Hardy Plants for a Landscape in Houston, Texas

Ground Covers and Vines

• Ground covers and vines need consistent water when they're first planted in southeast Texas to adapt to the hot, humid conditions. Consider these sturdy plants for Houston, according to the USDA Plants Database. English ivy (Hedera helix) thrives in shade and moist soil and will provide a dense evergreen vine for your landscape base. Trailing lantana (Lantana sellowiana) grows best in full sun and is drought tolerant when established. It will bring color to the garden; this plant blooms in yellow, red and purple and variations. Purple Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica chinensis) blooms in late spring and shows purple foliage in fall and winter. It will grow in part sun and well-drained soil.

Flowers

• Flowers that thrive in full sun and are drought-tolerant tend to do well in the Houston area. Consider the hardy yarrow (Achillea hybrid); it will self-seed in your garden and continue blooming year after year. It flowers in yellow, pink, red and white during summer and fall. It is drought tolerant and grows in full sun; it's not fussy about soil. The flowers make nice dried bouquets. The blanketflower (Gaillardia Foug.) adds a pop of color to the garden with blooms in yellow, scarlet and bronze. The flower thrives in full sun with minimal water and offers nice flowers for a bouquet.

Small or Medium Shrubs

• According to a Texas A&M Cooperative Extension website article, "Recommended Ornamental Plants for Southeast Texas Including Houston and Beaumont," there are many hardy shrubs suitable to Houston's hot, humid climate. Try the bottlebrush (Callistemon rigidus); it grows as a small shrub in the area, to about 4 feet tall and wide. It prefers full sun and will flower with spikes in bright red and orange throughout the summer. Medium shrubs include Japanese cheesewood (Pittosporum tobira) that grows up to 12 feet tall and 18 feet wide. It's fast growing and blooms with fragrant ivory flowers in late spring. The Russian olive (Eleagnus angustifolia) grows 8 to 10 feet tall and wide. It will grow in sun or shade, but needs room to spread its silver-white leaves and flowers.

Trees

• Hardy trees need to withstand Houston's heat and humidity to thrive. Suitable choices for the area, according to the "Sunset" magazine website and the USDA Plants Database, include the yaupon (Ilex vomitoria). The evergreen has red berries in fall and winter and is easy to grow to 15 to 20 feet. Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) will grow 15 to 20 feet high and wide and will thrive in sun or shade and moist soil. It is a neutral evergreen that grows quickly. A deciduous choice is the Jerusalem thom (Parkinsonia aculeata), which grows up to 25 feet tall and has yellow flowers during the summer.