Are Native Plants the key to Saving Water?

As the population of North Texas soars past 8 million, making up nearly 30% of the state’s total population, it’s more important than ever to conserve water. This week happens to be Native Texas Plant Week and it’s THE perfect time to branch out, taking steps to use the resource more efficiently, to reduce your water bills, to help sustain native pollinators AND to create a beautiful landscape that the whole family can enjoy!

Water is Life

Water is one of the most vital resources we have, providing life-sustaining benefits that are essential for our urban communities. Clean drinking water is treated to the highest standards, yet this same water is often wasted—running down sidewalks and driveways, straight into storm drains. In fact, a significant portion of our municipal water in North Texas, estimated to be as high as 50-60%, is used outdoors, mostly for irrigation during the summer months. Turfgrass lawns are the largest irrigated crop in the country, offering few environmental benefits– yet demand excessive amounts of water, fertilizers, and pesticides to look their best.

Dig in and Help the Cause!

It’s an unfortunate fact that many of the plants sold at big box stores aren’t well-adapted to North Texas’ extreme weather. Unfortunately, many of these ill-adapted plants have almost no chance of surviving season after season in this often harsh and unpredictable climate– which leads homeowners to replace plants frequently. It is typical for the average homeowner to replace three plants… in a single spot, before finding one that will thrive year-round! Surprising to most–statistically, more people kill their plants by overwatering than underwatering– not realizing the same high-quality drinking water they’re using is wasted when it flows unused into the street.

At the same time, North Texas faces unique water challenges. With our region growing at one of the fastest rates in the country, and Texas’ long history of intense droughts, we can expect more summers with record-breaking heat and drought—along with harsher, colder winters brought on by polar vortexes. Climate change adds another layer of unpredictability, (not to mention the historic record of mega-droughts) making water conservation more critical than ever.

Building Resilient Landscapes

One of the best things you can do as a home gardener is to build resiliency in your landscape NOW.

Luckily, fall is the ideal time to plant native, drought-tolerant species, giving them plenty of time to establish deep root systems before summer temperatures soar. Not only do the plants below help reduce outdoor water usage, but they also decrease the need for fertilizers and pesticides— often the biggest pollutants of urban waterways. Native plants evolved in this climate, so they are often the species that do best in extreme weather events.

Leaf the Lawn

Replacing large lawn areas with native plants can significantly lower your summer water bills, reduce the time you spend maintaining your landscape, and help protect our environment. At Rooted In, we specialize in heat- and drought-tolerant native plants, many of which also support pollinators and local wildlife. Our knowledgeable team is here to help you choose the right plant for the right place, ensuring a sustainable, beautiful landscape that thrives year after year.

A Flood of Information

For residents looking to improve water efficiency in their homes and landscapes, WaterIsAwesome.com is an invaluable resource. North Texans can visit the site to learn about practical water-saving tips and sign up for regional, weather-based alerts that offer custom watering advice from experts. These alerts can help improve turfgrass health and prevent the common issue of overwatering, all while ensuring you’re using water more efficiently.

It’s also a great idea to connect with your local Native Plant Society of Texas chapter to take advantage of their extensive resources, plant sales, as well as educational events!

Start transforming your garden today, and take a step toward conserving water for the future! Here are just a few of the regionally adapted, drought-tolerant Texas-native plants we have in stock now:

PERENNIALS

• Autumn Sage (so many Colors)
• Black-eyed Susan: Goldstrum, Indian Summer
• Blackfoot Daisy
• Calylophus drummondii “Sun Drops”
• Chile Pequin
• Coreopsis: Lanceleaf,
• Cutleaf/ Engeleman’s Daisy
• Echinacea
• Fall Aster
• Flame Acanthus (Red and Benny’s Gold)
• Gaillardia
• Desert Globemallow
• Goldenrod: Gray Goldenrod
• Guara: Pink, White, Red, Bicolor
• Lantana, Texas
• Lyre-leaf Sage, Purple Knockout
• Mealy-Blue Sage, Henry Duelburg, Augusta Duelburg, Compact White, Compact Blue
• Milkweed, Green, Zizotes, Antelope Horn
• Rattlesnake Master
• Skullcap: Purple Wright’s
• Tropical Sage
• Turk’s Cap; Red, Pink AND White
• Zexmenia

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VINES

• Crossvine (Tangerine Beauty, Red)
• Coral Honeysuckle
• Yellow “Coral Honeysuckle” (Texas Native)
• Virginia Creeper

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SHRUBS

• Agarita
• American Beautyberry
• Aromatic Sumac
• Coralberry
• Dwarf Palmetto
• Elbowbush
• Fragrant Mimosa (native)
• Possumhaw Holly
• Prairie Flameleaf Sumac
• Roughleaf Dogwood
• Texas Mountain Laurel
• Texas Sage: Green Cloud, San Antonio Rose
• Yaupon Holly: Dwarf, Micron, Eureka, Pride of Houston, Skyline

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GROUND COVER

• Dichondra Silver Falls
• Frog Fruit
• Silver Ponyfoot
• Snake Herb: Narrow and Broadleaf

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GRASSES

• Big Bluestem: Red October, Lord Snowden’s Blue
• Blue Grama, Blonde Ambition
• Gulf Muhly: Pink, Rosy
• Indian Grass
• Inland Sea Oats
• Lindheimer Muhly
• Little Bluestem: Standard, The Blues, Standing Ovation
• Sedge: Cherokee, Texas, Webberville, Woodland Creek
• Side-oats Grama
• Switchgrass: Blackwell, Heavy Metal, Shenandoah

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CACTUS, AGAVE, YUCCA

• Adam’s Needle Yucca
• Bright Edge Yucca
• Color Guard Yucca
• Harvard’s Agave
• Hedgehog Cactus
• Mexican Prickly Pear
• Parry’s Agave
• Pink Parade Yucca (hybrid)
• Red Yucca
• Softleaf Yucca
• Spanish Dagger
• Texas Sotol
• Twistleaf Yucca: Green and Blue
• Whales Tongue Agave

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TREES

• Arizona Cypress: Blue Ice, Carolina Sapphire
• Bur Oak
• Cedar Elm
• Cherry Laurel
• Chinkapin Oak
• Desert Willow: Bubba, Sweet Bubba
• Eastern Red Cedar
• Eve’s Necklace
• Juniper: Brodie, Taylor, Skyrocket, Wichita Blue, Blue Arrow, Woodward Juniper, Emerald Feather, Eastern Redcedar
• Kidneywood, Texas
• Mexican Buckeye
• Mexican Plum
• Persimmon: Magic Fountain Weeping, Texas
• Red Bud: Oklahoma,
• Red Oak, Shumard
• Wax Myrtle: Southern and Dwarf