Quick answer: 160 drought-tolerant native plants are native to Texas, 122 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
160 species
- Agarita Mahonia trifoliolata · 1 states
- Alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus · 15 states
- American basswood Tilia americana · 37 states
- American beautyberry Callicarpa americana · 13 states
- American bittersweet Celastrus scandens · 33 states
- American century plant Agave americana · 2 states
- American holly Ilex opaca · 28 states
- American smoketree Cotinus obovatus · 2 states
- Antelope-horns milkweed Asclepias asperula · 2 states
- Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa · 8 states
- Autumn sage Salvia greggii · 2 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Birdfoot violet Viola pedata · 34 states
- Black cherry Prunus serotina · 35 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blackfoot daisy Melampodium leucanthum · 6 states
- Blackjack oak Quercus marilandica · 24 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata · 16 states
- Boxelder Acer negundo · 16 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa · 33 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- Cenizo sage Leucophyllum frutescens · 2 states
- Chocolate flower Berlandiera lyrata · 6 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Claret cup cactus Echinocereus triglochidiatus · 1 states
- Climbing prairie rose Rosa setigera · 27 states
- Colorado four o'clock Mirabilis multiflora · 7 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Common evening primrose Oenothera biennis · 30 states
- Common hackberry Celtis occidentalis · 33 states
- Common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata · 28 states
- Common persimmon Diospyros virginiana · 26 states
- Common sotol Dasylirion wheeleri · 3 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Common winterberry Ilex verticillata · 32 states
- Common yarrow Achillea millefolium · 47 states
- Compass plant Silphium laciniatum · 20 states
- Coral bean Erythrina herbacea · 10 states
- Coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus · 30 states
- Creosote bush Larrea tridentata · 6 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Deergrass Muhlenbergia rigens · 5 states
- Desert marigold Baileya multiradiata · 4 states
- Desert willow Chilopsis linearis · 5 states
- Downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis · 24 states
- Downy serviceberry Amelanchier arborea · 37 states
- Drummond phlox Phlox drummondii · 1 states
- Dwarf palmetto Sabal minor · 6 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Eastern hop-hornbeam Ostrya virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea · 24 states
- Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern red columbine Aquilegia canadensis · 36 states
- Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis · 32 states
- Engelmann's prickly pear (cactus apple) Opuntia engelmannii · 1 states
- Fall obedient plant Physostegia virginiana · 37 states
- Farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum · 16 states
- Flowering dogwood Cornus florida · 31 states
- Flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata · 29 states
- Foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis · 35 states
- Fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica · 30 states
- Gambel oak Quercus gambelii · 8 states
- Great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica · 36 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Green milkweed Asclepias viridis · 2 states
- Gulf muhly Muhlenbergia capillaris · 16 states
- Hollow Joe-pye weed Eutrochium fistulosum · 24 states
- Honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa · 4 states
- Huisache Vachellia farnesiana · 1 states
- Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella · 17 states
- Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides · 17 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa · 37 states
- Lanceleaf coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata · 35 states
- Leadplant Amorpha canescens · 16 states
- Lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora · 10 states
- Lewis flax (blue flax) Linum lewisii · 17 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Loblolly pine Pinus taeda · 18 states
- Longleaf pine Pinus palustris · 10 states
- Lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata · 22 states
- Mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium · 27 states
- Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani · 3 states
- Maypop passionflower Passiflora incarnata · 21 states
- Mealy blue sage Salvia farinacea · 1 states
- Mexican buckeye Ungnadia speciosa · 2 states
- Mexican hat Ratibida columnifera · 17 states
- Mexican olive Cordia boissieri · 1 states
- Mexican plum Prunus mexicana · 10 states
- Narrow-leaf coneflower Echinacea angustifolia · 11 states
- New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus · 35 states
- Northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa · 9 states
- Northern spicebush Lindera benzoin · 31 states
- Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens · 3 states
- Pale purple coneflower Echinacea pallida · 17 states
- Partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata · 30 states
- Pignut hickory Carya glabra · 31 states
- Pink evening primrose Oenothera speciosa · 8 states
- Pink-scale blazing star Liatris elegans · 9 states
- Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa · 16 states
- Prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya · 19 states
- Prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre · 11 states
- Purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea · 18 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red yucca Hesperaloe parviflora · 2 states
- Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii · 11 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Rocky Mountain zinnia Zinnia grandiflora · 6 states
- Roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii · 11 states
- Roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata · 30 states
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · 17 states
- Rusty blackhaw viburnum Viburnum rufidulum · 18 states
- Sassafras Sassafras albidum · 22 states
- Scaly blazing star Liatris squarrosa · 22 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Scarlet sage Salvia coccinea · 3 states
- Shagbark hickory Carya ovata · 34 states
- Shortleaf pine Pinus echinata · 22 states
- Showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa · 17 states
- Showy tick trefoil Desmodium canadense · 29 states
- Shrubby St. John's-wort Hypericum prolificum · 33 states
- Shumard oak Quercus shumardii · 22 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum · 34 states
- Smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides · 30 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Southern live oak Quercus virginiana · 10 states
- Southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora · 10 states
- Southern red oak Quercus falcata · 23 states
- Spotted beebalm Monarda punctata · 29 states
- Standing cypress Ipomopsis rubra · 6 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Tall blazing star Liatris aspera · 26 states
- Texas bluebonnet (state flower) Lupinus texensis · 2 states
- Texas ebony Ebenopsis ebano · 1 states
- Texas mountain laurel Dermatophyllum secundiflorum · 1 states
- Texas persimmon Diospyros texana · 1 states
- Texas sacahuista Nolina texana · 1 states
- Trumpet vine Campsis radicans · 33 states
- Tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa · 15 states
- Twistleaf yucca Yucca rupicola · 1 states
- Two-wing silverbell Halesia diptera · 8 states
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · 40 states
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana · 30 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
- White ash Fraxinus americana · 35 states
- White heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides · 26 states
- White oak Quercus alba · 33 states
- White wild indigo Baptisia alba · 23 states
- Whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata · 30 states
- Winecup Callirhoe involucrata · 16 states
- Winged sumac Rhus copallinum · 30 states
- Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana · 33 states
- Woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica · 16 states
- Woolly paperflower Psilostrophe tagetina · 7 states
- Yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria · 11 states
- Yellow bells (esperanza) Tecoma stans · 3 states
- Yellow necklacepod Sophora tomentosa · 1 states
Drought-tolerant native plants in Texas: what to know
160 of the 249 plants native to Texas in this directory fit this need: 64% of the state's list, well above the 56% share across all species.
Between them they flower from January through December, with the most in bloom in May. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 137 are also good for pollinators, 101 are also good for birds, 63 are also shade-tolerant.
133 of them grow in full or partial sun and 63 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Antelope-horns milkweed and Birdfoot violet to trees such as Alderleaf mountain mahogany and American basswood. For wildlife, 137 support pollinators, 101 provide food or cover for birds and 63 are caterpillar host plants.
122 of the 160 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying American smoketree, Apache plume, Autumn sage: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jul
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Jul-Oct
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun