Wanting to start a thread of "bulletproof" plants. AKA those that can handle heat, cold, drought, etc. with little to no maintenance or watering. I don't mind doing some work, but I generally like my plants to look good all year while still being hassle free.

An example for me in San Antonio is Texas Sage. The below picture is from my old place. Maybe trimmed that thing one time but mostly let it grow wild. It lived through summer droughts, freezes (including the 2021 storm), and everything else. The flowers looked great when we got some moisture, but I like the gray-green color it kept year-round too. I've got another at the current place that is also going strong but is more manicured.

Palmetto, not "pretty" but very hardy and an interesting addition to the landscape. Natives are almost always good.

Roses seem to do well just about anywhere and survive a lot of neglect.

Black thumb in Aggieland reporting in:
Big #1 = Chinese pistache, it even propoates where I don't mow, fast grow but short lived so needs a Live Oak planted same time

#2 Cedar (or Winged) Elms, self propogate, slower grow but longer lived ... give them a deep bed and they can tower over any other tree

#3 Spider plants in baskets (indoors when less than 38F)

#4 Crepe Myrtle, IF planted by pros who will buy the correct heights and color blooms, then some may self propogate

#5 Pampass grass IF on a water source, be it drip or even anaerobic septic

#6 Live Oak, sloooooow but forever (H.Canker exceptions)

#7 Waist high yuccas ("Sword")

#8 Privet but must self propogate for me, hard to plant

Weather changes have made these too much work when once were EZ
Cannas
Sages
Rosemary
Mex. palms, even Windmill
Oxalis
Elephant ears
Oleanders - too far North
Junipers, e.g. Sea Green, etc. - dead by city water high in sodium

Great idea. I need this list!

We planted 26 last year and it was probably the worst timing ever. Between the drought and freeze, not sure how many made it.

http://www.txsmartscape.com/plant-search/plant-details.php?id=799

Purple Heart. I pulled up a bunch of this several years back and dumped it in a pile with lawn clippings and leaves with plans to start a compost pile. This stuff has grown to nearly the size of the pile with zero attention paid to it aside from occasional blasts with a weed eater. The spot I pulled it from was under two big pines in my front yard. I had a landscaper till all my flower beds and put down a thick layer of much and this stuff popped up again.

El_duderino said:

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We planted 26 last year and it was probably the worst timing ever. Between the drought and freeze, not sure how many made it.

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Damn that's tough. Hopefully some pull through and get established. I've been considering getting more but haven't ever had to establish them myself.

I love Lantana. It's a tough, resilient plant. Installed some at the "new" house in 2019 and they have come back strong every year. Fast growing, dense and attracts plenty of butterflies, bees, etc. Needs full sun. I rarely, if ever water it. Trim it with power shears and it bounces right back and blooms even more.

Anyone know what this plant is? They made it through the winter freeze well too, and I'm pretty sure I've seen them used at businesses around town which makes me think they are probably low maintenance.

Texker said:

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I love Lantana. It's a tough, resilient plant. Installed some at the "new" house in 2019 and they have come back strong every year. Fast growing, dense and attracts plenty of butterflies, bees, etc. Needs full sun. I rarely, if ever water it. Trim it with power shears and it bounces right back and blooms even more.

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Yes, although it tends to take over unless pruned regularly. In an area where it can spread out, it's great.

Daylilies and agapanthus are also really good choices and easily divided for making additional plants.

Anyone has a suggestion for a plant that does well in heavy shade (a little morning/evening sunlight)? Its texas, and we travel a lot, so would need to be drought tolerant. I'm getting close to buying a couple fake metal succulents and call it a day.

AggieOO said:

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Anyone has a suggestion for a plant that does well in heavy shade (a little morning/evening sunlight)? It's texas, and we travel a lot, so would need to be drought tolerant. I'm getting close to buying a couple fake metal succulents and call it a day.

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Interested in this as well. Has actually been easier to find ones that thrive in full sun than partial/full shade. Doesn't help with the colder temps in winter last few years either.

AggieOO said:

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Anyone has a suggestion for a plant that does well in heavy shade (a little morning/evening sunlight)? Its texas, and we travel a lot, so would need to be drought tolerant. I'm getting close to buying a couple fake metal succulents and call it a day.

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Lenten Rose

Dogdoc said:

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AggieOO said:

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Anyone has a suggestion for a plant that does well in heavy shade (a little morning/evening sunlight)? Its texas, and we travel a lot, so would need to be drought tolerant. I'm getting close to buying a couple fake metal succulents and call it a day.

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Lenten Rose

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this is interesting. Of course, the area in question is clay, so i'd have some work to do there since it drains poorly, but not an impossible task to fix.

AggieOO said:

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Anyone has a suggestion for a plant that does well in heavy shade (a little morning/evening sunlight)? Its texas, and we travel a lot, so would need to be drought tolerant. I'm getting close to buying a couple fake metal succulents and call it a day.

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Hydrangeas are great for that situation except they are not particularly drought tolerant. But you could use a battery powered water timer to take care of that. They need about an inch of water per week.

Ornamental garlic and foxtail ferns are my go to.

Col. Steve Austin said:

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AggieOO said:

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Anyone has a suggestion for a plant that does well in heavy shade (a little morning/evening sunlight)? Its texas, and we travel a lot, so would need to be drought tolerant. I'm getting close to buying a couple fake metal succulents and call it a day.

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Hydrangeas are great for that situation except they are not particularly drought tolerant. But you could use a battery powered water timer to take care of that. They need about an inch of water per week.

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I already have dead hydrangeas in that spot.

Add African Iris. Gets as big as you allow it and covers a good area. I recently chopped mine back a bit.

Col. Steve Austin said:

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Texker said:

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I love Lantana. It's a tough, resilient plant. Installed some at the "new" house in 2019 and they have come back strong every year. Fast growing, dense and attracts plenty of butterflies, bees, etc. Needs full sun. I rarely, if ever water it. Trim it with power shears and it bounces right back and blooms even more.

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Yes, although it tends to take over unless pruned regularly. In an area where it can spread out, it's great.

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Agreed. That's exactly how I use it.

How about Shantung maples. You need to water them for the first couple years (as you would almost any tree) but after that you can just leave them alone. No pests, can take full sun and heat no problem, alkaline soils, and hardy to like -10 or -20. Plus they look really good. Metro Maples in Fort Worth has different cultivars available too (dwarf/weeping, some with different fall colors, etc).

Another one is Desert Willow. Requires even less water than the Shantung maple.

ETA I live in Dallas.

A plant that is "bulletproof" in Houston would not be in Central Texas & vice versa. (rainfall differential)

Bulletproof plants in San Antonio or Corpus will freeze in Dallas.


When listing plants, please list the general area where you live or it's useless info.
(And please stay away from the invasive stuff like Privet, Chinese Pistache, etc)
*Knock out roses are pretty tough, but rose rosette disease is killing them.

A few of my Central Texas bulletproofs include:
Full sun w/good drainage: Lantanas, Salvia greggii, Lindheimer Muhly, Red Yucca, Texas Persimmon, Cedar Elms, Gregg's Mistflower, Cross Vine, Purple Heart.
Shade: American Beautyberry, Inland Sea Oats, Cast Iron Plant, Turk's Cap, Spring Bouquet Viburnums (My suspensum were hammered by the freeze) Cleyeras, Spireas... will add a few others.
Central Texas sucks for native shade shrubs....

We are also looking for perennials that can survive in mostly shaded front flower bed. Any other suggestions?

jt2hunt said:

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knockout roses

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Knockout roses will do great in full sun and are pretty drought tolerant. They grow quickly and flower all spring and summer long.

The only concern with roses is Rose Rosette disease. It appears to be pretty bad all across my neighborhood and have noticed two of my plants have it and need to be removed.

DO NOT plant Japanese Blueberry where it might get below freezing. We lost some 2 years in row from last two big freezes. First round were smaller so figured might just be bc too young. Planted 4 new ones after last years freeze that grew about 2' in a year and were over 8' tall when freeze hit this year and lost them all again. Won't be using them again.

Tony Franklins Other Shoe said:

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Turks caps are one of the best for shade and color.

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And Hummingbirds