If you’re looking for the best plants to add beauty, color, and resilience to your Texas landscape, native plants are one of the smartest choices you can make.
These plants have naturally adapted to Texas’ unique climate, making them well-suited for long summers while supporting local wildlife and pollinators! You enjoy a beautiful yard with less maintenance. Whether you’re creating a new landscape, refreshing flowerbeds, or planning a water-wise garden, Texas native plants offer lasting beauty while thriving in our unique climate.
Here are a few of our favorite native plants for Texas landscapes that perform beautifully throughout the summer.
Texas Sage: A Classic Texas Favorite
One of the most popular Texas native shrubs, Texas Sage is known for its soft silver foliage and brilliant purple blooms that often appear after periods of humidity or rainfall. This evergreen shrub is an excellent choice for homeowners looking for a low-maintenance landscape plant that delivers year-round beauty.
Why plant Texas Sage?
- Drought tolerant once established
- Purple blooms throughout the warm season
- Silver foliage adds year-round interest
- Perfect for hedges, foundation plantings, and landscape borders
Salvia greggii: Pollinator-Friendly
Salvia greggii provides colorful blooms from spring through fall, while withstanding the Texas sun all summer long. This beautiful perennial is one of the best Texas native flowering plants for attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators.
Why gardeners love Salvia greggii:
- Long blooming season
- Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies
- Easy to maintain
- Available in red, coral, pink, and white blooms
Desert Willow: A Stunning Native Texas Tree for Summer Color
If you’re searching for a native Texas tree that delivers months of beautiful blooms, Desert Willow is an excellent choice. Despite its name, it’s not a true willow, but its graceful leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers create an elegant look in any landscape. Blooming from late spring through summer, Desert Willow attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators while thriving in the Texas climate.
Why plant Desert Willow?
- Gorgeous pink, lavender, or burgundy trumpet-shaped blooms
- Long flowering season from late spring through summer
- Highly attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies
- Drought tolerant once established
- Perfect as a specimen tree or focal point in the landscape
Red Yucca: A Tough Native Plant with Stunning Blooms
Red Yucca is one of the most reliable Texas native landscape plants, producing tall coral-red flower spikes that bloom for months. Its striking architectural form makes it a favorite for water-wise gardens, modern landscapes, and traditional Texas gardens alike.
Why choose Red Yucca?
- Extremely drought tolerant
- Long bloom period
- Attracts hummingbirds
- Thrives in full Texas sun
Help Your Native Texas Plants Thrive
While native Texas plants are naturally adapted to our climate, giving them a strong start makes all the difference.
When planting, use Calloway’s Premium Flowerbed or Tree & Shrub Soil to improve soil structure, encourage healthy root development, and help new plants establish quickly. Throughout the growing season, feed with Calloway’s Premium Plant Foods to promote vigorous growth, lush foliage, and vibrant blooms.
Healthy soil and proper nutrition help every landscape reach its full potential.
Learn More at Our Lone Star Natives Garden Talk
Want to discover even more of the best native plants and best practices for Texas landscapes?
Join us Saturday, August 8, from 10:00–10:45 AM, for our Lone Star Natives Garden Talk at your neighborhood Calloway’s Nursery.
Our knowledgeable Texas Certified Nursery Professionals will share expert tips on:
- Choosing the best native Texas plants
- Creating a low-maintenance landscape
- Supporting butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators
- Planting and caring for native shrubs, perennials, and flowering plants
Whether you’re just beginning your landscaping journey or looking to expand your garden with Texas native plants, you’ll leave with practical advice and plenty of inspiration.
We look forward to helping you grow a landscape that’s naturally beautiful—the Texas way!
At Calloway’s and Cornelius, we’re here to help you create an outdoor space that’s as beautiful as it is resilient. From Texas native plants and premium soils to plant foods and expert advice, you’ll find everything you need to build a landscape that thrives in our climate.
Visit one of our neighborhood garden centers and let our Texas Certified Nursery Professionals help you choose the perfect native trees, shrubs, and perennials for your landscape. For over 39 years, we’ve been proud to help our communities grow beautiful Texas gardens.
Ready to discover even more native favorites? Join us this Saturday, August 8, from 10:00–10:45 AM for our Lone Star Natives Garden Talk, where you’ll learn how to create a vibrant, low-maintenance landscape filled with plants that truly belong in Texas. We can’t wait to grow with you
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the best native Texas plants include Texas Sage, Desert Willow, Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii), and Red Yucca. These plants are well-adapted to Texas’ climate, provide long-lasting beauty, and require less maintenance once established.
Native Texas plants are naturally adapted to our climate, making them easier to care for than many non-native species. They also support local pollinators, conserve water, and create beautiful, resilient landscapes.
Yes! Once established, many native Texas plants require significantly less supplemental watering than non-native plants. They have adapted to periods of drought and thrive in Texas’ growing conditions.
Absolutely. Many native plants provide nectar and habitat for butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and other beneficial pollinators. Plants like Autumn Sage, Red Yucca, and Desert Willow are especially popular with wildlife.
Fall is generally considered the best time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials in Texas because cooler temperatures encourage strong root development. However, many native plants can also be successfully planted during spring and summer with proper watering while they establish.
Yes. While native plants are naturally hardy, starting with Calloway’s Premium Planting Soil and feeding with Calloway’s Premium Plant Food helps encourage stronger root systems, healthier growth, and more abundant blooms.
Texas Sage, Desert Willow, Autumn Sage, and Red Yucca all provide beautiful summer color while thriving in the Texas landscape. Together, they offer a mix of vibrant blooms, evergreen foliage, and pollinator appeal.
Visit your neighborhood Calloway’s or Cornelius and speak with one of our Texas Certified Nursery Professionals for personalized recommendations. You can also join our Lone Star Natives Garden Talk to learn about selecting, planting, and caring for native plants that thrive in Texas.