Texas Ecoregion
Pineywoods (East Texas)
7 native plants suited to the Pineywoods of Texas.
The Pineywoods covers East Texas, from the Louisiana border west to about Tyler and Lufkin. It is the wettest part of the state, with acidic sandy soils, dense pine and hardwood forests, and a long growing season. Plants here handle humid summers, more rainfall, and shade under existing trees.
Conditions: Sandy acidic soils, 40–60 inches annual rainfall, humid summers, oak-pine-hardwood forest cover.
Cities and areas: Tyler, Lufkin, Nacogdoches, Beaumont, Longview, Texarkana.
7 Native Plants for the Pineywoods
All non-toxic per the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center plant database. Click a plant for full ecoregion-specific maintenance and HOA-friendly notes.
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Dwarf Palmetto
Sabal minor
Inland Sea Oats
Chasmanthium latifolium
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Mexican Plum
Prunus mexicana
Spiderwort
Tradescantia ohiensis
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
1019 More Natives for the Pineywoods
From our full plant database, HOA-friendly picks first. Pet-safety status varies by species; each plant page shows its sourced ASPCA status.
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Common Sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
False Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides
New Jersey-tea
Ceanothus americanus
Mallow-rose
Hibiscus moscheutos
Purple Lovegrass
Eragrostis spectabilis
Blue Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Brown-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Whorled Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata
Narrowleaf Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Soft rush
Juncus effusus
Indiangrass
Sorghastrum nutans
American Fox Sedge
Carex vulpinoidea
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Sevenbark
Hydrangea arborescens
Pale Purple Coneflower
Echinacea pallida
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
Scarlet Strawberry
Fragaria virginiana
Aromatic Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Coral Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Tall Blazing Star
Liatris aspera
Azure Sage
Salvia azurea
Gulf Muhly
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Northern Red Oak
Quercus rubra
River Birch
Betula nigra
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Southern Blue Flag Iris
Iris virginica
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Broombush
Hypericum prolificum
Leadplant
Amorpha canescens
Blunt Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
White Oak
Quercus alba
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Black Gum
Nyssa sylvatica
Lyre Leaf Sage
Salvia lyrata
Eastern Bluestar
Amsonia tabernaemontana
Showing 48 of 1019. Enter your ZIP for the natives matched to your yard.
Fall care in the Pineywoods
What to do right now for plants commonly grown here. Each links to the full regional care guide for that species, with sources.
- Narrowleaf blue eyed grass
Fall is a good time to divide crowded clumps.
- Autumn sage
Fall brings another round of flowers, and it is a good time to plant before winter.
- Mealy blue sage
Fall brings continued blooming, and it is a good time to tidy and plant.
- Big muhly
Fall is peak plume season, with flowers lasting into November.
- Winecup
Fall is a quiet time and a fine time for new plantings.
- Flame acanthus
Flowers continue into October, so fall is a good time to enjoy it and to plant.
- Plain leaf pussytoes
Fall is a quiet time. Keep it dry and let it rest.
- Butterfly milkweed
Fall is for winding the plant down dry, not feeding or watering it into the wetter winter months ahead, and it lines up with peak Gulf Coast monarch migration.
- Prairie petunia
Fall in Beaumont overlaps with the tail end of hurricane season, and fringe-leaf ruellia's low, sturdy habit holds up well through wind and rain.
- Whitetop sedge
Bloom continues into early fall around Beaumont, and this is a good season to let seed heads stand before any cleanup, since the plant is still doing useful work for pollinators.
Build a plan for the Pineywoods
Pollinator Patch turns plants like these into a front-yard plan tuned for the soil, climate, and HOA expectations of the Tyler area.