So the winter storm killed most of my plants in the front flower bed and I'm about to just rip everything out and plant some new stuff. Does anybody have any suggestions on some low maintenance plants that work well together? House faces south west and located in DFW if that matters from a climate perspective. I've also got a bunch of deer in the neighborhood so something that will be avoided by them would be good as well.

Rosemary
Bicolor iris
Texas Ranger sage
Society garlic
Foxtail fern

TikkaShooter said:

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Rosemary
Bicolor iris
Texas Ranger sage
Society garlic
Foxtail fern

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Awesome, I'll take a look. Appreciate it.

Lantana

Following

I'm liking the way this Texas Ranger sage is looking.

Anybody have any luck with any types of cactus? Seems like that could pare well with the Sage and also be low maintenance.

Spineless pear cactus is a nice combo.

Or an agave like whales tongue.

Pookers said:

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Anybody have any luck with any types of cactus? Seems like that could pare well with the Sage and also be low maintenance.

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Red Yucca might work if the area is well drained.

I'd do giant herpsaloe instead. Those red yuccas get so over used, and the plant doesn't age well. Giant herpsaloe stays very vertical and less dense.

Texas sage
Flame acanthus
Bottlebrush
Salvia

Lantana is alright, But they don't survive freezes.

Lots of salvia choices. Indigo Spires is a show stopper and deer proof.

zooguy96 said:

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Texas sage
Flame acanthus
Bottlebrush
Salvia

Lantana is alright, But they don't survive freezes.

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Lantana, various salvias and sages are 99% of what survived in my hood west of Austin. I had 20+ Lantana plants that all lived after being buried under 3 feet of snow drift for a week. Even had a few plants still in very small (1 qt-ish) garden center containers that were completely covered that survived (3 of 4 lantana, 6 of 6 autumn sage, 0 of 2 plumbago). Rosemary by far the biggest loser amongst hardy shrubs -- it was decimated everywhere in my area. Still replanted quite a bit of it because I love it.

RED AG 98 said:

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zooguy96 said:

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Texas sage
Flame acanthus
Bottlebrush
Salvia

Lantana is alright, But they don't survive freezes.

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Lantana, various salvias and sages are 99% of what survived in my hood west of Austin. I had 20+ Lantana plants that all lived after being buried under 3 feet of snow drift for a week. Even had a few plants still in very small (1 qt-ish) garden center containers that were completely covered that survived (3 of 4 lantana, 6 of 6 autumn sage, 0 of 2 plumbago). Rosemary by far the biggest loser amongst hardy shrubs -- it was decimated everywhere in my area. Still replanted quite a bit of it because I love it.

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Perhaps this is a dumb question. These rosemary and sage bushes, can you cook with these varieties or are they different than the herbs you get at the store?

Rosemary can definitely cook with. Same.

Note there is a trailing Rosemary and a bush. Make sure to pick the right one.

Agreed. I've cooked with both trailing and shrub varieties.

Quote:

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These rosemary and sage bushes, can you cook with these varieties or are they different than the herbs you get at the store?

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Rosemary is rosemary, you can eat/cook with all varieties.
Now sage can get you into trouble. (As can trying to ID plants with common names)

Texas Ranger Sage, AKA Texas Sage, AKA Cenizo is all Leucophyllum frutescens... and there are many cultivars.
It is not a true "Sage" and isn't in the same family. DON"T COOK WITH IT.
I don't generally plant many of these as foundation shrubs as they tend to get leggy & thin out on the lower branches due to shade. They also HATE too much water as they grow naturally in Big Bend.
If you do plant them, they need 100% full sun, go easy on the irrigation & try to get the smallest variety you can. Note, even "Compact" Texas Sage will get 5' tall.

True sages are in the "salvia" family, and you can cook with some of them. There are probably 1000 different types of salvia across the world, and probably 25-30 that we plant regularly in Texas.
Some types of salvia are ok to use as herbs, other kinds will get you stoned to the bejeezus or kill you.

I'd advise to stick with Rosemary, Basil, Thyme etc. & use salvias as a flowering perennial accent plant.

One of my favorites salvias is indigo spires in full sun (gets 4' tall x 4' wide).

TikkaShooter gave you some nice plants, but remember that Foxtail Fern, Society Garlic, Bicolor Iris will all die back to the ground in winter, so you'll have bare spots for 4 ish months where you plant those.

If you don't mind deciduous plants, be sure to put in some milkweed for the monarchs like Green milkweed, Butterfly milkweed, and showy milkweed.

Additionally, classics like black-eyed Susan and Lanceleaf coreopsis are always winners. You might want to add Missouri ironweed, Gregg's mistflower, and Purple passionflower if a vine will work, but know that they spread.

Pookers said:

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I've also got a bunch of deer in the neighborhood so something that will be avoided by them would be good as well.

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I would recommend to go slow with plants then to see what they will eat. My daughter tried a lot of stuff that was deer proof and they did a number on some of it. She has gone to netting and a motion detector sprayer because of the population in her hood. They have way too many and the food competition is high so even some of the young deer proof plants get nibbled on pretty good. They occasionally push through the netting too.

Lots of good suggestions here so I don't have anything to add other than to protect your new investment.

Gold Star Esperanza is "plant it & forget it" bullet proof. Cut it off just above ground during winter. It will come back every spring. Beautiful yellow tubular blooms.

They will need a lot of growing room. If you don't trim them, they grow 4' tall & 3' wide. If your flower bed is to small they will crowd out everything else.

As salvias go, I like the mystic spires.

They do freeze, but they grow back from the roots. At least the native lantana does.

Blue (Gregg's) mistflower is one of the lowest maintenance plants I have ever planted. It is native and maybe the best flower for butterflies (especially monarchs and queens) out there. Be careful cuz it will take over a bed. Also dies back in winter and has to be cut to ground, but it's pretty easy to rip up.

watching

It is too bad Texas doesn't have a major university with an arm dedicated to these agricultural kinds of things. If they did you could find info like this- https://cdn-ext.agnet.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/top-100-plants-for-north-texas.pdf

The best book on how to use them in your landscape is still Sally Wasowski's Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region

citizenkane06 said:

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If you don't mind deciduous plants, be sure to put in some milkweed for the monarchs like Green milkweed, Butterfly milkweed, and showy milkweed.

Additionally, classics like black-eyed Susan and Lanceleaf coreopsis are always winners. You might want to add Missouri ironweed, Gregg's mistflower, and Purple passionflower if a vine will work, but know that they spread.

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Where do you get native varieties of milkweed? I have had trouble finding them except at one very specialized grower that you have to make an appointment with to go see. Most of what you see is that damn tropical milkweed.

Badace52 said:

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citizenkane06 said:

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If you don't mind deciduous plants, be sure to put in some milkweed for the monarchs like Green milkweed, Butterfly milkweed, and showy milkweed.

Additionally, classics like black-eyed Susan and Lanceleaf coreopsis are always winners. You might want to add Missouri ironweed, Gregg's mistflower, and Purple passionflower if a vine will work, but know that they spread.

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Where do you get native varieties of milkweed? I have had trouble finding them except at one very specialized grower that you have to make an appointment with to go see. Most of what you see is that damn tropical milkweed.

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Where are you for us to tell you if there are native plant nurseries near you? After the big freeze this year plants are kind of like trying to score the new hot toy at Christmas time.

The spineless *****ly pears are great and super easy to grow. I bought several years ago and when an ear falls off, I just stick it in a pot to grow a new plant.

One thing about the milkweed suggestion, it is toxic to dogs if that's relevant to your situation.

longeryak said:

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It is too bad Texas doesn't have a major university with an arm dedicated to these agricultural kinds of things. If they did you could find info like this- https://cdn-ext.agnet.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/top-100-plants-for-north-texas.pdf

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Excellent post.

I'm in Georgetown and I use Wright's nursery in Briggs, TX to try to find rarer native plants in the past, but was wondering if there is a place I don't need an appointment to go to.

Badace52 said:

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I'm in Georgetown and I use Wright's nursery in Briggs, TX to try to find rarer native plants in the past, but was wondering if there is a place I don't need an appointment to go to.

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I poked around a few native seed sites and the freeze's impact is there too. Your best bet, presently, may be gathering seeds from the correct plants.

You can use this to see what nurseries are in your area. http://ekps.tamu.edu

I have several antelope horns and zizotes milkweeds that have popped up in my flower beds naturally which I let grow every year and try to spread in the beds. I wanted to try and get some Texas milkweed and showy milkweed and maybe a few other varieties and do a whole milkweed tiered section next to my Gregg's mistflower.

Badace52 said:

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I have several antelope horns and zizotes milkweeds that have popped up in my flower beds naturally which I let grow every year and try to spread in the beds. I wanted to try and get some Texas milkweed and showy milkweed and maybe a few other varieties and do a whole milkweed tiered section next to my Gregg's mistflower.

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Good thing you're in medicine cause that science background will help a lot with Jill Nokes' book that seems to be up your alley. https://www.amazon.com/Grow-Native-Plants-Texas-Southwest/dp/0292755732

Ouch on price. I didn't know it hasn't been printed in 20 years. Even used places are running $75.