Before (1992)		After (1999)

The format of the plant lists is as follows:

Latin name

Common name (when it blooms, height, how much sun, wildlife use)

The Native Plants:

Annuals:

Coreopsis Tinctoria

Plains coreopsis (May-Aug, 2-3', part-full, bee & butterfly)

Eupatorium serotinum

Late flowering eupatorium (Aug-Nov, 3-4', full, bee & butterfly)

Gaillardia pulchella

Indian Blanket (Feb-Dec, 1-2', full, bee and butterfly nectar)

Monarda Citriodora

Lemonmint (Apr-Jun, 1-2', part-full, hummingbird/ butterfly/ bees)

Phlox drumondii

Drummond Phlox (Feb-May, 1-2', full, bees and butterflies)

Perennials:

Achillea millefolium

Common yarrow

Calyptocarpus vialis

horseherb (shade, groundcover for insects)

Commelina sp

widow's tears (Apr-Dec, 1', dap-full, groundcover for insects)

Coreopsis lanceolata

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Apr-Jun, 1-2', sun)

Echinacea purpurea

Purple Coneflower (Apr-Jun, 2+, dap-full)

Eupatorium coelestinum

Blue Mist Flower (Apr-Dec, 3', dappled-part, butterfly)

Lantana camara

Lantana (Apr-Nov, 4+, sun, butterfly/ hummingbird)

Malpighia glabra

Barbados Cherry (Mar-Dec, 3', dappled-full, bird)

Malvaviscus arboreus drummondii

Turk's Cap (Jun-Nov, 2+, shade-sun, butterfly/ hummingbird)

Nymphaea odorata

White water lily (Mar-Oct, full, dragonfly)

Penstemon Tenuis

Gulf Coast penstemon (Mar, 2', dappled-full, hummingbird)

Pontideria cordata

Pickerelweed (Jun-Sep, 2', dappled-full, dragonflies)

Pyrrhopappus carolinianus

Texas dandelion (Mar-?, under 1', full)

Rudbeckia Hirta

Blackeyed Susan (Jun-Oct, 1-2', dappled-full, bird--seed)

Ruellia spp

wild petunia (spr-fall, 2+, dappled-part, hummingbird)

Salvia Farinacea

Mealy blue sage (Apr-Nov, 2+, part-full, hummingbird)

Salvia leucantha

Mexican Milky Sage (Jul-Dec, 4', sun, hummingbird & bee)

Salvia Coccinea

Scarlet Sage (May-frost, 2+, dappled-full, hummingbird & bee)

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus

Coral Berry (3', part-full, bird)

Thelypteris kunthii

Wood fern (2', shade, groundcover for insects)

Viola spp

Wood Violet (spring, under 1', part, butterfly larva--we haven't witnessed this)

Shrubs:

Erythrina herbacea

Coral bean (Apr-Jun, to 6', full)

Ilex vomitoria

Yaupon (15', full, bird)

Leucophyllum candidum

Cenizo (hasn't yet, 2-3', full)

Philadelphus texensis

Texas mock orange (Mar, 5', dappledpled)

Sabal minor

palmetto (5', part)

Sambucu canadensis

American Elderberry (May-Jul, 3-8', partial to full, bee & butterfly: nectar/ bird: berries)

Capsicum annuum frutescens

chile piquin/Zimbabwe bird pepper (spring-frost, 2+, shade, bird)

Trees:

Carya illinoinensis

Pecan (tall!, full, bird & squirrel food & habitat)

Platanus occidentalis

American Sycamore

Symplocos tinctoria

Common Sweet Leaf (20', full)

Celtis laevigata

Hackberry (50', part-full, bird)

Cercis Canadensis

Redbud (Feb-Mar, 10', dappled)

Eysenhardtia texana

Kidneywood (Apr-Nov, to 15', full, bee & butterfly)

Vines:

Jacquemontia tamnifolia

Hairy cluster-vine (Jul-Oct, full)

Passiflora incarnata

Passionvine (Apr-Sep, full, butterfly: Gulf Fritillary larval food)

The non-natives:

Annuals:

Capsicum ??

Habanero pepper (Apr-Oct, 3-4', partial to full, bird)

Anethum graveolens

Dill ( 3', full, butterfly larvae: Black Swallowtail larva)

Impatiens Wallerani

Impatiens (Apr-Dec, 1', part)

Lobularia Maritima

Sweet Alyssum (6", full)

Ocilum basilicum

Sweet basil (Jul-Oct, 3-4', full, bee)

Bulbs:

Canna x generalis

canna (May-Dec, 5', shade)

Colocasia antiquorum

elephant ears ( April, to 3', shade)

Caladium bicolor

caladium (1-2', shade)

Leucojum aestivum

Spring snowflake (Feb, 2', part)

Oxalis crassipes

Oxalis (6", part-full, bee)

Petroselinum hortense

parsley (part-full, butterfly larvae: Black Swallowtail)

Perennials:

?

parrot flower (Mar, 2', part)

Agastache foeniculum

Anise hyssop (bee/ bird)

Allium schoenoprasum

Chives (Mar, 2', full, hummingbird)

Asclepias Curassavica

Mexican Butterfly weed (Jul-Dec, 5+, part-full, butterfly [Monarch larval food]/ hummingbird)

Aspidistra elatior

aspidistra (2', part)

Cymbopogon citratus

Lemon Grass (3-4', full)

Cyperus Alternifolia

Umbrella Sedge ( 1-2', part)

Dianthus Barbatus

Pinks (Apr-July, 1-2', part)

Justicia brandegeana

shrimp plant (Jun-Dec, 2', part, hummingbird)

Lantana montevidensis

Lantana (May-Nov, 1-2', sun, butterfly/ hummingbird)

Liriope muscari

liriope (Aug, 8", dappled-full, groundcover for insects)

Mirabilis jalapa

4 o'clocks (Jun-Dec, 2+, part-full, hummingbird for nectar/ other birds for seeds)

Salvia ??

Electric blue sage (6", full)

Salvia rutilans (prev. elegans)

Pineapple sage (Jun-Jul, 4', part-full, hummingbird/ butterfly)

Tagetes lucidia

Mexican Mint Marigold (fall, 1-2', full, bee)

Shrubs:

?

Chinese Witchhazel (Jan, 5', part)

Helichrysum angustifolium

Curry plant (2', full)

Abelia x grandiflora

abelia (Aug-Dec, 4', partial sun)

euonomys spp

golden euonomys (2', partial sun)

Hamelia patens

Hummingbird bush (Jul-Oct, to 12', partial sun, hummingbird)

Hibiscus syriacus

althea (Jun-Sep, 8-12', partial sun)

Ligustrum spp

privet (5', partial sun)

Poliomentha longiflora

Mexican oregano (1', full, hummingbird)

Pyracantha coccinea

pyracantha (spring, 15', partial sun, bird: berries and home--we have found nests in this bush every year)

Rhododendron spp

Azalea (Mar, to 5', partial sun)

Trees:

?

fig tree

Lagerstroemia indica

Crepe Myrtle (Jun-Sep, 30', sun, bird)

Quereus nigra

Water oak ( tall!, full, bird and squirrel food and habitat)

Vines:

Clematis dioscoreifolia

White clematis (Jul-Sep, sun)

Wisteria sinensis

wisteria (early sp, sun)

These are the plants that didn't make it.

We tried, but we don't have enough sun under the oak, 2 hackberries and 3 pecans for everything.

The natives:

Asclepias tuberosa

Butterfly weed--the Mexican milkweed thrives, this did not

Callicarpa americana

American Beautyberry

Lonicera Sempervirens

Coral Honeysuckle--we just don't get enough sun

Nemophila phacelioides

Baby Blue Eyes

Rivina humilis

Pigeon berry--this may actually be in the back yard somewhere...

Salvia Greggii

Gregg's Sage--this should have made it but was eaten by a creeping lantana

The non-natives:

Viola Cornuta

Johnny Jump Up

Coreopsis verticillata "Moonbeam"

Moonbeam Coreopsis

Coreopsis roseum

Pink Coreopsis

Melissa officinalis

Lemon balm

Mentha spp.

English mint, Chocolate Mint, Apple mint

Monarda Didyma

BeeBalm

Muscari

Grape hyacinth

Nepeta cataria

catnip

Nereum Oleander

Oleander

Thymus x citriodora

Lemon Thyme

Viola hederacea

Australian violet

Viola Odorata

Sweet Violet

Reference List:

These books are available for sale in association with Amazon.com books.

• Native Texas Plants; Sally Wasowski
• Wild Flowers of the Big Thicket, East Texas and Western Louisiana; Geyata Ajilvsgi
• Wildflowers of Houston; John L. Tveten, Gloria A. Tveten; Hardcover(Special Order)
• A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast; River Oaks Garden Club
• Southern Herb Growing; Madalene Hill, et al
• Butterfly Gardening for the South; Geyata Ajilvsgi

• Buchanan's Native Plants, 11th Street in the Heights
• Wildseed near Fredericksburg, Texas (seeds by catalogue)
• Treesearch (now wholesale only)
• Mercer Arboretum Annual Sale in March -- get there early and bring your own little red wagon

About the Owners

The terms "Native" and "Non-native" may be applied incorrectly, but we have tried to keep it straight. Please email comments, challenges, additional information requests. We also have a list of wildlife seen in and from our yard.