Native Plant Database

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View herbarium specimen from Harry T. Cliffe Bexar Regional Herbarium.

Plant Characteristics

Bloom Information

Distribution

Growing Conditions

Benefit

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Virginia creeper sphinx (Darapsa myron) Larval Host Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

   Akebia quinata (chocolate vine)
   Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Amur peppervine)
   Celastrus orbiculatus (Oriental bittersweet)
   Euonymus fortunei (winter creeper)
   Hedera helix (English ivy)
   Hedera helix (English ivy)
   Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
   Securigera varia (crownvetch)

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: I am looking for something to hide a 6' wood fence that will grow in almost full shade. I have an area approx 2 feet wide to plant in. Since the fence and planting areas are stepped -- about 8 feet for each section, it may be neat to plant a different complimentary plant in each section. I would love them to be evergreen and flowering..but am open to suggestions. What do you recommend? Also, when I bought the house, there was star jasmine planted in small (1 foot tall) pots alongside a shaded garage wall with a trellis behind them. They are not doing well. Do you think they need more sun, a larger pot (or to be put in the ground), or a different plant? Thank you!!
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Question: I have a narrow strip of yard (about 3ft) between my covered patio and privacy fence. Since the fence itself lacks visual interest, I'd like to find a vine to grow on the fence to give the background to my patio area some "life." I would like something that will not destroy the fence (like Wisteria tends to do) and something that clings pretty tight since there is not much room for the vine to grow out from the fence. I'm most interested in an evergreen with flowers, but have also considered Boston Ivy since its fall color is interesting. This area receives partial shade most of the day and hot Western sun for a few hours in the late afternoon. Would love to hear your suggestions?
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Question: Hi. I'm looking for ground cover for a mostly sunny section of my yard. The ground we are looking to cover is next to a slight hill with in a few feet of an in ground pool. I would like something that grows short, maybe a few inches, that also has a thick root system to keep the top soil in place. Thanks
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Question: Good day, I am putting in a stacked mortarless concrete block retaining wall which will rise to the forest floor along a cut bank - about 4 feet high. Each course steps back about one inch from the face of the one below. What native or relatively native plants can I plant in the top block cavities which will cover the top and / or cascade down the side of the wall? At this point I do not wish to cover the entire wall face. The area is adjacent to a "natural area" (wetland) along a small brook "estuary" into a reservoir. The face of the wall looks northwest. It gets late afternoon sun. Otherwise, partially shaded, by beech and oak, among others. The base of the wall is at least 6 feet above and 20 feet from the reservoir at full pond - 40 feet from the brook at low water, as now. I can set the grade to extend the forest floor up to the level of the block top such that surface run-off will reach the wall [notwithstanding the gravel drain field on the back side of the wall (standard construction practice)] and run down the wall face. There will be no irrigation and no watering after establishment. Thank you.
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Question: I live in San Antonio. I'm faced with a dilemma. I've got mature native pecans. In the summer they provide beautiful full shade. However, in the winter and even into the late spring, my yard is in full blazing sun. Since pecans leaf out so much later than all other trees, this full blazing sun lasts into the late spring. This is a real dilemma for shade loving plants. However, the summer shade presents a problem for sun loving plants. The problem is worse in the spring, when it is getting hot What can I plant that will bloom at least in early spring, or at a time before my pecans leaf out. This year, I planted Hinkley's Columbine, but it ended up rotting. I don't think it is well adapted to San Antonio. The appearance of the sun loving plants under the shade doesn't bother me. It is the shade loving plants under the blazing sun that suffer. I was thinking of possibly Salvia coccinia? It seems like it blooms as soon as the the last frost. I've also considered Pavonia. (Although some of these plants may not bloom in the summer shade, I don't think it will "hurt" the plant to be in summer shade.) Are there any other spring blooming plants that do well in sun, but can tolerate summer shade?
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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

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