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Monday - March 03, 2014

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Container Gardens
Title: Hanging container for west-facing house in Austin TX
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I'd like to put a hanging container in front of my house. The front of my house faces west and gets very hot in the summer time, with full sun in the afternoon/evening. What native Texan plants could I put in a hanging planter that won't mind being baked and dried out?

ANSWER:

First, let me recommend that you read Container Gardening with Native Plants. Next, I recommend that you look at the list in Native Plants for Container Gardens in Central Texas. We also have a list of Drought Resistant Plants for Texas and Beyond. Comparing the two lists should give several choices for your hanging container. Here are a few that I think would do well:

Chrysactinia mexicana (Damianita)

Dalea greggii (Gregg dalea)

Engelmannia peristenia (Engelmann's daisy)

Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida (Prairie verbena)

Lantana urticoides (Texas lantana)

Melampodium leucanthum (Blackfoot daisy)

Pavonia lasiopetala (Rock rose)

Salvia greggii (Autumn sage)

Even though these plants love the sun and are drought resistant and heat tolerant, you are still going to need to water them. How often? It will depend on the temperature and the natural rainfall. You will have to judge that for yourself.