Choose Local Southeast Texas Plants for a Natural Landscape

All across the great state of Texas, less-than-professional landscaping firms and gardeners choose trees, shrubs, and bedding plants based on how they look. If you want a more natural and lower maintenance landscape on your property, it makes sense to choose plans that naturally grow well in this climate. Native plants not only provide plenty of front and backyard style, they cost less to maintain, and provide important food and shelter for a variety of beneficial wildlife species

Lower Maintenance Needs

Plants in our area of southeast Texas are naturally drought-resistant and easy to grow at high temperatures. In fact, they need up to 80% less water than plants in other parts of the United States. This translates into a lot less maintenance, no more wasted water from sprinkler evaporation, and a lower cost overall.

Also, if you choose tropical plants, you do not have to augment the soil with special additives or textural elements. Forget a lot of fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals, too. These plants are made to grow in this area, they will provide you plenty of beauty throughout the year.

Attract Wildlife, Birds, and Butterflies

Not only is it interesting to see certain types of wildlife, songbirds, and butterflies coming to your yard to enjoy the garden, planting native species also helps the ecosystem. Even if you are a bit frightened by bugs that sting, providing habitat appropriate for honeybees helps the environment in a big way. When you choose plants that naturally live in this part of the country, you provide shelter, food, and more for the animals who make their homes here, too.

Southeast Texas Plants

Consider some of these local plants for your Groves or Beaumont, TX home.

Increase shade in your yard by adding larger trees that take many years to grow to maturity. These not only look amazing but can actually increase property value. Native Texas trees include:

• Live, Mexican white, or Spanish oak
• Cedar or American elm
• Texas ash
• Black cherry
• Sycamore
• Eastern red cedar
• Redbud
• Desert willow
• Magnolias

Whether you want a specimen piece or to grow a hedge on the border of your property, these species offer both tall and broad coverage. Local shrubs and bushes include:

• Red yucca
• Texas or Dwarf palmetto
• Yaupon holly
• Cherry Laurel
• Texas persimmon
• Wax myrtle
• Purple sage

Fill a broad garden border with color or add one perennial plant to a container on your patio to spruce up an otherwise boring landscape design.  Bedding plants include:

• Purple coneflower
• Black-eyed Susan
• Autumn sage
• Indian blanket gaillardia
• Gulf Coast penstemon
• Purple liatris
• Golden columbine

Although there are many more interesting and beautiful native plants, this list should get you started on creating a location-specific landscaping scheme. Enjoy flourishing growth, low maintenance, and lower water costs throughout the growing season. If you already have established gardens on your property, you can still replace dying or under performing trees, shrubs, and bedding plants with native alternatives.