Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

You've made a great start!   Here are some suggestion for native small trees, shrubs and vines that grow in Kendall County or adjacent counties:

SHRUBS AND SMALL TREES:

Mahonia trifoliolata (agarita) with lots of spiny evergreen leaves, fragrant flowers and berries for wildlife (and people).

Ehretia anacua (knockaway) with fragrant flowers and fruit for wildlife.

Schaefferia cuneifolia (desert yaupon) is evergreen, somewhat spiny, and with berries for wildlife.  Here is more information.

Diospyros texana (Texas persimmon) has fruit that wildlife like.  It is also edible for humans, but rather bland-tasting.

Acacia angustissima (prairie acacia) is low-growing, the flowers attract butterflies and wildlife eats the seeds.

Acacia farnesiana (sweet acacia) is spiny and grows to 20 feet with fragrant flowers.

Leucaena retusa (goldenball leadtree) grows to 25 feet with spectacular sweet-smelling golden flowers.

Parkinsonia aculeata (Jerusalem thorn) grows to 30 feet with thorns and yellow flowers.

Yucca treculeana (Spanish dagger) grows up to 10 feet with sharp spines on tips of leaves and spectacular flowers in spring.

Condalia hookeri (Brazilian bluewood) is a spiny shrub or small tree with edible fruit.

Zanthoxylum hirsutum (Texas Hercules' club) is a thorny shrub with aromatic leaves when crushed.

Leucophyllum frutescens (cenizo) is evergreen and flowers throughout the year.

Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry) with showy purple fruits for birds and wildlife.

VINES

Ampelopsis cordata (heartleaf peppervine) with fruit for birds and other wildlife.

Clematis drummondii (Drummond's clematis) with attractive feathery plumes on ripe seeds.

Clematis texensis (scarlet leather flower) with red showy flowers.

Ibervillea lindheimeri (Lindheimer's globeberry) with large red fruits for the birds.

Lonicera sempervirens (trumpet honeysuckle) is evergreen with red flowers that attract hummingbirds but have little scent.

Passiflora affinis (bracted passionflower) attracts butterflies.

Vitis mustangensis (mustang grape) with fruits for birds and other wildlife.

You can find still more suggestions on our Texas-Central Recommended page.

Here are photos of some of the plants above from our Image Gallery:

Mahonia trifoliolata

Diospyros texana

Acacia farnesiana

Leucaena retusa

Yucca treculeana

Leucophyllum frutescens

Ibervillea lindheimeri

Lonicera sempervirens