Native Plants in Brownsville, Texas

• Choosing native plants can make gardening easier and more pleasurable. Jeremy Woodhouse/Photodisc/Getty Images

  Choosing native plants for your landscaping plan is an excellent way to be both eco-conscious and cost-conscious; even when a plant is more expensive at the outset, it often makes up for its cost by being easier to propagate, longer living, and healthier because it is accustomed to the native soil and weather conditions. Additionally, native plants support native wildlife by providing preferred sources of food, shelter, and home. For those looking for native plants in the Brownsville, Texas area, following is a list of some options.

Grasses

• Native grasses can provide homes and refuge for wildlife as well as prevent soil erosion. grass image by Thomas Quinlan from Fotolia.com

  There are a number of grasses native to the Brownsville area that are easily available for purchase in local nurseries and which are easily propagated. Some of these include: vine-mesquite, yellow indiangrass, prairie cordgrass, broomsedge bluestem, and green spangletop. These all have good to excellent erosion profiles and are good for native wildlife.

Shrubs

• Native shrubs can be both attractive and useful. shrub image by pix29 from Fotolia.com

  In the shrub category, there are a number of specimens which are widely available and provide benefits to the local environment. Coralberry provides a food source and cover for mammals and birds; American beautyberry is a perennial shrub that tolerates a variety of soils and provides food and shelter to birds and mammals. Desert willow provides excellent erosion prevention and butterfly-attracting flowers.

Trees

• Native trees help support native wildlife. squirrel image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com

  Selecting native trees can be beneficial because transplantation shock should be reduced because the trees are accustomed to the soil conditions, environment, and weather. Planting native trees can help reduce soil erosion and attract native wildlife. Some trees native to the Brownsville, Texas region include the eastern blackbrush acacia, Mexican olive, and pecan trees.

Other Plants

• Add interest to your garden with vines, succulents, and wildflowers. cactus image by Philippe LERIDON from Fotolia.com

  Other plants that are native to the Brownsville, Texas area and make good choices for gardeners include succulents such as the American century plant, the red yucca, and the spineless prickly pear. Vine choices include the crossvine, trumpet creeper, and Texas honeysuckle. Herb choices include the Texas paintbrush, golden tickseed, and the sleepingplant.