How to Choose Plants for South Texas

Plant selection in South Texas is a performance decision, not a style decision. The plants that look best on install day are not always the ones standing three summers later.

Start with exposure. Full western sun against a masonry wall is a different environment than a shaded courtyard on the same property. Then look at soil: sandy coastal soils drain fast and hold little; clay holds water and moves with moisture.

Native and adaptive species reduce water demand and replacement cost. That does not mean a landscape has to look sparse. Layering grasses, structural succulents and flowering adaptives produces depth without fragile material.

Finally, plan for maintenance. A planting plan that requires constant intervention will look worse in year two than a simpler plan maintained well.