Drought Resistant Shrubs for Texas

There is nothing more rewarding than planting a yard full of carefully picked and planted plants and having them bloom and grow before your eyes. There is also nothing more frustrating than this not happening after all that work. If you're a gardener in Texas and have struggled with what to do during a drought, here are some suggestions of shrubs that will see it through with you.

A great palmetto to try is the Texas palmetto. This one will grow to about forty feet at its maximum and needs plenty of sunlight to do so. The leaves of this palmetto are full and beautiful. The trunk grows high above the ground and is a reddish color, thick and very sturdy.

The red yucca is another good choice. This one will bring hummingbirds and butterflies to your yard as they are attracted to the bright pink flowers. It grows to about three feet and needs plenty of sunlight. It does well next to the ocean in sandy ground.

Rosemary is a good shrub to try. The leaves are like pine needles and flowers are a brilliant blue color. They will bloom from the spring until late summer in Texas thanks to the heat. It can grow up to five feet tall. Rosemary needs plenty of sunlight and cannot live through a freeze. It does well as an indoor potted plant and just as well outside in the heat. It also thrives near the coast.

Another good shrub to try is the canyon senna. This shrub can grow to nine feet. It's leaves and trunk are very dark colored and make for a nice back drop to the bright yellow of its flowers. It will grow unruly and take over your garden if not trimmed regularly. Be sure to expose this one to plenty of sunlight.

If you're looking to try a cactus in your yard try out the prickly pear cactus. This is one of the most common cacti and I'm sure you've seen pictures of it. It is green with spikes coming out of it and sometimes flowering red. The prickly pear cactus is perfect for any novice gardener at it is easy to keep alive. If it doesn't work out in your yard, you can always eat it as the entire cactus is edible and actually prepared in many different ways including jam.

The last shrub I suggest for you Texans is the aromatic sumac. This is another shrub, that once established, is hard to kill and requires little maintenance. The leaves turn a beautiful orange, red and yellow in the fall. It produces red fruit that attracts quite a few wildlife members including birds and deer.