Native Plants

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Monday - February 23, 2009

From: Lufkin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shrubs
Title: Native roses and other flowering shrubs for Lufkin, Texas
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I would like to know some native blooming shrubs, and roses for my area. I have found that all of the old native plants have a greater success rate. I would like to find a white shrub rose for planting this spring.

ANSWER:

The best native roses for your area would be Rosa carolina (Carolina rose), a spicy scented pink rose that deals well with humidty, and Rosa setigera (climbing rose), a climbing rose with sparse prickles and white or pink blossoms. Rosa foliolosa (white prairie rose), the one pure white Texas native rose, might do fine in the Piney Woods, but it is more suited to the climate and soils of North Central Texas. You can find a variety of other flowering shrubs for your area by going to our Recommended Species page and selecting 'East Texas' from the map or pulldown menu and then use the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option to select 'Shrub' under the Habit (general appearance) category. Here are several of Mr. Smarty Plants' favorites from that list:

Erythrina herbacea (redcardinal)

Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea)

Itea virginica (Virginia sweetspire)

Rhododendron canescens (mountain azalea)

Rhododendron oblongifolium (Texas azalea)