Native Plants Create a Beautiful Low Maintenance Landscape

When you're choosing the plants for your property's landscape, you have a lot of options. But every choice you make brings with it a set of future responsibilities, and sometimes problems that can be difficult to overcome. The dry arid climate of Austin is great for a large variety of beautiful native plants. When you choose native plants for your Austin landscaping, you benefit in numerous ways. Kevin Wood Landscapes has extensive native plant knowledge and can help you select plants and create a design that you will love year round.

Why Native Plants?

Native plants have evolved over many years to the local environment they live in. Landscaping with native plants adds value to your life and property in a number of ways.

• Save Money & Water – Because native plants are adapted to their environment, they can hold water better than non-native plants, which means you'll spend less time water them. Preserving water means lower water expenses and lower maintenance costs.
• Local Weather Resistance – Native plants have evolved to withstand the extremes of their local environment. The can withstand droughts and other harsh weather events throughout the year, and grow back when growing conditions are favorable again. Every year your native plant grow back is another year you don’t have to purchase a new plant to replace the ones that didn’t survive.
• Less Maintenance – Native plants are more resistant to disease, drought and other environmental risks than non-native plants. They can quickly spread out to crowd out competing weeds, which means less time weeding for you. Many native plants will grow in a way that protects the soil from food damage and erosion. Landscaping with native plants can keep your soil rich and create a robust, sustainable network of beautiful plants for your landscape.
• Restore Local Habitat – When you landscape with native plants, you build a habitat for native animals that reside in your area. Native plants will produce fruit, nectar, nuts, and seeds which provide a natural source of food for many birds and animals. Native plants can bring your landscape to life in a beautiful way.
• Not Invasive – Most native plants are not invasive and will allow other plants in your garden or yard to grow freely. Plants that are invasive will only make landscaping more of a challenge. Invasive plants fight to control the growth of all other plants in your landscape. Invasive plants cost you valuable time and money. Native plants allow you to efficiently manage your landscape and have it look the way you want.
• No Fertilizers or Pesticides – Because native plants are adapted to the climate of their environment, they can defend themselves against indigenous insects, fungi, and disease. Native plants eliminate the need for you to spray with chemical pesticides because they have a natural built-in defense system. When you don't have to use pesticides, you save time and help not pollute the environment.

Some Popular Native Plants for Austin

These are just some of the many choices you have when it comes to native plants for your Austin landscape.

• Agarita – Also known as Currant-of-Texas and Currant, this plant is a large shrub that spans three to six feet in height and width. It bears red fruit and yellow flowers. Year-round evergreen foliage ensures your landscape always looks alive. It provides food and shelter for bees, butterflies, and birds.
• Black-eyed Susan – Also known as Goldstrum and Orange Coneflower, is a native flower. The grow one to three feet in height and spread around 3 feet. This plant is deciduous meaning it's a seasonal plant. When it's in bloom, it boasts bright yellow flowers with a black center – thus the name. The native plant provides food and shelter for bees, butterflies, and birds.
• Cherry Sage – Also known as Gregg’s Sage is a small full sun shrub. It reaches a height of two to three feet and can spread out to four feet. It is an evergreen so you can enjoy green leaves year round. From Springtime to the first frost you can enjoy pink, purple, red or white flowers. Cherry sage provides shelter and food for native bees, butterflies, and birds.
• Flame Acanthus – Also known as Hummingbird brush and Wright’s Mexican Flame, is a large shrub. It can reach the height of three to six feet and spread out to four feet. The plant is seasonal, and when in bloom displays red flowers. The plant peaks from mid-Summer until Fall. It provides food and shelter for native bees, butterflies, and birds.

Ready to Add Native Plants to your Austin Landscape?

When you consider the beauty, benefits, and selection it’s hard to ignore native plants for your landscaping needs. We will provide the plants, design or help you design, and plant the native plants for you.