Native Plants

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Saturday - January 30, 2010

From: Houston, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Container Gardens
Title: Native plants for containers on patio in Houston
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

What native plants in Texas (I live in Houston) will do well in pots on my patio- they get about 1/2 day sunlight. Is there anything shrub-like that will live from year to year? Thank you

ANSWER:

First of all, I would like to recommend that you read our "How to Article", Container Gardening with Native Plants. It gives you suggestions and particulars about choosing pots, soil, plants, etc., and then how to maintain your container garden. Below is a list of plants suitable for containers in the Houston area. You will need to consider their size, sunlight requirements and other aspects of each plant by reading "Plant Characteristics" and "Growing Conditions" under each species to determine if they meet the conditions in the area you want your container plant to grow. Besides the ones listed below, there are other plants for your area that could do well as container plants. You can look at the Texas-East Recommended List for other possibilities that appeal to you.

Conoclinium coelestinum (blue mistflower)

Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea)

Lantana urticoides (West Indian shrubverbena)

Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii (wax mallow)

Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)

Phlox drummondii (annual phlox)

Sabal minor (dwarf palmetto). This is an evergreen.

Morella cerifera [syn. Myrica cerifera and Myrica pusilla] (wax myrtle). There are dwarf varieties that grow only about 5 feet tall. This is also an evergreen.

Here are photos of the above species from our Image Gallery: