Table 3. Outstanding Perennials for Texas.

Plant Adaptation Map

Region 1 - East Texas (Texarkana, Houston,, Tyler, Beaumont, Nacagdoches)

Region 2 - South Texas (Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Laredo, Del Rio)

Region 3 - Central Texas (Austin, Waco, College Station, San Antonio)

Region 4 - North Central Texas (Dallas, Ft. Worth, Denton, Wichita Falls)

Region 5 - Panhandle (Amarillo)

Region 6 - West Texas (El Paso, Lubbock, San Angelo, Midland, Abilene)

Note - Plants with number 7 are adaptable to most areas of Texas.

Common nameScientific nameBest adapted forExposure2Flower colorFlowering seasonHeight
Autumn sage1Salvia greggii
2, 3, 4, 6
S
 White, red, pink, salmon Spring to fall
2-3 ft
Baby sun/sunray coreopsis1 Coreopsis grandiflora
7
S
Yellow, orange Late spring, summer
1 ft
Bearded irisIris xiphioides
7
E
Many Spring
1-3 ft
Blue plumbagoPlumbago auriculata
1, 2, 3
E
 Blue, whiteSummer, fall
3 ft
Bouncing betSapinaria officinalis
7
E
Pink Summer
1-2 ft
Cigar plantCuphea micropetala
1, 2, 3
E
 Red/yellowSummer, fall
3-4 ft
DaylilyHemerocallis sp.
7
S
Many Spring, summer
1-3 ft
FirebushHamelia patens
1, 2, 3
S
 Reddish-orangeSummer, fall
3-5 ft
Garden cannaCanna x generalis
7
E
Yellow, red, pink, salmon Summer
2-4 ft
Goldsturm rudbeckia Rudbeckia x goldsturm
7
S
Yellow Summer
2 ft
Hinckley's columbine1 Aquilegia hinckleyana
2, 3, 5
Sh
 YellowSpring
18 in
Indian blanket1Gaillardia sp.
7
S
Reddish-yellow Spring to fall
18 in
Lantana1Lantana sp.
1, 2, 3, 6
S
 ManySpring to fall
1-2 ft
Louisiana irisIris fulva x Iris giganticaerulea x Iris foliosa
7
E
Many Spring
3 ft
Mealy cup sage1Salvia farinacea
1, 2, 3, 4, 6
S
 Blue, white, purpleSpring, summer, fall
3 ft
Mexican oreganoPoliomentha longiflora
1, 2, 3, 6
S
 PinkSummer
1-2 ft
Mexican sageSalvia leucantha
2, 3
S
Blue Spring to fall
3-4 ft
Moonbeam/

Zagreb coreopsis1

Coreopsis verticillata
7
S
Yellow, orange Late spring, summer
2-3 ft
Pavonia1Pavonia lasiopetala
1, 2, 3
E
 PinkSpring to fall
3-4 ft
Perennial verbena1 Verbena sp.
1, 2, 3, 4, 6
S
 ManySpring to fall
6 in - 1 ft
Pink rain lily1Zephyranthes grandiflora
7
E
Pink Summer
1 ft
Purple coneflower1 Echinacea angustifolia
7
S
Purple Spring to fall
18 in
RosemaryRosmarinus officinalis
1, 2, 3, 4, 6
E
 BlueSummer, fall
1-4 ft
Society garlicTulbaghia violacea
7
E
Lavender Spring to fall
18 in
Sweet violetViola odorata
7
Sh
Purple Winter, spring
6-8 in
White rain lily1Zephyranthes candida
1, 2, 3, 4, 6
E
 WhiteSummer
1 ft
Grasses

Big bluestem1


Andropogon gerardii
7

S

Summer, fall
3-4 ft
Fountain grassPennisetum ruppelii
7
S
 Summer
3 ft
Muhly grass1Muehlenbergia lindheimeri
2, 3, 4, 6
S
 Summer
3 ft
Pampas grassCortaderia selloana
7
S
 Summer, fall
7 ft
Purple autumn grass Miscanthus sinensis
7
S
Summer
3-4 ft
Sideoats gramma1Bouteloua curtipendula
7
S
 Summer
2-3 ft

1Texas native 2 S = Sun; Sh = Full to partial shade; E = Either