Native shrubs, groundcovers, and ferns that hold their leaves through winter for year-round green, screening, and cover. Texas sits in a landscape of Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its hot, dry west to humid east character. The list below — led by Crossvine and Apache Plume — is filtered to species genuinely native to Texas and the wider flora of the South-Central region and hardy through zones 6–9. Evergreen natives carry the garden through the bare months, giving structure, privacy, and winter shelter for birds when the deciduous plants have dropped their leaves. Site broadleaf evergreens out of harsh winter wind and afternoon sun to prevent leaf scorch, and water them deeply going into a dry fall so they enter winter fully charged.
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–9 · see this collection in other states.
Bignonia capreolata
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, holds its leaves through winter for year-round green and cover, orange-red flowers and good through zone 9.
Fallugia paradoxa
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, evergreen structure and privacy through the bare months, 3–6 ft wide and happy in sand and rocky soil.
Tiarella cordifolia
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, green in January as in July, for screening and winter cover — 6–12 in tall and 1–2 ft wide.
Salvia greggii
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, holds its leaves through winter for year-round green and cover, cold-hardy to zone 7 and reaching 2–3 ft.
Ilex glabra
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, green in January as in July, for screening and winter cover — happy in sand, clay, and loam soil and reaching 4–8 ft.
Phlox subulata
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, an evergreen anchor that never goes bare, happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil and reaching 4–8 in.
Polystichum acrostichoides
Through Texas's Hill Country, Blackland Prairie & Gulf Coast country, carries the planting through winter with leaves intact, spreading 1.5–2.5 ft and reaching 1–2 ft.
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.