Summer is officially here and all this sun may have you thinking about what you want to plant in your garden come fall. Native plants are the move and let us explain why:
🤔 What Is a Native Plant?
This one is easy! A native plant is one that is naturally occurring in an area.
🌱 Why Are Native Plants Important?
Insert Stefon from “Saturday Night Live” here: Native plants have everything. They’re often drought-tolerant, need less water, are resistant to diseases and pests, provide habitats and food for local birds, insects and other wildlife, and need barely any fertilizer or pesticides.
Plants that originated in another part of the country may not thrive here the way a native plant will.
“These exotic plants not only sever the food web, but many have become invasive pests, outcompeting native species and degrading habitat in remaining natural areas,” the National Audubon Society says.
🌸 What Plants Are Native to Austin?
OK, we can’t list every single plant native to Austin because you’d be reading for a long, long time. But we can list a few! (The city has a handy list of native trees, shrubs, roses, perennials, and more if you want to investigate further.)
- Black-eyed Susan ‘Goldstrum’
- Red bird of paradise
- Yellow bird of paradise
- Cast iron plant
- Upright rosemary
- Texas sage
- Crape myrtle
- Desert willow
- Mountain laurel
- Mock orange
👋 Happy planting!
