North Texas Landscape Plants

Butterflyweed

• Though butterflyweed is a member of the milkweed family, it does not produce the sticky, milky-white sap for which milkweeds are known. Butterflyweed is known instead for its large bright orange flowers, which grow in flat-topped clusters and, as the plant's name suggests, attract butterflies. The plant is a deciduous and perennial; it sheds its leaves in fall but will come back year after year, growing to about 2 feet and sporting long, thin dark green leaves. It is tolerant of north Texas winters, and is also drought-tolerant, requiring little water and growing best in sandy, well-drained soil with full sun or partial shade.

Texas Redbud

• Texas Redbud is a large shrub that reaches a height of 10 to 20 feet in north-central Texas as well as the High Plains region of the state. Redbud is a perennial, and blooms in march and April with showy pink flowers that emerge before the leaves begin to grow, and continue to blossom as the leaves develop. The leaves themselves are unremarkable, but turn shades of red and gold in fall. Resistant to both heat and cold, Texas redbud is moderately drought-tolerant, growing best in fairly dry soil with sun or part shade. Rocky, sandy, loamy or clay soils are all acceptable.

Pecan

• The pecan is the state tree of Texas, ant it can grow in conditions all over the state. The tree occurs naturally as far east as Alabama and north to Ohio, and is cultivated for its edible nuts in many areas. Also widely used as an ornamental shade tree, the pecan typically reaches between 70 and 100 feet, and is capable of exceeding 150 feet. The leaves are large, often 12 to 20 inches long, and turn golden-yellow before dropping in fall. Pecan trees are tolerant of cold and drought, though they need ample water for best growth. Well-drained, nutrient-rich soils are best, but pecan trees will grow in a wide range of soils.