Natives For All Seasons
By Lucy Harrell T.C.N.P. A Specialist On Demanding Environments

My designs are guaranteed to bloom and look pleasing 12 months out of the year. I also strive to do low water designs --as water conservation is a high priority with me. To meet this standard I use a lot of Texas natives [most of my designs are 50-75 0/0 native]. I also use antique roses, herbs and some well adapted plants that are drought tolerant. The following list is one I use to help me paint my year round canvas.
 

Winter Interest & Early Spring Bloomers Possum Haw—like a tree on fire with berries White Honeysuckle Bush—sweet fragrance Diviracata Phlox—electric and fragrant Pilosa Phlox—fragrance –WOW-soft pink Wine Cup—great showy ground cover Texas Columbine—yummy yellow Larkspur—brilliant blues	Summer [some from Spring] Butterfly Weed—wispy and colorful—major attraction! Desert Willow—like little orchids all summer Flame Acanthus—lasts to frost--attracts hummingbirds Red Yucca—lasts to frost—attracts hummingbirds Lantanas—butterflies love them Rock Rose—pretty in pink Esperanza—lasts until frost—sunshine in the garden
Spring-Late Spring [some of the above] Calylophus—lasts until November Lanceleaf Coreopsis—until June Purple Cone Flower-butterflies love it 4 Nerve Daisy-blooms off and on most of the time Mealy Blue Sage—blooms until frost Shrubby Skull Cap—blooms until frost Skeleton-Leaf Golden Eye—blooms until frost	Fall [some of the above] Violet Silverleaf—very showy with purple blooms Gulf Mulhy—looks like pink fire or mist in mass Eupatorium—butterfly magnet—blue or white Turks Cap—humming birds will come to this American Beautyberry—purple is my choice Fall Senna—this gets your attention

Natives that are evergreen and bloom [most years] all year long if trimmed right.
Salvia Greggii—White, Pink, Red will bloom all year [unless it is freezing] if you trim them back by 1/3 every 2 months
Blackfoot Daisy—if you don’t let it get too woody—keep it trimmed up by cutting back to the last node about 3 times a year whenever it gets overgrown and tired looking—these get so heavy with bloom that they will pull themselves out of the ground—if you use a garden staple [ bent wire ] to secure it at the base this won’t happen.

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