Texas Ecoregion
Edwards Plateau (Texas Hill Country)
20 native plants suited to the Edwards Plateau of Texas.
The Edwards Plateau, also known as the Texas Hill Country, runs from west of Austin and San Antonio to the eastern edge of the Trans-Pecos. It is defined by alkaline limestone bedrock, thin rocky soils, and live oak savannas. Native plants here have adapted to handling rocky, alkaline conditions and pulses of summer drought punctuated by intense rain.
Conditions: Alkaline limestone soil, thin and rocky in places, 25–35 inches annual rainfall, hot summers with mild winters.
Cities and areas: Austin, San Antonio, Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Boerne, New Braunfels, Wimberley.
20 Native Plants for the Edwards Plateau
All non-toxic per the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center plant database. Click a plant for full ecoregion-specific maintenance and HOA-friendly notes.
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
Blackfoot Daisy
Melampodium leucanthum
Cedar Sage
Salvia roemeriana
Damianita
Chrysactinia mexicana
Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis
Flame Acanthus
Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii
Frogfruit
Phyla nodiflora
Gregg's Mistflower
Conoclinium greggii
Horseherb
Calyptocarpus vialis
Inland Sea Oats
Chasmanthium latifolium
Lindheimer's Muhly
Muhlenbergia lindheimeri
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Mexican Plum
Prunus mexicana
Plateau Goldeneye
Viguiera dentata
Prairie Verbena
Glandularia bipinnatifida
Rain Lily
Zephyranthes drummondii
Spiderwort
Tradescantia ohiensis
Texas Ranger
Leucophyllum frutescens
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Winecup
Callirhoe involucrata
729 More Natives for the Edwards Plateau
From our full plant database, HOA-friendly picks first. Pet-safety status varies by species; each plant page shows its sourced ASPCA status.
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Wild Red Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Common Sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
New Jersey-tea
Ceanothus americanus
Purple Lovegrass
Eragrostis spectabilis
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Whorled Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata
Soft rush
Juncus effusus
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Indiangrass
Sorghastrum nutans
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Aromatic Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Coral Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Azure Sage
Salvia azurea
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Fall Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Lyre Leaf Sage
Salvia lyrata
Eastern Bluestar
Amsonia tabernaemontana
Fragrant Phlox
Phlox pilosa
Mexican Hat
Ratibida columnifera
Prairie Petunia
Ruellia humilis
Missouri Primrose
Oenothera macrocarpa
Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa
Scarlet Sage
Salvia coccinea
Red buckeye
Aesculus pavia
Wafer Ash
Ptelea trifoliata
Prairie Wildrye
Elymus canadensis
American Basswood
Tilia americana
Virginia Wildrye
Elymus virginicus
Common Blue Violet
Viola sororia
Firewheel
Gaillardia pulchella
Narrow-leaf Coneflower
Echinacea angustifolia
American Germander
Teucrium canadense
Gayfeather
Liatris punctata
Horsemint
Monarda citriodora
Winged Loosestrife
Lythrum alatum
Heath Aster
Symphyotrichum ericoides
Cherokee Sedge
Carex cherokeensis
Standing Cypress
Ipomopsis rubra
Mealy Blue Sage
Salvia farinacea
Foxglove Penstemon
Penstemon cobaea
Showing 48 of 729. Enter your ZIP for the natives matched to your yard.
Fall care in the Edwards Plateau
What to do right now for plants commonly grown here. Each links to the full regional care guide for that species, with sources.
- Devils bouquet
Fall bloom continues, and this is a good time to let seed form if you want more plants.
- Fall aster
Fall is when aromatic aster blooms, as one of the last flowers before a heavy frost.
- Carolina buckthorn
Small black berries ripen in fall and feed wildlife.
- Rock penstemon
Flowers can continue into fall, and a cutback helps keep the plant dense.
- Barbados cherry
Fall is the time to plan for cold, because Barbados cherry is listed only for USDA zones 9B through 11.
- Texas lantana
Texas lantana keeps blooming into fall, and fall is a good time to collect seed from darkened fruit if you want more plants.
- Possumhaw holly
In fall the leaves turn yellow and drop, and berries on female plants ripen and start to show.
- Winecup
Fall is the time to sow winecup seed or move tubers, and plants often regrow after fall rains.
- Flame acanthus
Flame acanthus keeps blooming into fall, so leave it alone and enjoy the flowers.
- Stiff goldenrod
Fall is flower time, with dark yellow blooms from August to October.
Build a plan for the Edwards Plateau
Pollinator Patch turns plants like these into a front-yard plan tuned for the soil, climate, and HOA expectations of the Austin area.