Drought-hardy Native Plants for the Hill Country By Paula Stone
Native Plant Society of Texas Fredericksburg Chapter President
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or many people, drought tolerate plants are just the “usual suspects:” agave, sotol, nolina and cacti.
It is a woody perennial that will last for several years and needs only a quick trim in late winter to set it up for blooming March thru November. During mild winters, it can even bloom in December or January.
Red, pink or white flowers draw in the pollinators and the evergreen But there are lots of other native foliage is welcome when most plants plants that can handle lack of water have turned brown for the winter. It is and don’t have the desert connotations a tough, little shrub that is useful for or the strong, architectural shapes so any place with good drainage. common in the “usual suspects.” Three favorites are:
Salvia Greggii This goes by many common names and there are many salvias, most of which are drought tolerant. Salvia greggii is a low shrub that is normally about 36” tall and about as wide.
Salvia Farinacea
Locally called Mealy Blue Sage, this is a pollinator magnate. Normally about 36” tall, it is covered with blue (and sometimes white) flowers from April until a hard freeze.
When the freeze kills it back, simply cut it down to 2-3” and wait until spring. It will come back reliably every year and spreads slowly. Seedlings are easy to transplant and share. Bumblebees are particularly drawn to its flowers.
Leucophyllum frutescens Commonly called Cenizo, this lovely plant comes in green or gray foliage, which make a nice contrast when used with darker plantings. Both color leaves are soft and slightly fuzzy; children love the feel of them. They have the added benefit of staying on the plant year-round, so it is evergreen or evergray, as the case might be. The lavender, pink or white flowers can appear any time of year and
Salvia greggi is a droughttolerant shrub that can bloom even in mild winters.
— Photo courtesy Paula Stone
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I Spring/Summer 2022
