Drought-hardy Native Plants for the Hill Country

By Paula Stone

Native Plant Society of Texas Fredericksburg Chapter President

For many people, drought tolerate plants are just the “usual suspects:” agave, sotol, nolina and cacti.

But there are lots of other native plants that can handle lack of water and don’t have the desert connotations or the strong, architectural shapes so 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.

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 foliage is welcome when most plants have turned brown for the winter. It is a tough, little shrub that is useful for any place with good drainage.

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

Salvia farinacea — or Mealy Blue Sage — can come back after a hard April freeze if it is cut down to two-to-three

inches. — Photo courtesy Paula Stone

usually after a rain. Plant breeding has produced some very vivid versions of the normal colors.

Choosing Native Plants

When choosing plants for the Texas Hill Country, it is always better to go with native plants that can withstand the vicissitudes of our weather. Many non-native plants ‘wimp out’ and need replacing in less than a year.

To learn more about Texas native plants, we invite you to join the >

Commonly known as Cenizo, the Leucophyllum frutescens can appear any time of year and usually after a rain. — Photo

courtesy Paula Stone

Fredericksburg Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas.

We offer talks, classes and garden tours to teach about our many lovely and useful locally native plants. Twice a year, we host a members-only plant sale with a wonderful selection of native plants. Our monthly meetings are educational and free to the public; notices are printed in this newspaper.

For more information and to join, go to NPSOT.org.