5 Drought Busters for the Garden
12:00 AM - Sep 30, 2011
Your Garden: Drought Busters: MyFoxAUSTIN.com
I've had to do a bit of driving around Austin in the last couple of weeks, more than usual that is. In my travels, there are a few plants I have noticed that seem somewhat unaffected by the drought and heat. These plants have been spotted in places that do not seem to be getting lots of regular irrigation or extra attention, but they are thriving none the less. Here’s my run down:
- Pride of Barbados Caesalpinia pulcherrrima A true superstar with vibrant flowers and incredible heat tolerance.
- Esparanza Tecoma stans and Hybrids From old fashioned Yellow Bells to some new orange and red flowering varieties, these guys seem to welcome the heat and just get better!
- Texas Sage Leucophyllum sp. A long time Texas favorite, these evergreen shrubs can be seen thriving all over Central Texas, even now!
- Wooly Butterfly Bush Buddleia marrubifolia A small shrub from the Trans-Pecos desert, they thrive in our poor soil. The “burnt orange” flowers make them an Austin favorite!
- Blackfoot Daisy Melampodium leucanthum A short perennial that grows all over the hill country. Don’t let the cute little daisy flowers fool you, it’s a tough one!
There are other great plants out there, but these guys seem to be the ones I am seeing again and again around town. Give them a try in your garden!
