Native Plants for Container Gardens in Central Texas

Native Plants for Container Gardens in Central Texas by Andrea DeLong-Amaya, Director of Horticulture, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. These plants are all native to the Central Texas region and are especially useful in container gardens. If you live outside of Central Texas, these may or may not be native to your area.


Scientific Name Common Name Duration Habit Sun Water
Aquilegia canadensis Eastern Red Columbine, Wild Red Columbine Perennial Herb Shade, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana Hinckley's Golden Columbine, Yellow Columbine, Hinckley Columbine, Capote Columbine Perennial Herb Shade, Part-shade Moist
Bacopa monnieri Herb-of-grace, Water Hyssop, Coastal Water-hyssop Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Wet, Moist
Bouteloua curtipendula Sideoats Grama, Banderilla, Banderita, Navajita Perennial Grass/Grass-like Sun, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Callirhoe involucrata Winecup, Purple Poppy Mallow Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Callirhoe pedata Palmleaf Poppymallow, Standing Winecup, Finger Poppymallow, Palmleaf Poppy Mallow Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Capsicum annuum Chile Tepin, Chile Pequin, Chiltepin, Chile Petin, Bird Pepper, Turkey Pepper , Cayenne Pepper Annual, Perennial Herb Sun, Shade, Part-shade Moist
Carex planostachys Cedar Sedge Perennial Grass/Grass-like Part-shade Dry
Chasmanthium latifolium Inland Sea Oats, Indian Wood Oats, Wild Oats, River Oats, Flathead Oats, Upland Oats, Upland Sea Oats Perennial Grass/Grass-like Shade, Part-shade Moist
Chrysactinia mexicana Damianita Perennial Subshrub, Shrub Sun Dry
Conoclinium coelestinum Blue Mistflower, Wild Ageratum, Blue Boneset Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Moist
Cooperia drummondii Evening Rain Lily, Evening Star Rain Lily Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Cooperia pedunculata Hill Country Rain Lily, Prairie Lily, Rain Lily, Flor De Mayo Perennial Herb Sun Moist
Dalea greggii Gregg Dalea, Gregg's Prairie Clover, Trailing Indigo Bush, Indigo Bush Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Dry
Dyschoriste linearis Snake Herb, Polkadots, Narrowleaf Dyschoriste Perennial Herb Sun Wet, Moist
Echinodorus cordifolius Creeping Burhead, Lance-leaf Burhead, Radican Sword, Burhead, Creeping Water-plantain Annual Herb Shade Wet
Equisetum hyemale Scouring-rush Horsetail, Horsetail, Scouring Rush, Canuela Perennial Herb Sun, Shade, Part-shade Wet, Moist
Geum canadense White Avens Perennial Herb Shade, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Giliastrum rigidulum Bluebowls, Blue Gilia Annual Subshrub Sun
Glandularia bipinnatifida Prairie Verbena, Purple Prairie Verbena, Dakota Vervain, Dakota Mock Vervain, Moradilla, Alfombrilla Perennial Herb, Subshrub Part-shade Moist, Dry
Heterotheca canescens Hoary False Goldenaster, Gray Golden-aster Perennial Herb Sun Dry
Hydrocotyle umbellata Manyflower Marsh-pennywort, Many-flowered Marsh-pennywort, Marsh Pennywort, Water Pennywort, Money Plant Perennial Herb Sun, Shade, Part-shade Wet, Moist
Hymenocallis liriosme Texas Spiderlily, Spring Spiderlily, Spiderlily, Louisiana Spiderlily, Western Marsh Spiderlily Perennial Herb Part-shade Moist
Iris virginica Virginia Iris, Great Blue Flag, Southern Blue Flag Perennial Herb Sun Wet
Justicia americana American Water-willow, Water-willow Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Wet, Moist
Lindheimera texana Texas Yellowstar, Texas Star, Texas Yellow-star, Lindheimer Daisy Annual Herb Sun Dry
Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower Perennial Herb Sun, Shade, Part-shade Wet, Moist
Ludwigia octovalvis Mexican Primrose-willow, Narrow-leaf Water Primrose, Seedbox, Mexican Primrose Willow Perennial Shrub Sun, Part-shade Moist
Lupinus texensis Texas Bluebonnet, Bluebonnet, Texas Lupine, Buffalo Clover, Wolf Flower Annual Herb Sun Dry
Manfreda maculosa False Aloe, Spice Lily, Spice-lily Perennial Cactus/Succulent Sun, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Marshallia caespitosa Barbara's-buttons, Puffballs, White Barbara's-buttons, Barbara's Buttons Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Dry
Marsilea macropoda Bigfoot Water-clover, Water-clover, Clover-fern, Largefoot Pepperwort Perennial Herb, Fern Sun, Shade, Part-shade Wet
Marsilea vestita Hairy Water-clover, Hairy Waterclover, Hairy Water Clover, Clover Fern Perennial Herb, Fern Part-shade Wet
Melampodium leucanthum Blackfoot Daisy, Rock Daisy, Plains Blackfoot, Arnica Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Dry
Nemophila phacelioides Texas Baby Blue Eyes, Large-flower Baby-blue-eyes, Baby Blue-eyes, Flannel Breeches Annual Herb Part-shade Dry
Nolina lindheimeriana Devil's Shoestring, Devil's-shoestring, Ribbon Grass Perennial Shrub Sun, Part-shade Dry
Nolina texana Texas Sacahuista, Texas Beargrass, Basket Grass, Sacahuista, Bunchgrass, Texas Bear-grass Perennial Grass/Grass-like Part-shade Dry
Oenothera macrocarpa Bigfruit Evening-primrose, Missouri Evening-primrose, Fluttermill, Big-fruit Evening-primrose, Missouri Primrose, Bigfruit Evening Primrose Perennial Herb Sun Dry
Packera obovata Golden Groundsel, Roundleaf Groundsel, Roundleaf Ragwort Perennial Herb Shade, Part-shade Moist
Penstemon baccharifolius Rock Penstemon, Rock Beardtongue, Cut-leaf Penstemon, Cut-leaf Beardtongue, Baccharis-leaf Penstemon, Baccharis-leaf Beardtongue Perennial Shrub Sun, Part-shade Dry
Penstemon tenuis Brazos Penstemon, Brazos Beardtongue, Gulf Penstemon, Gulf Beardtongue, Gulf Coast Penstemon, Gulf Coast Beardtongue, Sharp-sepal Penstemon, Sharp-sepal Beardtongue Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Moist
Phlox drummondii Annual Phlox, Drummond Phlox, Pride-of-Texas, Texas Pride Annual Herb Sun, Part-shade Dry
Phlox pilosa Downy Phlox, Prairie Phlox, Fragrant Phlox Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Dry
Phyla nodiflora Texas Frogfruit, Turkey Tangle Fogfruit, Frogfruit Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Pontederia cordata Pickerelweed, Pickerel Rush Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Wet, Moist
Rivina humilis Pigeonberry, Rouge Plant, Baby-peppers, Bloodberry Perennial Herb Part-shade Moist
Salvia coccinea Scarlet Sage, Tropical Sage, Blood Sage, Red Sage, Indian Fire Annual, Perennial Herb Sun, Shade, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Salvia greggii Autumn Sage, Cherry Sage, Gregg Salvia Perennial Shrub Sun Dry
Salvia lyrata Lyreleaf Sage, Cancer Weed Perennial Herb Sun, Shade, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Salvia pentstemonoides Big Red Sage, Penstemon Sage Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Moist
Salvia roemeriana Cedar Sage Perennial Herb Part-shade Dry
Scutellaria ovata ssp. bracteata Heartleaf Skullcap, Heart-leaf Skullcap Perennial Herb Shade, Part-shade Dry
Scutellaria wrightii Wright's Skullcap, Bushy Skullcap, Shrubby Skullcap Perennial Shrub Sun, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Sisyrinchium minus Dwarf Blue-eyed-grass, Pink-eyed-grass, Pink Blue-eyed-grass Annual Herb Sun, Part-shade Moist, Dry
Stachys coccinea Scarlet Betony, Texas Betony, Scarlet Hedgenettle, Scarlet Hedge-nettle Perennial Herb Part-shade Moist
Tetraneuris scaposa Four-nerve Daisy, Hymenoxys, Stemmy Four-nerve Daisy, Yellow Daisy, Bitterweed Perennial Herb Part-shade Dry
Thamnosma texana Texas Desert-rue, Dutchman's Breeches, Rue Of The Mountains, Ruda Del Monte Perennial Herb Sun Dry
Tradescantia gigantea Giant Spiderwort Perennial Herb Sun, Part-shade Moist
Viola pedata Birdfoot Violet, Bird's-foot Violet, Bird-foot Violet Perennial Herb Shade, Part-shade Dry
Yucca rupicola Twistleaf Yucca, Twisted-leaf Yucca, Texas Yucca, Spanish Dagger Perennial Cactus/Succulent Sun, Part-shade Dry