Plant Guide for North Texas

NORTH TEXAS PLANT GUIDE

PLANT GUIDE by Art That Grows

Here You'll Find the Best Plants for Sun, Shade, and Low-Maintenance Landscapes

Choosing the right plants is essential for a successful landscape in North Texas. With intense summer heat, clay soil, and varying sun exposure, plant selection must be both strategic and practical.

At Art That Grows, we select plants that thrive in local conditions while providing year-round color, texture, and structure.

Thriving Plants in Sun & Shade and Draught & Heat

Best Plants for Full Sun in North Texas

Full sun areas receive 6–8+ hours of direct sunlight and require heat-tolerant plants.

These plants thrive in high heat and strong sunlight:

Options include:

Lantana – Bright color, extremely drought-tolerant
Salvia – Long blooming season, attracts pollinators
Ornamental grasses – Texture, movement, low maintenance
Black-eyed Susan – Hardy and reliable seasonal color
Agave & Yucca – Ideal for xeriscaping and low water use
Penta– Perennial or plant as annual, blooms all summer full sun to partial shade

These are perfect for open yards, front landscapes, and south-facing areas.

Texas Lantana

Texas Lantana is a highly resilient, native perennial renowned for its ability to survive extreme heat and drought. It produces vibrant, multi-colored blooms.

Best Plants for Shade

Shade areas need plants that can thrive with limited sunlight.

Features include:

Caladiums – Bright seasonal color in shade
Cast Iron Plant – Extremely durable and low maintenance
Ferns – Lush greenery for shaded beds
Hydrangeas (shade varieties) – Soft blooms with structure
Vinca – (Periwinkle) Flowering evergreen ground cover

Ideal for areas under trees, along fences, and north-facing yards.

Caladium

Caladiums - Full sun to partial and full shade, heat-tolerant, varied, colorful annual plant.

Low-Maintenance Plants for North Texas

These perennial plants require less watering, pruning, and upkeep.

Asian Jasmine – Dense, weed-resistant ground cover
Boxwood – Clean structure, easy to shape, ornamental and hedges
Dwarf Yaupon Holly – Compact and hardy
Liriope – Great for borders and ground cover
Nandina – Seasonal color with minimal care

Perfect for homeowners who want a clean look with minimal effort.

Asian Jasmine

Asian Jasmine is one of the most widely used, drought-tolerant ground covers in Texas. It thrives in conditions ranging from full sun to deep shade, making it a perfect grass alternative for shaded areas under live oak trees, sloped embankments, and areas prone to erosion.

Ground Cover Options

Ground cover helps prevent weeds, retain moisture, and complete the landscape design.

Ajuga – Hardy, low-growing perennial that flourishes in sun and shade
Asian Jasmine – Fast-spreading coverage
Creeping Thyme – Low-growing with seasonal blooms
Mondo Grass – Clean, structured borders
Dwarf Mondo Grass – Low-growing, uniform appearance

Proper spacing is key to preventing overcrowding and gaps.

Ajuga

Ajuga - Hardy, accent, low-growing perennial flourishes in sun and shade.
A groundcover alternative, Ajuga is a flowering perennial with colorful leaves, adding visual interest to your garden.

Plants for Color & Seasonal Interest in North Texas

Adding seasonal color keeps your landscape vibrant throughout the year.

Spring: Daffodils, Impatients, Snap Dragons, Tulips, Zinnias -
Flowering shrubs: Azaleas, Forsythia, Indian Hawthorne, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Texas Mountain Laurel
Summer: Begonias, Crepe Myrtle, Lantana, Pentas, Salvia
Fall: Ornamental grasses, Adagio Maiden, Little Blue Stem, Red Muhly,
Seasonal annuals: Pansies, Kale varieties
Winter: Evergreens and structural plants: Boxwood, Burford Holly, Dwarf Yaupon, Nandina, Sunshine Ligustrum

A mix of annuals and perennials creates year-round visual appeal.

Spring Flowers

Daffodils

Daffodils do best in full sun, though they will grow in partial shade. They’re generally not picky about soil, but good drainage is vital as they are susceptible to rot when kept too wet. Hillsides and raised beds work well. Otherwise, improve clay soil by amending it (12 inches deep) with organic material such as well-rotted compost.

Zinnias

Zinnias are excellent, heat-loving annuals for Texas. They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. To grow them successfully, plant seeds directly into the ground after the last spring frost. Water at the base (using drip irrigation) and harvest frequently to encourage continuous blooming throughout the summer.

Sow seeds or plant transplants from April through May once nighttime temperatures are consistently above 60°F.

Fall Planting: In North Texas, sow a second round in mid-August through early September. The cooler fall weather produces spectacular, vividly colored blooms with less powdery mildew.

Spring Flowering Shrubs

Fall Ornamental Grasses and Season Annuals

Adagio Maiden Grass

Adagio Maiden Grass - Features silvery-green foliage that transitions into gorgeous autumn shades of gold, orange, and burgundy, topped with creamy-white feathery plumes. Compact and low-maintenance; reaches about 4 feet tall by 3 feet wide.

Pansies

Pansies
Suitable for containers and borders and as groundcover, they are a go-to flower for reliable color almost year-round in some places. Pansies look pretty in a monochrome or mixed-color scheme; they also look beautiful when planted with other cool-season flowers such as primroses, trailing lobelia, and sweet alyssum.

Pansies are surprisingly hardy in cold weather, though. They’ll survive a frost, bouncing back from even single-digit temperatures. If the blooms wither in the cold, the plants will often stay alive to bloom again, which makes them a great flowering plant for fall and early winter color.

Ornamental Kale

Ornamental kale, also known as flowering kale, is a vibrant, cold-hardy plant grown for its ruffled, colorful foliage rather than for eating. Perfect for autumn and winter landscapes, its bright purple, pink, and white center leaves intensify in color as temperatures drop.

Planting: Best planted in early fall in areas with full sun and well-draining soil.
Temperature: Thrives in cooler weather and actually looks best after a frost.
Size: Typically grows 12–18 inches tall and wide.
Maintenance: Requires about 6 hours of sunlight daily and consistent watering.

Winter Evergreens and Structural Plants

Burford Holly

The Burford Holly is a timeless evergreen shrub admired for its dense, glossy foliage and graceful pyramidal form, yet it is frequently trimmed to spherical shapes or as hedges. Its rich, dark green leaves provide year-round structure and texture, making it a striking backdrop in landscapes and flower beds.

In winter, female plants produce clusters of bright red berries that bring seasonal color and charm. Reaching 15 to 20 feet in height and 10 to 12 feet in width, it develops a naturally full habit that works beautifully as a specimen, an accent, or within layered plantings.

Azaleas

Azaleas (Rhododendron)Blooms: Mid-springDetails: Known for vibrant, showy blooms in shades of pink, white, and red. In North Texas, they do best in the shade of larger trees and require well-drained, acidic soil.

Begonias

Begonia
Perennial on coast, annual in North Texas, sun and shade tolerant with afternoon shade, drought tolerant, long-blooming.

Summer Flowering Plants

Native & Drought-Tolerant Plants

Native plants are adapted to North Texas conditions and require less water.

Texas Sage – Thrives in heat and drought
Blackfoot Daisy – Delicate blooms, tough plant
Mexican Feather Grass – Soft texture, low water
Red Yucca – Architectural and resilient

These are ideal for xeriscaping and sustainable landscapes.

Planting Tips for Success

Improve clay soil with compost
Match plants to sun and shade conditions
Space plants properly for mature growth
Use mulch to retain moisture and prevent weeds

Proper planning prevents most common plant failures.

The Dallas area is in the the hardiness Zone 8. For precise planting and to check your exact subzone, you can use the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and enter your specific ZIP code.

Related Services

Discover more about how Hardscaping & Living Spaces integrate into your overall landscape design.

Landscape Design: /landscape-design-north-texas
Tree Guide: /north-texas-trees-guide
Drainage Solutions: /drainage-solutions-north-texas

Landscape creation & Care

Plant Guide for North Texas

NORTH TEXAS PLANT GUIDE

PLANT GUIDE by Art That Grows

Here You'll Find the Best Plants for Sun, Shade, and Low-Maintenance Landscapes

Thriving Plants in Sun & Shade and Draught & Heat

Best Plants for Full Sun in North Texas

Options include:

Best Plants for Shade

Features include:

Low-Maintenance Plants for North Texas

Ground Cover Options

Plants for Color & Seasonal Interest in North Texas

Spring Flowers

Spring Flowering Shrubs

Fall Ornamental Grasses and Season Annuals

Winter Evergreens and Structural Plants

Summer Flowering Plants

Native & Drought-Tolerant Plants

Planting Tips for Success

Related Services

Get Started with Hardscaping / Living Spacing

Let's discuss your Hardscaping ideas with
Art That Grows
214-987-0006

I'm interested, Tell Me More

Landscape creation & Care

Plant Guide for North Texas

NORTH TEXAS PLANT GUIDE

PLANT GUIDE by Art That Grows

Here You'll Find the Best Plants for Sun, Shade, and Low-Maintenance Landscapes

Thriving Plants in Sun & Shade and Draught & Heat

Best Plants for Full Sun in North Texas

Options include:

Best Plants for Shade

Features include:

Low-Maintenance Plants for North Texas

Ground Cover Options

Plants for Color & Seasonal Interest in North Texas

Spring Flowers

Spring Flowering Shrubs

Fall Ornamental Grasses and Season Annuals

Winter Evergreens and Structural Plants

Summer Flowering Plants

Native & Drought-Tolerant Plants

Planting Tips for Success

Related Services

Get Started with Hardscaping / Living Spacing

Let's discuss your Hardscaping ideas with Art That Grows 214-987-0006

I'm interested, Tell Me More

Let's discuss your Hardscaping ideas with
Art That Grows
214-987-0006