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 name | Scientific name | Best adapted for | Exposure2 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwarf Shrubs (1 to 3 feet tall) | ||||
| Dwarf burford holly | Ilex cornuta rotunda burfordii | Glossy evergreen foliage | ||
| Dwarf Chinese holly | Ilex cornuta rotunda | Glossy evergreen foliage | ||
| Dwarf pittosporum | Pittosporum tobira wheeleri | Small, round evergreen | ||
| Dwarf yaupon holly1 | Ilex vomitoria nana | Glossy evergreen foliage | ||
| Nandina: harbour dwarf, gulf stream, nana | Nandina sp. | Reddish evergreen foliage | ||
| Red yucca1 | Hesperaloe parvifolia | Red flowers on tall spikes | ||
| Rosemary | Rosmarinus officinalis | Fragrant bluish-green foliage; blue flowers; herb | ||
| Small Shrubs (3 to 5 feet tall) | ||||
| Barberry | Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea | Red evergreen foliage | ||
| Bridal wreath spirea | Spirea cantoniensis
(S. reevesiana) | Sprawling; fern-like; white spring blooms | ||
| China rose | Rosa chinensis | Hardy; long-blooming; pest resistant; varieties: Old Blush (pink) and Cramoisi Superior (red) | ||
| Dwarf burford holly | Ilex cornuta rotunda burfordii | Glossy evergreen foliage | ||
| Dwarf palmetto1 | Sabal minor | Trunkless, bushy palm | ||
| Flowering quince | Chaenomeles japonica | Deciduous shrub; spring blooming (red, pink, white or orange) | ||
| Glossy abelia | Abelia grandiflora | Bronze evergreen foliage and white flowers | ||
| Grayleaf cotoneaster | Cotoneaster glaucophylla | Sprawling evergreen shrub; dusty gray foliage | ||
| Indian hawthorne | Raphiolepis indica | Spring flowering; blue berries in fall; evergreen | ||
| Japanese boxwood | Buxus japonica | Evergreen foliage | ||
| Juniper | Juniperus sp. | Tough, evergreen shrub; many varieties available | ||
| Nandina compact | Nandina domestica compacta | Reddish evergreen foliage and red fall berries | ||
| Tea rose | Rosa odorata | Hardy; long-blooming; pest resistant; excellent varieties: Mrs. B.R. Cant (rose), Mrs. Dudley Cross (yellow) and Duchesse de Brandant (pink) | ||
| Medium Shrubs (6 to 9 feet tall) | ||||
| Agarita1 | Mahonia trifoliata | Holly-like evergreen foliage; yellow spring flowers; red edible berries | ||
| Althea | Hibiscus syriacas | Upright; deciduous; many colors; summer blooming | ||
| Burford holly | Ilex cornuta burfordii | Glossy evergreen foliage | ||
| Central Texas sage1 | Leucophyllum sp. | Dusty gray evergreen foliage; blooms throughout summer; several new varieties: Green-cloud (green foliage) and other TAMU releases | ||
| Chinese horned holly | Ilex cornuta | Glossy evergreen foliage | ||
| Eleagnus | Eleagnus fruitlandi | Evergreen with grayish-green foliage | ||
| Forsythia | Forsythia intermedia spectabilis | Yellow spring flowers | ||
| Fraser photinia | Photinia x fraseri | Red new foliage; evergreen | ||
| Glossy abelia | Abelia grandiflora | Bronze evergreen foliage; white or pink flowers | ||
| Green pittosporum | Pittosporum tobira | Large evergreen shrub | ||
| Indian hawthorne | Raphiolepis indica | Spring flowering; blue berries in fall; evergreen | ||
| Italian jasmine | Jasminum humile | Sprawling evergreen; yellow summer flowers | ||
| Juniper | Juniperus sp. | Tough evergreen; many varieties | ||
| Nandina | Nandina domestica | Reddish evergreen foliage; red fall berries | ||
| Pomegranate | Punica granatum | Large, upright shrub; orange blooms; edible fruit; dwarf variety: Chico | ||
| Variegated pittosporum | Pittosporum tobira variegata | Green/white variegated evergreen shrub | ||
| Winter honeysuckle | Lonicera fragrantissima | Fragrant clusters of white flowers in winter | ||
| Large Shrubs (10 to 25 feet tall) | ||||
| American holly1 | Ilex opaca | Tree-form holly; evergreen foliage; red berries | ||
| Arizona cypress | Cupressus arizonica | Evergreen for specimen and windbreak plantings | ||
| California fan palm | Washingtonia filifera | Tree-like palm | ||
| Cherry laurel1 | Prunus caroliniana | Tree-like evergreen shrub | ||
| Chinese photinia | Photinia serrulata | Evergreen; red spring foliage; white spring blooms | ||
| Crape myrtle | Lagerstroemia indica | Shrubby to tree-like; summer blooming; many flower colors available | ||
| Lilac | Syringa vulgaris | Deciduous blooming shrub; adapted to alkaline soil | ||
| Mock orange | Philadelphus coronarius | Fragrant white blooms in late spring | ||
| Oleander | Nerium oleander | Evergreen foliage; summer blooming; many colors available | ||
| Possumhaw1 | Ilex decidua | Deciduous holly; red to orange berries persist through early winter | ||
| Russian olive | Eleagnus angustifolia | Gray foliage; yellow flowers; evergreen for windbreak plantings | ||
| Texas mountain laurel1 | Sophora secundiflora | Tree-like evergreen shrub; purple spring flowers | ||
| Texas palmetto1 | Sabal texana | Tall, native Texas palm | ||
| Texas persimmon1 | Diospyros texana | Tree-like; light gray trunk; fruit edible by animals | ||
| Vitex | Vitex agnus-castus | Tree-like; flowers blue or white; summer blooming | ||
| Washington hawthorn | Crataegus phaenopyrum | Maple-shaped leaves; white flower; red berries | ||
| Windmill palm | Trachycarpus fortunei | Tree-like; fibrous bark | ||
| Yaupon holly1 | Ilex vomitoria | Upright evergreen, spineless holly; red to orange berries | ||
1 Texas native 2 S = Sun; Sh = Full to partial shade; E = Either