Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Wednesday - September 01, 2010

From: Jonestown/Leander, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Drought Tolerant
Title: Native plants for Jonestown/Leander
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Dear Mr.Smarty Plants, I am new to Texas we bought a house here in Jonestown/Leander that has absolutely no plant life whatsoever I was wondering if you could provide me with the names of some drought tolerant plants preferably perennials for different seasons and shrubs so I may add color and beauty to my growing landscape design for most of the year anyway. I was also wondering if cherry blossoms would fair well in this area? Thank You.

ANSWER:

First, to answer your question about cherries.  There are two cherries, Prunus serotina (black cherry) and Prunus caroliniana (Carolina laurelcherry), native to your area with attractive flowers, but neither is really edible.  Indeed, both P. serotina and P. caroliniana are considered poisonous, at least parts of them are.  You may be thinking of the flowering cherries of the Washington DC area, but these are Asian species.  Since they aren't native, we wouldn't recommend them.  Besides, they probably wouldn't do very well in our very hot, dry climate.

You can do your own searching for appropriate plants on the Texas-Central Recommended page.  This list includes plants native to your area that are commerically available and suitable for landscaping.  You can use the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option and limit your results by choosing, for instance, 'Herb' from GENERAL APPEARANCE, 'Perennial' from LIFESPAN and 'Dry - no signs of moisture' from SOIL MOISTURE.

Here are some suggestions from that list:

Asclepias asperula (spider milkweed)

Echinacea purpurea (eastern purple coneflower)

Liatris mucronata (cusp blazing star)

Melampodium leucanthum (plains blackfoot)

Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)

Oenothera speciosa (pinkladies)

Salvia coccinea (blood sage)

Wedelia texana (hairy wedelia)

You can do a similar search for shrubs.  Here are some suggested ones:

Chrysactinia mexicana (damianita)

Ilex vomitoria (yaupon)

Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas barometer bush)

Rhus virens (evergreen sumac)

Also, you can limit your search to trees.  Here a few:

Cercis canadensis var. texensis (Texas redbud)

Quercus muehlenbergii (chinkapin oak)

Sophora secundiflora (Texas mountain-laurel)

Ungnadia speciosa (Mexican buckeye)

Additionally, at the bottom of the Recommended Species page you will find a section, Just for Central Texans, you will find several special lists of plants for Central Texas.  You can perform the same NARROW YOUR SEARCH search on those lists to limit the list to those characteristics you want (or need) in your plants.


Asclepias asperula

Echinacea purpurea

Liatris mucronata

Melampodium leucanthum

Monarda fistulosa

Oenothera speciosa

Salvia coccinea

Wedelia texana

Chrysactinia mexicana

Ilex vomitoria

Leucophyllum frutescens

Rhus virens

Cercis canadensis var. texensis

Quercus muehlenbergii

Sophora secundiflora

Ungnadia speciosa

 

 

More Drought Tolerant Questions

Drought tolerant plants for MA
August 28, 2011 - We have some very very poor soil at our house on Cape Cod and are looking for plants that will take low water and sandy soil. Also we are high on a hill and quite exposed to the elements. The plot get...
view the full question and answer

New Jersey Native Plants for a Raised Bed
April 15, 2015 - I want to plant some native plants in a raised bed in New Jersey along side a stucco wall that gets direct sun and is very dry due to an overhang. Any suggestions?
view the full question and answer

Drought-tolerant plants for deep shade in Florida
June 23, 2012 - I am looking for indigenous, drought tolerant, leafy dense plants (kind of hosta like) that will grow in deep shade (under a tree that gets little sun) in Jacksonville, Florida.
view the full question and answer

Drought tolerant plants for IN
August 23, 2011 - What are some plants that would do well in an east facing area near my front door? I live in Indianapolis IN. I need something that is drought resistant and will fill in a 4x3 foot walled off area th...
view the full question and answer

Drought tolerant vine for Austin, Texas
May 17, 2014 - What kind of drought-tolerant vine can I plant outside my screened in porch in Austin, Texas, that will stay on a trellis and not grow into the screen?
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.