Perennials Suitable for The Woodlands
For pictures and more detail about these plants, refer these helpful resources:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database at www.wildflower.org/plants/
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder at www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plantfinder/plantfindersearch.aspx
Native Plant Society of Texas, Houston Chapter Native Plant Info at www.npsot.org/wp/houston/native-plant-info/
PERENNIALS Common name Scientific name Mature Requirements Wildlife value Bloom time Bloom Native height color Annual phlox Phlox drummondii 1 ft Sun to part Pollinators Spring Red, pink, Yes shade through sum- purple, mer white Autumn Sage Savlia greggii 3 ft Sun to part Pollinators Spring to Red, pink, Yes shade frost white Basket Flower Centaurea 3-6 ft Part shade Pollinators Spring Pink, white Yes americana Bee Balm Monarda spp. 2-5 ft Sun to part Pollinators Late spring Red, pur- Yes shade through sum- ple, pink mer Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta 1-2 ft Sun to part Pollinators Late spring to Yellow with Yes shade fall black cen- ter Blazing Star or Liatris spp. 3 ft Sun Pollinators Late summer Purple Yes Gayfeather to fall Blue Mistflower Conoclinium 3 ft Part shade Pollinators Late summer Blue Yes coelestinum to frost Blue Wood Aster Symphyotrichum 3 ft Sun Pollinators. Host Late summer Blue Yes cordifolium for pearl crescent to fall and silvery check- erspot butterflies.
Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa 2 ft Sun to part Pollinators. Host Spring Bright or- Yes (Milkweed) shade for monarch and through fall ange queen butterflies. Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis 2-1/2 ft Sun to part Pollinators Late spring Red Yes shade through summer Clasping-leaf Dracopis 2 ft Sun to part Pollinators Late spring Yellow with Yes Coneflower amplexicaulis shade black cen- ters Fall Obedient Plant Physostegia 2-3 ft Sun to part Hummingbirds, Late summer White, Yes virginiana shade butterlies to fall pink, laven- der Firespike Odontonema 3-6 ft Shade Hummingbirds, Fall to frost Red No, but cuspidatum bees well adapted Fragrant Phlox Phlox pilosa 1 ft Part shade Pollinators Late spring Pink, laven- Yes der Garden Phlox Phlox paniculata 3 ft Sun to part Hummingbirds, Summer to White, No shade pollinators fall pink, red, lavender Goldenrod Solidago altissima 3-7 ft Sunto part Pollinators Fall Yellow Yes shade Common name Scientific name Mature Requirements Wildlife value Bloom time Bloom Native height color Gulf Coast Penstemon tenuis 18 inch- Part shade Spring Purple Yes Penstemon es Hollow Joe-Pye Eutrochium 5-7 ft Sun to part Pollinators Summer Pink, pur- Yes Weed fistulosum shade ple Indian Blanket Gaillardia pulchella 1 ft Sun to part Pollinators Summer Yellow, Yes shade peach, orange, red banded Indigo Spires Salvia “Indigo 3 ft Sun to part Pollinators Spring Deep blue Hybrid Spires” shade through fall well- adapted to our area Lanceleaf Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata 2 ft Sun to part Pollinators Spring and Yellow Yes shade summer Maximilian Helianthus 4-6 ft Sun Pollinators Fall Yellow Yes Sunflower maximiliana Mealycup Sage or Salvia farinacea 2-3 ft Sun Pollinators Spring to Blue with Yes Mealy Blue Sage frost white Milkweed, Aquatic Asclepias perennis 3-6 ft Sun to part Pollinators. Host Late spring White, pink Yes shade for monarch and through fall queen butterflies. Milkweed, Green Asclepias viridis 1-3 ft Sun Pollinators. Host Late spring White with Yes for monarch and through fall green queen butterflies. Milkweed, Swamp Asclepias incarnate 3-6 ft Sun to part Pollinators. Host Summer Pink Yes shade for monarch and through fall queen butterflies. Pigeon Berry Rivina humilis 1 ft Shade Birds Spring Small pink Yes through fall flowers followed by red berries. Porterweed Stachytarpheta 4-7 ft Sun to part Pollinators Summer Purple, No, but shade through fall pink, peach well adapted Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea 2 ft Sun to part Pollinators Summer Pink Yes shade through fall Salvia Savlia spp. Pollinators Scarlet Sage Salvia coccinea 2-3 ft Part shade to Pollinators Spring to Red Yes shade frost Spring Obedient Physostegia spp. 3-6 ft Sun, part shade Hummingbirds, Late spring to Pink, laven- Yes Plant pollinators summer der Sweet William, or Phlox divaricate 1 ft Part shade Pollinators Late spring Pink, pur- Yes Louisiana Phlox ple, blue Texas Lantana Lantana urticoides 3-5 ft Sun Pollinators Spring to fall Orange and Yes yellow Common name Scientific name Mature Requirements Wildlife value Bloom time Bloom Native height color Verbena Verbena spp. 6-12 Sun Pollinators Spring through Blue, Most are inches fall pink, not, but purple, well red, adapted white Wild Blue Aster Aster spp. 2-3 ft Sun to part Pollinators Fall Blue Yes shade Wild Red Columbine Aquilegia canadensis 18 inch- Part shade, Hummingbirds, Spring Red with Yes es shade pollinators yellow Host to columbine duskywing Winecup Callirhoe involucrate 12 inch- Sun to part Bees Spring Deep Yes es shade pink Yarrow Achillea millefolium 1-3 ft Sun to part Pollinators Summer Pink, Yes shade Host for painted white lady butterfly.
Please contact the Environmental Services Department of The Woodlands Township with questions or comments about this list by phone or email:
281-210-3800