Gaura, Whirling Butterflies White, and Pink blooms from early summer to frost, with loose sprays of white flowers tinged with pale pink. In the breeze these move constantly, looking like a cloud of small butterflies. Both kinds are very heat and drought tolerant once established. Gaura is easy to care for but they require perfect drainage as they don’t like wet feet. They are deer resistant. The pink variety is smaller and more compact than the white. They can grow to 35” T x 35”w. Gaura does well in a container.
Gayfeather Native Purple likes a dry to medium calcareous, rocky soil in full sun. Works well in a rock garden. Too much water will lead to root rot. Will self-seed in a sandy soil.Tolerant of alkaline soils.
Gayfeather is drought tolerant and is attractive to butterflies.Flowers in 4 inch spires from late summer to early fall.

Germanderis an evergreen sub shrub that makes a great hedge. It isa sturdy little plant thatis easy to grow and blooms small purple/pink flowers for about four weeks, starting in mid-June. Likes full sun but can tolerate a small amount of light shade. Grows 10-15 inches but can be sheared after blooming for a more compact growth. Because it tolerates shearing so well it is often used in knot gardens. Attracts
bumblebees plus looks great under roses. It is drought tolerant.This garden workhorse can be used in troughs, containers, low hedges, knot gardens, rock gardens, or as edging.
Sempervivumsor Hens and Chicks as they are commonly called, are an incredibly hardy, and drought tolerant succulent that can take a fair amount of abuse. Sempervivums are an alpine plant that grow in rocky, mountain areas at a high elevation, doing just find left outdoors during winter. This is what accounts for their tough-as-nails constitution (their name translates to “ever living”). They grow well in shallow pots and can be stuffed into the tiniest crevices. Choose potting soil that is very free-draining
(30%+ grit and sand), or suggest starting out with a bag of specially prepared cactus and succulent mix.
You can also add lots of small grit or more horticultural grade sand to improve the drainage of regular container mix. They seem to like afternoon shade here in Texas. Though drought tolerant, suggest watering once a week during our hot dry summers but do not let them stand in water. They are deer resistant. Don’t fertilize.

Coral Honeysuckle is a smooth, twining evergreen vine bearing dark, shiny green leaves which are white on the lower surface. Clusters of red berries mature in September to October. Ornamentally, coral honeysuckle is well suited to climb on a fence or trellis; it is evergreen through most of Texas blooming from late winter to spring and sporadically throughout the growing season to attract pollinating hummingbirds. There are many named cultivars. It is not nearly as aggressive as Japanese honeysuckle.
It can grow to 18 feet in full to partial sun.Attractive to hummingbirds.
Ice Plants (Delosperma) are an indispensable component of waterwise landscapes. Their attractive succulent foliage, low spreading stems and shimmering flowers add color and texture to the garden floor.Ice plants are best grown in dry, sharply-drained soils in full sun. This plant will grow poorly or die in any soil that is not well-drained. Avoid unamended clay soils. It tolerates average to lean soils including sandy and gravelly ones. Water sparingly during the growing season. Plants have good tolerance for heat and drought. Unfortunately, plants are not reliably winter hardy. Also comes in yellow.

Star or confederate jasmineis a beautiful, easy-to-grow, trouble free vine. The starry white flowers appear from May to late July and are incredibly fragrant.Though it isn't a true jasmine, it does resemble a jasmine. The height depends on the support that you might have for it. It can get up to 40' tall in ideal conditions.They like full sun, but can also take partial shade. They grow very quickly, so they're perfect for a trellis in a narrow space. It may also be used as a groundcover if you want it to ramble along the ground.They're not particular about soil, but do prefer good drainage and a little organic matter. They're also very drought tolerant. Water to establish, after that, water when the soil is very dry, but avoid overwatering. Prune to shape or encourage new growth. Pests are not a problem.
Lantana,Confetti, Horrida, New Gold, and Trailing Purpleis a hardworking plant that not only thrives with little moisture and in full, unyielding sun, it does so with ease. In fact, lantana is a flower that seems to have it all: It produces an abundance of brightly colored flowers all summer and fall, and it's a magnet for butterflies (hummingbirds like it, too). It's easy to grow and a great choice for containers.Lantana grows to an average 4 feet tall and wide.It is drought tolerant and deer resistant.

Candy Lilyis very similar to blackberry lily but with larger flowers in a wider range of colors from blue and purples through yellows, reds, oranges, and bi-colors, with or without dark spots on the petals.
Individual blooms last for one day but keep coming for weeks. They have iris-like foliage and are often mistaken for iris, especially when they first emerge. Blooming time is in July.Plant candy lily in average to rich, well-drained soil, in full sun to part shade. Plants divide easily in spring or late summer. Plants often self-sow but are not invasive.
Mexican Hat, as a member of the cactus family, tolerates a full-sun location, though they can also thrive in partial shade. They tend to do best in soils that are sandy or clay loam. Being drought tolerant, be sure to never allow the soil to become soggy, as the Mexican Hat plant does not deal well with wet feet.Because of their long-stemmed bloom, they look great when planted in a wildflower garden or when surrounded by low-lying flowers that complement their foliage and color. They make for a great cut flower and provide an exotic interest to any garden.

Mexican petunia, or Ruellia brittoniana, is easy to grow under most conditions. These plants will produce blooms in almost any type of soil, and are resistant to drought and wet conditions as well.
Mexican petunias are perennial shrubs, which can grow as tall as 3 feet. There are also some dwarf species available,Katy Ruellia,spectacular, low-growing, heat-tolerant perennial with profusions of violet, light pink or white flowers. Highly pest resistant. Quickly fills in as a ground cover. With minimal care and supervision, both plants produce attractive, tubular flowers. The flowers of Mexican petunia are generally white, bluish purple or pink in color, and similar in appearance to common petunias.
However, the two plants are not related.Plant in full sun or light shade. They are very attractive to
butterflies, which makes them popular choices in many backyards. They do reseed so it is best to plant them in an enclosed area.

Gregg’s Mistflower, Conoclinium greggii, formerly Eupatorium greggii, also called Boneset is a small to medium-sized Ageratum-like flowering perennial growing 1.5 to 2 feettall. Gregg’s Mistflower has a tendency to sprawl and with its roots traveling through the soil, spreads out from its initial planting site.
Flowering from late July through frost with peak display from mid-September through October.Plant in full sun or partial shade.It can thrive with existing rainfall.Does not tolerate wet feet and don’t fertilize.
Because it spreads, suggest you plant in a contained area or area that can be mowed in winter after blooming. Its bloom coincides with themigration of Monarch butterflies,which are attracted to its nectar. Thus, Gregg’s Mistflower is frequently found covered with butterflies, in addition to Monarchs,
Queen and Viceroy butterflies, during the autumn.
Dwarf mondo grass, also known as little monkey grass, is an evergreen perennial plant often used as ground cover, particularly in shady areas of the yard and garden. The tufted foliage reaches up to 4 inches in height and the plant also produces small flowers in shades of white to lilac which are insignificant.Once established, dwarf mondo grass requires very little care. The plant is resistant to pests and tolerant of drought-like conditions but prefers weekly watering in the heat of our summers.
Gardeners value dwarf mondo grass for its ability to thrive in the shade, between stones or pavement and beneath trees and shrubs where turf grass cannot grow.

Oxalis, Iron Cross Red, Triangularis Purple, and Green White is often called a Shamrock Plant because it has three leaves like a shamrock. There are many different species of this plant, with the green plant with white or pink flowers (wood sorrel)the more common. Oxalis is reasonably easy to grow preferring light shade to morning sun afternoon shade. They awaken in early March then going dormant in the heat of the summer only to awaken again in the cooler days of the fall. They like a fertile soil and will do best with medium moisture. Beautiful in drifts.
Penstemon digitalis, Husker Red is a clump-forming perennial which typically grows 2-3' tall with a 1 foot spread. Features white (sometimes with a pink blush), two-lipped, tubular flowers borne in panicles atop erect, rigid stems. Flowers bloom mid-spring to early summer. Leaves are maroon (hence the cultivar name). Plant in full sun in prepared soil keeping them dry to medium dry. Blooming time is April to June. Husker Red attracts birds and butterflies.

Garden Phlox 'John Fanick' has striking, bicolor lavender-and-pink flowers beginning in early summer and displays a pleasing compact form. Its slightly waxy leaves hold powdery mildew at bay, and the plant doesn't even flinch in heat, humidity, or drought. 'John Fanick' grows to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide.
Disease resistant; fragrant flowers; attracts butterflies.Provide full sun or very light shade and welldrained soil.Water weekly.
Hardy blue plumbago has bright green semi-evergreen foliage that develops bronze/red leaves in fall.
The flowers are bright peacock blue, one of the few true blue flowers, starting in late summer until frost.
Growing to 6 inches tall, it spreads by aboveground stolons and seed, making it a perfect ground cover for shade to light shade. It is drought tolerant, pest and disease resistant. Being a slow grower, it doesn’t compete well with more aggressive neighbors. Average water needs, water regularly but don’t over water. Plant in well amended soil. Deer resistant.A terrific little plant that should be used more often.

Purple Heart has slender, folded leaves grow from upright to trailing, succulent stems in dense, spreading clumps to about 10 inches tall. Small, short-lived, pink blossoms occasionally appear at the stem tips. Frost will nip back the top growth, but the plants can resprout from the roots. Purple Heart is well suited for use as a groundcover.It likes full sun to light shade. Pinch or snip off the shoot tips every few weeks to encourage branching. Purple Heart makes a can't-miss color accent in borders, planters and hanging baskets. For a plant that likes regular watering,
Purple Heart is also drought-tolerant.
Red Hot Poker or Torch Lily grows two to five feet high, depending upon variety. The leaves are long, thin and dagger-like. They produce flowered spikes from spring through fall, as long as you deadhead the spent spikes.Hummingbirds like the tubular florets. Red
Hot Poker plants look their best when grown in clumps and displaying lots of blooms.They are very easy to growliking full sun and loose, rich soil that drains well. It is important to avoid wet soils, as the crowns can rot. Add a general purpose fertilizer when planting them, then once a month after that.
Flower spikes will begin to bloom in the spring. Deadhead the spent spikes, to promote continuous blooms all the way to fall remove theentire spike. Red Hot Poker plants are heat and drought tolerant,but recommend watering them during the driest periods of summer. They will do well in midsummer's heat.

Rock Rose is an evergreen, bushy shrub. Rock roses are useful in a shrub border, on a hillside, or in containers. Although each flower lasts only one day, they are produced in great numbers on plants that are 3 feet tall and wide. Plants are often short-lived.Rock Roses need excellent drainage and full sun. Old plants are best replaced when they get leggy.