What are the best perennials for Texas?

Question

I live in TX and I can't go by what the plant tag says for whether they will survive or not. If I buy them that say "full sun" they die in full sun because it's too hot. They actually do really well in the shade. My entire front yard is pretty much full sun. I'm not a fan of cactus or anything ugly. Any suggestions on something I can plant that I will not have to replant every year?

Answer 1

I live in inland Australia and have the same problem. I have found if I check the label then halve the sun they recommend I don't get into too much trouble eg full sun = half sun, half sun=morning sun only etc.

A trick we use here is to plant nursery plants, usually a native to caste shade on the garden beds to get the plants going. The hot afternoon sun cooks my plants so I have large shrubs and trees on that side of the house and this shades my garden in the afternoon it makes a great difference when you create a 'micro-climate'.

My summer temperatures go up to105 deg F and winter goes down to20 deg F.

Here's a list of perennials that I have found hardy

Pennisetum setaceum (purple fountain grass) - many grasses do well, worth investigation if you like them.

Strelitzia nicolai (Bird of Paradise)

Artemisias - all varieties (also gray leaf plants are usually sun hardy)

Verbascum (Some grow wild in the paddocks here)

Cynara scolymus (Globe artichoke) - sounds funny but people love the leaves and always want a sucker

Iris - bearded (they grow them in the paddocks in my area for sale) You can get some beautiful colours - usually mail order.

Agapanthus

Acanthus mollis

Euphorbia (except chalmeleon)

Hemerocallis fulva (day lillies)

Kniphofia (red hot pokers)

Osteospermum (African daisy)

Phystegia

Sedums- especially spectabile

Stachys byzantia (all the gray and 'fluffy' leaf varieties only)

Nepeta x faasenii

Liriopes

Cannas (this was a real find - in the middle of a drought and water rationing at 105 deg they just didn't care) The purple leafed varieties such as 'Australia' add beautiful colour to a garden.

Origanum vulgare "Aureum"

Arcotsis (From South Africa)

Lavender

Achillea varieties

Leucanthemums (shasta daisies)

Campanula punctata (but none of the rest seem successful)

Chrysanthemums (hardy garden varieties)

Shrubs I have found particularly successful:

Chaenomeles (flowering quinces)

Euonymus japonica and other varieties even the variegated ones.

Spirea (except the variegated ones)

If you like them try some of the Australian natives -Acacia (wattle) or Callistemons (bottlebrushes).

Also check out mediterranian gardens on line.

I plant my perennials and I mulch heavily with hay - keeps the ground cool in summer and warm in winter and holds the moisture. I would encourage you to plant some trees. Half shade allows you much more choice in plants to select. Trees that love my heat - chinese elm (Ulmus), chinese pistacio (pistacia chinensis), and manchurin pear.

Answer 2

Yep, I've had the same problem . I live in Florida. Our "full sun" fries certain plants to a crisp. Whats a perennial somewhere else is an annual here.
Check what planting zone you live in... http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-sm1.html
I've found that even though they sell certain plants in my garden center... they are not appropriate to grow where I live...
I use this website: http://www.floridata.com/index.cfm , it might be useful to you, lots of warm weather plants. From the home page, scroll down to the bottom where it says "Feature list" and choose "drought tolerant". I would have saved ALOT OF MONEY had I looked up plants here before i bought them.
Here's my favorite plant: http://www.floridata.com/ref/B/boug_spp.cfm ... the less I water it, the better it does and the more it flowers.
Good Luck.

Answer 3

I have zinnia's. There not perenials but they scatter alot of seeds when they dry up and come back every year. There drought tolorant and do well in the Texas sun, as well as a lil shade. I'm in Dallas, also had them in El Paso, the sun city, and there great year after year. To encourage more flowers to come back get a few dried zinnias and break them up to drop the seeds. There kind of like a weed so be sure you want them 1st cause they wont be to easy to get rid of after the 2nd or 3rd year.

Answer 4

I live in Florida and it has the same kind of hot climate, though with more humidity. Try xeriscaping, which uses mostly plants that are native to the state or that do well in places like Africa and Spain. African daisies, once they are inured to the climate, can last forever. Many types of lilies & decorative grasses do well in a hot climate. Mexican petunias are pretty. I'm partial to lantana for splashes of color like bright yellow and lavender.

Answer 5

Try going to hgtv.com. They have all the cable gardening & landscape shows on there. Gardening by the yard is very good. They can tell you what will work best for the conditions in your yard. They also have plans for landscaping, where to plant what, what looks best with what, etc. And how to care for it when it's planted.

Answer 6

Texans