For Texans

Every Texas garden should contain native because they take less water and as everyone knows, Texas has very little water.  There are lots of natives that give you a spectacular show of blooms and that feed bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.  I have a few natives in my yard.  I also have a very shaded yard so I can't grow a lot of the natives I want.  I do have native Lantana.  It is beautiful and I love the candy colored blooms.  A word of caution.  Don't expect and exotic, sweet odor from the blooms.  They have a crappy smell, but the beauty of the blooms makes up for that.  This is an example of the native Lantana.

Notice how delicate the bloom cluster looks.  It is a very hardy plant.  I love it.  The next picture shows you the actual shrub.  This one is still small.  It is only two years old and was planted by the birds.  They will get about 3 feet tall. 

My Lantana lived through the drought of 2011 when most everything else died including my grass.  What survived, stayed.  What did not survive, I did not replace. 

 Another native Texas shrub that every garden should have is the Turks Cap.  It is a hardy shrub and has a really cute bloom that actually looks like a turban. 

Notice the little stamen on the top of the bloom.  These plants are usually upright shrubs and get about 3 feet tall.  The next picture will show you what they do when dealing with dogs in the garden.

These are flat on the ground because Missy and Daisy use them for their "hunting expeditions."  The shrubs adapt and just grow along the ground.  They are really hardy.  You can cut them back and they will just grow again.  And hummingbirds love them.  I also have them in front.  I can sit in my living room and watch the hummer out my window as they feed at these beautiful shrubs.  They also survived the 2011 drought.  And I have yet to see any bugs on them.  Mine were all planted by the birds so they are under the trees in the shade.  I am told that when planted in the sun, they are smaller and more bushy than those in the shade.  I have got to try that and see.  But they are a must if you are interested in feeding the hummers, which I am.