Mealy Blue Sage

Salvia farinacea

A native blue-violet sage with a long bloom season and one of the best pollinator draws in North Texas.

Prairie Verbena

Verbena bipinnatifida (syn. Glandularia bipinnatifida)

A fast-spreading native groundcover with bright purple blooms that opens the pollinator season each spring.

Purple Passionflower

Passiflora incarnata

A native vine with extraordinary tropical-looking flowers, edible summer fruit, and a role as monarch-adjacent butterfly host.

Red Yucca

Hesperaloe parviflora

A soft-leaved, drought-proof native accent plant with towering coral-red blooms that hummingbirds visit all season.

Redbud

Cercis canadensis

A native flowering tree that opens in a spectacular wave of pink-magenta blooms before its leaves emerge each spring.

Rock Penstemon

Penstemon baccharifolius

A tough, rock-garden native with brilliant red blooms that peak during the hottest part of summer.

Rock Rose

Pavonia lasiopetala

A hibiscus-like native perennial that blooms almost continuously from April through November.

Roughleaf Dogwood

Cornus drummondii

A fast-growing native shrub that forms a dense, bird-filled privacy screen with spring blooms and summer berries.

Swamp Milkweed

Asclepias incarnata

Swamp Milkweed is a moisture-loving native perennial with fragrant pink blooms and essential value as a monarch butterfly host plant.

Tangerine Beauty Crossvine

Bignonia capreolata 'Tangerine Beauty'

Tangerine Beauty crossvine is a vigorous native vine with clusters of orange-red, trumpet-shaped flowers in spring. It climbs by tendrils and draws hummingbirds from spring into summer.

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.

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.

Texas Sage

Leucophyllum frutescens

A silver-leaved native shrub that erupts in surprise blooms after every rain — the legendary "barometer bush."

Texas Wisteria

Wisteria frutescens

Texas wisteria is a native, twining vine that carries lilac-purple flower clusters in spring on new growth. It is a well-mannered alternative to the aggressive Asian wisterias.

Wild Foxglove

Penstemon cobaea

A show-stopping native penstemon with oversized lavender-pink blooms that open early in spring.

Winecup (Perennial)

Callirhoe involucrata

A fast-spreading native groundcover with vivid magenta cup-shaped blooms every spring.

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.

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.

A hummingbird-mint hybrid valued for its raspberry-pink flower spikes that bloom continuously from midsummer into fall.

Bicolor salvia is a low, spreading sage with dark green leaves and deep blue-violet flowers from spring through fall. Bees and hummingbirds visit the blooms, and deer generally leave it alone.

Copper Canyon Daisy is a fragrant, deer-resistant shrub with feathery foliage and golden daisy blooms through late summer and fall.

Daylilies are tough, clump-forming perennials with arching foliage and trumpet-shaped blooms that open in daily succession from late spring through summer.

The classic Southern heirloom fig — self-pollinating, honey-sweet, and famously resistant to summer souring.

Mesa Azure Salvia is a compact, hummingbird-friendly subshrub with lavender-purple blooms from spring through fall.

Mexican Bush Sage is a heat-tolerant perennial with velvety purple flower spikes that put on their best show from late summer into fall.

A fragrant, edible herb with golden marigold-like blooms from late summer through the first frost.

A compact, non-spreading lantana with nonstop solid gold blooms from spring through the first frost.

Pink Skullcap is a tidy, drought-tolerant subshrub with vivid pink blooms nearly continuously from May through October.

Pride of Barbados is a fast-growing tropical-look shrub with ruffled orange-red blooms that keep coming through the hottest summer months.

Society Garlic is a deer-resistant perennial with garlic-scented foliage and sweet, star-shaped lilac-pink blooms from early summer through fall.

A fast-growing, drought-tough flowering tree with long lavender-blue spikes that bloom right through the hottest part of summer.