IF YOU HAVEN’T YET, TRY NATIVE PLANTS IN YOUR GARDEN!
by BOB DAILEY | Pines and Prairies Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas
They’re diverse. They’re beautiful. They’re hardy. And they’ve been around well before humans ever set foot on this continent.
Native plants are drought-tolerant which is great for our gardens, and a great way to save precious water. Bees, butterflies, birds, and countless other wildlife species rely on natives for food and habitat. Native plants don’t need fertilizer or other soil amendments. Here are some examples of these magnificent plants.
GULF MUHLY (Muhlenbergia capillaris) A favorite accent or partial edging plant, Gulf muhly can grow from 1.5 feet to 3 feet. It has a mounded shape when mature. The seed head of muhly is very light and airy and grows on thin stems. When it flowers the purple plumage appears to float above the plant, wafting in the wind. In late fall, the purple flowers will turn to pink.
These are only a few of the hundreds of plants that are native to our area. They provide beauty and accent to your garden, can withstand drought and high heat, flourish on the poorest soil and help support our wildlife.
