welcome to the native spaces at the University of Texas!
(we're a work in progress—let us know anywhere else we should look!)
📸: Shaanti Dasgupta
Mexican Plum Tree
Prunus mexicana
Sutton Hall
family: Rosacae (Rose)
duration: perennial
blooms: white/pink blossoms & red/purple edible fruit in Feb – Apr
native to: Missouri to Kansas, northeast to north central Texas
growing conditions: low water, dappled shade, dry/moist soil
common locations: thin woods, river bottoms, prairies
supports:
bees
butterflies
birds
mammals
Tiger Swallowtail butterfly & Cecropia moth larvae
threats:
borer insects
extreme cold
fun fact: forget Groundhog Day—the flowering of the Mexican plum is considered to mark the end of winter in Texas!
available for purchase at: Moon Valley Nurseries
sources: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Trees Foundation
📸: Shaanti Dasgupta
Bluebonnets
Lupinus texensis
East Mall
family: Fabaceae (Pea)
duration: annual
blooms: white/blue blossoms in Mar – May
native to: Louisiana to west Texas, north central Mexico
growing conditions: low water, sunny, dry soil
common locations: prairies, open fields, roadsides
supports:
bees
butterflies
Hairstreak & Elfin butterfly larvae
threats:
bastard cabbage (funny, we know)
extreme drought
fun fact: the Lupinus texensis is just one of six Lupinus species designated as the State Flower of Texas! "Lupinus" + "texensis" also translates to "Texas Lupine," yet another name for the common bluebonnet (others include Buffalo Clover and Wolf Flower).
available for purchase at: Barton Springs Nursery
sources: Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Invasives Database
📸: Shaanti Dasgupta
Texas Mountain Laurel
Sophora secundiflora
Gregory Gymnasium
family: Fabaceae (Pea)
duration: perennial
blooms: blue/purple blossoms & red beans in Feb – Apr
native to: southern New Mexico, south & central Texas, north central Mexico
common locations: brushy slopes, open plains, limestone-rich soil ranges
growing conditions: low/medium water, partial shade, dry soil
supports:
bees
butterflies
hummingbirds
erosion-susceptible landscapes
threats:
genista caterpillar
extreme drought
fun fact: the mountain laurel beans are highly toxic, but when boiled into a reduction have been used medicinally as ear drops! (EcoEducators does NOT recommend such practice and thus will not be held liable for this plant's misuse.)
available for purchase at: Shoal Creek Nursery
sources: Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
📸: Olivia Gerhart
Prickly Pear
Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri
San Jacinto Blvd. & Waller Creek
family: Cactaceae (Cactus)
duration: perennial
blooms: red/orange/yellow/green fruits in Mar – June
native to: Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
common locations: well-drained, non-desert soil ranges
growing conditions: low water, partial shade, dry soil
supports:
cochineal scale
deer
bees
threats:
cactus moth
fun facts: there are over 200 species of prickly pear cacti under the Opuntia classification! Additionally, both the pads (nopales) and fruit (tunas) are edible—nopales are extremely common in Latin American cuisine!
available for purchase at: Austin Tree Installation
sources: Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences
have any recommendations, or have we gotten something wrong? fill out the survey at our contacts page to let us know!