Hi Becka... when you say low growing, are you talking ground cover, or like 3 feet?

Here are some great links:

Plants for Texas

Texas Superstar Plants

I am in zone 7, so a bit cooler than you, but I really like black foot daisies, any of the Texas Salvias, Tickseed, Catmint (the 'Walker's Low' variety - it is shorter and clumpier (is that a word?), Mexican Feather Grass, Trailing Rosemary, Bicolor Salvia (turned out to be an annual for me, but maybe in warmer places perenial), Homestead Purple Verbena and Daylilies.

Heucheras die in my garden - sorry. They really do not like it here.
Hostas are better adapted to other areas but they can live here. Mine didn't, but my mother has some that are still alive.
With 6-8 hours of morning sun you could go ahead and plant full sun plants and they'll do fine. I think that you'll find that shade plants are a little less tolerant of the Texas sun.
I'd offer suggestions of what you could put there, but most of my plants are 'exuberant' and I can't think of any 'neat' ones.
But one thing I did think of - there is a nandina variety that creeps along the ground. Not just dwarf nandina, but the variety name is 'harbor belle' or something like that. It would be short, have foliage color, and look good year round.

Hi Becca,

I'm in a very similar situation... we moved from Maine (zone 5) to Northeast of Houston (zone 9) last summer. What a shock! The selection of plants that will thrive are SO different. I've learned to let go of most of my old favorites, and am trying to learn about and appreciate Texas plants. This website has helped me immensely, but it's still trial and error for me.

So anyway, I have a carmel bells that is thriving in mostly shade, it only gets about 3 hours of sun in the morning. Also, I have 6 hostas that are doing well in full shade. They disappeared in October and just grew back this month. They do well, but they don't get anywhere as big as they did in Maine.

I don't know if I can offer any advice on your full sun low growing question. I have recently planted 2 large full sun beds, but they have not survived the summer yet- so we'll see! The only low plants I used are phylox, mexican heather and coreopsis.

Good luck!

First of all, welcome to Texas!

It sounds like you like foliage plants. I haven't tried growing hostas or Heuchera yet. So I can't give you much advice there:-) But I did think, right off hand, that there are a few plants you could look at for texture. Bears Breeches, cast iron plant, Lady's mantle, gingers, cannas, and sedums. Most of these can get quite large but make a bold impression.

Now for your full sun sidewalk...Here are the perennials I like. They have done well in my full sun backyard and looked good through our winter. None of them get extrodinarily tall either. Bulbine, rain lillies, lambs ear, greggs mistflower, coopers iceplant, and columbine.

Have fun with your new Texas garden. One more thing...I'm including a link to an e-newsletter I get. It lists garden events coming up in your area for the month of may. Maybe you would like to go on a garden tour:-)

Here is a link that might be useful: May event from Neil Sperry

Roses.......I have seen more and more homes using that strip for a nice rose garden, mulched and usually with a low cedar log fence. Try for a thornless or soft thorn variety. Roselee uses her fabulous aloes there. Succulents are also great for that hot sun area. A good short term remedy is portuluca or moss rose if the drainage is good. Those bloomed beautifully for me all summer long in Houston, but I did have to water almost every day (I used only one color and planted close together--looked like ice plant but bloomed all summer) They will reseed some but color may vary. I have hostas in my strip but it is in almost complete shade and faces North, mulched heavily and they get plenty of sprinkler system watering--they die down each Winter but come back early Spring. (I fertilize early with 13-13-13 and when it warms up I switch to Bayer rose fertilizer w/ systemic insecticide...... for slugs. So you can grow those somewhere in Texas!)

Hi! I'm another gardener that is moving to Tx.(zone 7b) from zone 3b. I'll be on a lot asking what plants, that are in my yard in Id., can be potted up and moved to Tx. After reading this thread I guess I won't try to take any heuchera with me. I have quite a few hardy geraniums, will they do well?

mla2ofus - heuchera are still popular here, they just need more shade and a bit more babying! There are others to forget about though - like fuschia, sadly. The geraniums should be fine.

rdubow, definitely check out the Texas Superstars site listed above! Anything recommended by Texas A&M is good. Neil Sperry is a great author to check out. His books are my gardening bibles!

As for your low-growth spot ... You might try oxalis. There are purple shamrock types that do better in shade, then there are the mounds that look like clover with pink flowers. They're evergreen and pretty tough.

Mexican heather and lantana are good bloomers if you can tolerate them dying to the ground in the winter. There are a couple of kinds of ivy and junipers that make good ground covers, too.

There is no hosta that would tolerate the sun in Texas for even two hours in the summer. That being said, I have just the common variety in my front flowerbed under teh porch overhang and they are fine. I hand pick a slug or two, but I've not had any serious problems. This might be because they are contained in a bed, and not near any leaf litter or anything, I don't know.

If you want to bring some of your beloved hostas-the more hardy of them will likely be fine in the shade. Look online to see what they are rated as far as zone goes. If you use the moisture control beads in the pot, they may be easier to care for as potted plant specimens, if you don't mind fussing a bit.

I don't fuss over mine a bit. I need to lift one or two that are dwindling because they've sunken too deep, but other than making sure I turn the soaker hose on for at least an hour once a week in the summer, I don't do anything for them save a bit of compost.

They sell heuchera here..but you must almost create a microclimate for it. If you want to baby it, and don't mind failing just in case it happens, I don't see a problem with trying one or two in an appropriate spot to see what happens.

We have a lot of pretty foliage plants, both annual and perennial down here. Some coleus are rated for sun, and those are beautiful. If you like grasses at all, those are good. What you will find in the nurseries here is that most of them stock a lot that while it may say Zone 9...it may not necessarily grow in this part of Zone 9. If you can, take a new friend that would know to the store with you, or at least look on davesgarden to see if it's reported as being grown here or near here in similar conditions (or you can just ask here....there are a ton of knowlegable people growing everything under the sun).

i've got caramel bells and another one that is almost a yellow it's such a bright green - both are doing really well in light shade. the purple variety does best here for me, but in a little more shade than the others. i'd bring them along and at least give it a go, but not in full sun.

trailing verbena loves full sun - LOVES IT - and the pink variety looks great in winter way up here in dallas. the other colors make it through winter no problem, but they're a little ratty looking sometimes. my pink stays a nice dark green and even has a few blooms in winter. we've got pictures of it covered in blooms and ice at the same time!

it's a good idea to go to lowes or one of the big box nurseries that never hire enough help to water the plants - go in august. those are the plants you want in full sun in texas.

Thanks everyone! I am GREATLY appretiative for ALL of the advice! This place is like my vacation from the world! I read EVERYTHING! I love it!

I wrote down all the suggestions and am going to internet look at them to see...the ones I do not know...and there s a ton! You are sooooooooo right gardening here is VERY different, I know!

As for looking at what m neighbors grow....we live in Walden on Lake Houston and all m neighbors are more into just the landscape plants than GARDENING! I am the only one, and the youngest (30) on my block but I feel like the granny when I ask about flowers...they know nothing! AND we know nobody here!

Bromeliads....they need to be "overwintered" in the house right?

Are there any good nurserys near me...or in Houston for that matter? There was awesone greenhouses in MN but I have looked around and it seems like Houston Garden Center carries things in bulk...but nothing rare....Lowes is o.k. but the same thing! I like to have 1-2 of each plant in my garden of more rare varieties than just 5 plants of things like Heather.

I am VERY interested in the sites everyone sent me! I bookmarked them and will get a reading!!

Thanks again- more than you know!
Becca

Becca, this is an old thread, so you may not see it. I am being transferred to Houston from Atlanta and was curious about the hosta options as well. I am also looking at the Walden on Lake houston subdivision and would be curious to hear how you like it there.
Here's hoping you actually see this message!
Lisa

hi there, i am getting ready to plant some Heuchera's. i have two flower beds in my patio, one gets some sun, about 2:30 - 5:00 and the other is all shade. will be interesting how they do for me. if i should see the ones in the sun not doing well, i plan to transplant them to a shady area.....all of this is going to be an experiment for me. becca, as far as nursery's in houston, i like "plants for all seasons", there are two of them on louetta and "cornelius", this one is way out on I-10 and diary ashford. as far as unique plants, i get a lot of mine on ebay and they have all done very well for me. you can buy plants on ebay at great prices as long as you know what the going price for that particular plant is first.....don't forget to calulate the shipping charges too on ebay. i have gotten great prices on all of mine. i am one of the youngest guys living in my subdivison with the prettiest yard too. people are always stopping by commenting on all my plants and where i get them. i tested a dahlia last year and it did excellent for me, took the hot summer months very well and it even put out many huge blooms for me. i was shocked because many people told me dahlia's wouldn't do well in houston. this year i planted 12 more dahlia's and they are already a foot tall and looking very good, i bought the dinner size dahlia's (huge flower, a little bigger than the size of my hand). i will let you know how the Heuchera's do for me, i love challenges but ultimately mother nature will decide what happens.

I highly recommend Buchanan's Native Plants in the Heights and Cornelius Nursery on Voss Rd. They have several Master Gardeners who will answer any questions you have.

I made the mistake of buying purple heucheras and planting them in full sun with a little shade from some hawaiian ti plants. A lot of work babying them.

Hello,....My niece grew hosta for three years in full sun (at least 8+ hrs) in south Houston. I don't know the specie. Maybe someone here will

These pictures are from this year's 4th of July weekend! The blooms have a very sweet scent at night btw.

Can't grow either, I'm in ft bend co, Houston metro area

the best advice for gardening here is, if you grew it up north it ain't gonna grow here.

Instead of growing Hostas , why not substitute Chinese Ground orchids , Bletilla striata. Beautiful pleated leaves and unbelievable flowers., Just for starters. Then get into some of the semi hardy ground bromeliads and never look back at your northern plants. Your in Texas now and peonies and foam flowers are but a memory