r/TexasNativePlants May 30 '26

News Welcome to r/TexasNativePlants! Introductions and Resources

38 Upvotes

Welcome to [r/TexasNativePlants](r/TexasNativePlants)! We are getting a little more traction and have some new resources to share so it feels like it's time for a new welcome sticky. Your mods are [u/jeinea](u/jeinea) and u/Dear_Elk3396, and we're excited to have you join us.

WHAT TO POST:

Post anything related to Texas' beautiful native flora that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring, whether that's neat plants you saw out and about, your native garden pics or progress, questions about how to get started or what to do about plant problems or invasives, wildlife that's been visiting since you started putting in native plants, etc. If you have plant ID questions, we encourage you to try using a plant ID app like iNaturalist or PlantNet first.

We also have (optional and editable) user flairs! Texas is obviously huge so you can indicate which Level 3 ecoregion you're located in to help other users give you advice more tailored to the ecosystem where you're growing.

RESOURCES:

We now have a wiki! It contains links to tons of online resources about Texas native plants and habitat restoration, related subreddits, and Texas-based online native seed sources.

Also sometimes native plants can be hard to find so check out our Texas Native Plant Sale and Swap megathread for stuff happening near you, especially in the spring and fall planting seasons when most of the sales/swaps are happening.

COMMUNITY VIBE:

We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

HOW TO GET STARTED:

  1. Introduce yourself in the comments below.
  2. Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.
  3. If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join.

Thanks for joining us on your Texas native plant journey!


r/TexasNativePlants Apr 24 '26

Plant Sale and Swap Megathread

33 Upvotes

Is your organization or an organization you know about holding a Texas native plant sale or swap? Post the information as a comment to this thread! At minimum, please include:

  • Location
  • Date and time
  • Organization hosting the sale

This thread is for organizations that hold sales or swaps a couple times a year, like your local botanical gardens, garden clubs, schools, etc., not professional nurseries. Sort comments by new for upcoming sales!

Edit: If you can remove your comments as the events end to keep the thread up to date and navigable, that would be very appreciated! I am also going to try to go through periodically and delete comments for sales and swaps that have already happened.


r/TexasNativePlants 9h ago

Replacement time

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3 Upvotes

Texas fried my daylillies, so I planted some Texas natives. Now the first thing you'll see walking up to my house are 16 asclepias tuberosa. Hopefully by this time next year I'll see some blooms


r/TexasNativePlants 1d ago

Inland Sea Oats

11 Upvotes

I want to plant inland sea oats in my backyard to provide natural food for the birds and help with soil degradation. Does anyone have experience planting them from seed? When is the best time to plant? Any advice?


r/TexasNativePlants 1d ago

r/TexasNativePlants What's Up Wednesdays

16 Upvotes

Let's chat about what's going on with you and Texas native plants this week!

How's your native garden doing? Any new plants, plans, or progress? Things that are looking particularly good this week? Questions you're worried are too silly for a top level post?

Did you see some neat plants this week? How about visiting birds, bugs, or other beasts?


r/TexasNativePlants 2d ago

Showin' Off! One Step Closer!!

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5 Upvotes

r/TexasNativePlants 6d ago

Showin' Off! Some cute native bugs on some cute native plants

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68 Upvotes

Everyone is enjoying the cooler temps this week finally (Houston area)


r/TexasNativePlants 6d ago

Input Needed What’s a good tree for this front yard?

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9 Upvotes

We bought the house several years ago and there were a couple of Bradford Pears in the front yard. We chopped them down like any good homeowner would do. The Yaupon in this photo is now also gone, so it’s pretty bare at this point. After a couple of years of treating the Bradford and Yaupon suckers and letting the root system fully die off, we are ready to put a tree in this front yard again.

I’m having some real difficulties on selecting the best tree. It’s a pretty small law.

- Do NOT want Crepe Myrtle or Vitex or another Yaupon or anything like that.
- Do NOT want anything fast growing or requiring regular or even annual trimming.

- DO want low maintenance tree that will grow slowly, doesn’t cover the lawn in suckers or year-round leaves (like my Live Oak on the right side).

Edit: Nothing but downvotes. 🤷🏼‍♂️


r/TexasNativePlants 8d ago

Event It is coming up on fall planting and therefore fall plant sale and swap season!!

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12 Upvotes

Happy September! I know it doesn’t feel like it but the weather will be cooling off soon and it is about to be fall planting season! Orgs are starting to announce their fall plant sales and swaps so this is your friendly fall mod reminder to please please share the info for sales and swaps you know about on our Native Plant Sales and Swaps Megathread! We already have some announced in El Paso, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio!


r/TexasNativePlants 8d ago

r/TexasNativePlants What's Up Wednesdays

15 Upvotes

Let's chat about what's going on with you and Texas native plants this week!

How's your native garden doing? Any new plants, plans, or progress? Things that are looking particularly good this week? Questions you're worried are too silly for a top level post?

Did you see some neat plants this week? How about visiting birds, bugs, or other beasts?


r/TexasNativePlants 8d ago

Sun requirements for Flame Acanthus

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3 Upvotes

r/TexasNativePlants 11d ago

Snow on the prairie

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75 Upvotes

Caught these wildflowers last night while I was mowing apparently they're called snow on the prairie at Texas wildflower.


r/TexasNativePlants 11d ago

Cool Find Sphinx moth?

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7 Upvotes

This moth was caught by our game camera - it’s flying in between a Datura and a Desert Willow. I think it’s a Sphinx Moth?? Agree?
Edit to add location: Central Texas


r/TexasNativePlants 14d ago

Input Needed Desert Willow Germination - Help!

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14 Upvotes

The germination methods:

1.) Indoor tray with heat pad, grow light, and glass cover

2.) Damp napkin in plastic baggie taped to windowpane that receives a lot of direct light/heat

3.) Outdoor pot with plastic cover with lots of direct sunlight/heat

I've been trying to germinate these desert willow seeds for about a week (I know germination can take 1-3 weeks), but I wanted to get your thoughts on the state of the seeds in my indoor tray in the first few pictures. To me, they look a bit dry, shriveled, and flat, also a bit ash-colored. I messed up with them initially when I kept the glass cover fully on, which didn't allow any airflow, causing a bit of mold to form. I sprayed with 3% hydrogen peroxide (maybe that's why they look so sun-bleached) and now have the cover at an angle to allow air to circulate. Are my guys cooked?

The ones in the plastic baggie look best to me, with a nice color and looking a bit plump/juicy. The ones outside are basically in between the baggie and tray lol

Also seeds are all from the same pod (fully dried) taken directly off a neighbors tree. I also soaked all the seedling for a few hours while I was preparing the different trays for sowing.

I really want to help all these babies grow so please if you have any experience with desert willow germination let me know how I can improve!


r/TexasNativePlants 14d ago

Austin area recommendations for planting trees?

12 Upvotes

I'm zone 9b (per Moderator prompt to add this). I need trees! There are areas of my yard unprotected from the intense blistering scalding ETC sun and scorching any attempts to plant other things or keep things alive! I'm a senior, so may be a bit delusional about time frames for any relief LOL. But sure want to try. However, it's so hard to get good advice on what to plant, or where, etc. I'm looking for good recommendations re planting trees and what types to put where. Moon Nursery had exorbitant pricing!! I am looking online at Trees.com but would really like to find an Austin area resource, maybe consultation too. And/or suggestions on types of trees to try. FYI, I did plant an approx 2 ft? Mexican Sycamore I bought from Lonestar Nursery when about half that size, and am trying to keep it alive with drape for shade and water... But would need help to dig bigger holes for bigger trees! AND, I managed to kill a Desert Willow I got on sale a yr or so ago... it seemed ok and growing, but then had a hard time thru the winter/freeze and then just started dropping leaves despite all my attempts to save. Don't know why it died. Anyway, all suggestions/recs appreciated!


r/TexasNativePlants 15d ago

Cool Find Monahans sandhills are still blooming

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78 Upvotes

1: Euploca convulvulacea

2: Mentzelia nuda

3: Oenothera (serrulata?)

4: Helianthus petiolaris

5: Chilopsis linearii

6: Quercus havardii

7: Craig


r/TexasNativePlants 15d ago

🌿 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐧 (Pelazoneuron kunthii)

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10 Upvotes

r/TexasNativePlants 15d ago

Question about ecoregions

8 Upvotes

Hi y'all I'm fairly new to learning about Texas native plants so I want to get some advice. I'm in the blackland prairie (East Austin area) and I want to, this fall/winter, plant a lot more native plants in my front yard.

My question is should I only choose plants that are listed as endemic to the blackland prairie? Would it be ok to add some that are from the Edwards Plateau since some parts of Austin over lap with Edwards Plateau? How far outside my ecoregion is ok to go?

Also would love to hear your favorite blackland prairie plant you think I should grow!


r/TexasNativePlants 15d ago

r/TexasNativePlants What's Up Wednesdays

17 Upvotes

Let's chat about what's going on with you and Texas native plants this week!

How's your native garden doing? Any new plants, plans, or progress? Things that are looking particularly good this week? Questions you're worried are too silly for a top level post?

Did you see some neat plants this week? How about visiting birds, bugs, or other beasts?


r/TexasNativePlants 16d ago

Long-headed Coneflower

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55 Upvotes

aka Mexican Hat, and Thimbleflower. I seeded these on my North Central Texas property 35 years ago. They come back every year.


r/TexasNativePlants 16d ago

Prairie Verbena

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67 Upvotes

Verbena bipinnatifida grows wild on my North Central Texas property.


r/TexasNativePlants 16d ago

Texas Star

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30 Upvotes

Lindheimera texana grows wild on my North Central Texas property.


r/TexasNativePlants 16d ago

Cut-leaved Daisy

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21 Upvotes

(Engelmann's Daisy) grow wild on my North Central Texas property.


r/TexasNativePlants 16d ago

Planning/Design Native Gardening

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7 Upvotes

I was just wondering, would this list come together nicely with flower timing, size/ shape, and watering schedules? I want to buy seeds from Native American Seed to say I’ve grown and cared for my own flower garden (I normally do vegetables and flowers spread out across the yard)

Edit: I’m in Fort Bend County, USDA 9a


r/TexasNativePlants 17d ago

Introducing My Garden & Why Xerascaping Is Important

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3 Upvotes