My yard isn't established yet. The stuff in the water gardens look ok lol!

On the local news, they mentioned Wedelia. I'm hoping they meant Zexmenia hispida, which I have...I call it Zexmenia. It's very tough, will survive any drought once established!

I hope they did too. One plant I had called "Wedelia" wanted to take over the world so it was removed, but I agree Zexmenia is a great drought tolerant plant! Thanks Linda for reminding us of it.

It blooms all summer, the Bordered patch butterflies are often all over it and use it as a host plant although I never see any damage, and it is evergreen most winters. It froze back last year, but returned from the roots.

I have it planted in full all day blazing sun in the h*ll strip. I think if it were easier to pronounce more people would have it ... LOL.

Here is a link that might be useful: Zexmenia hispida, aka Wedelia texana ...

My crossvine, and sweet autumn clemantis,salvia involcrata (surprisingly), lavandar, salvia greggii. iris,

I forgot to mention how beautiful those pics are Roselee.

Another good xeriscape plant is Mexican Firebush, Hamelia Patens. It can freeze back during some winters, but comes back and is absolutely drought-proof. I don't even worry about it. When it blooms, it brings the butterflies and hummingbirds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mexican Firebush

Thanks Linda! Your right on again. Mexican Firebush is an unbelievably heat and drought tolerant plant. I planted one on my neighbor's h*ll strip..

Thanks Wantanmara for the tip about the salvia, as well as the other plants. Tammy was telling me what a good plant Salvia involucrata is, but I never got it going. Is there anybody who is coming the S.A. swap that has one to trade?

Here is a link that might be useful: Salvia infolucrata (Rosebud salvia)

... thanks PJ. Don't know how long until I'll have to start cutting more things back. Depends on if it rains and the water situation. I'm putting down more oak leaves for mulch, especially on the beds with drip irrigation that I've modified to drip only where there are plants. The only down side of that is if it doesn't rain over a half inch none of it will reach the ground. Oh well ...

In addition to the plumbago which is quite happy, the blackfoot daisies and trailing lantanas seem completely unphased by the drought. My roses (Knockout,Belinda's Dream roses, climbing Tess of the D'ubervilles, and my newly planted Graham Thomas) are doing okay although not blooming as much; Turk's cap which is in the shade seems fine. Everything that I planted in May is struggling, including oleanders, salvia farinacca, thryallis, pampas grass all which should be drought tolerant but haven't had the chance to get established yet, I have to hand water them in the afternoon as they just look so sad. The grass, even with watering looks terrible.

Lantanas, iris, cosmos, Texas Sage and salvias are doing fine although some of my Lady in Red salvia's are wilting on me (they're probably planted too close together as I didn't thin them out when they came up in the spring). And, of course, the crabgrass is doing just fine. :)

Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus)is a wonderful drought-tolerant perennial that is withstanding the awful heat and dryness. It is planted at the end of my border where it is subject to reflected heat from the street and concrete driveway.

Good to hear about Flame acanthus doing so well in sun and dry reflected heat. Linda passed some along to me at one of our plant swaps.

Does anyone know if deer eat it? If not I'm moving some to the front driveway bed and h*ll strip.

The only thing I am not watering at all is the confetti lantana and it looks great.

Purple coneflower are blooming like crazy right now with very little water, just what hits them when I move the water across them to water something else.

Roselee - Flame Acanthus has been growing within easy reach of deer for about a year and there's not been a nibble yet.

My Flame Acanthus has been in deer territory for 6+ years and never a nibble. The deer feast on just about every thing else in that bed.

My Flame acanthus is one of the few things that are blooming in my sea of grey. Even the blackfoot daisies were a no show this year and I have hundreds of them growing wild on my property. The Antelope horn milkweed were a great wildflower while they lasted but they have mostly gone dormant for the most case. My S. farenacia is stressed and even my S officionales. I am high and dry on a limestone rubble hill. My Zexmenia is stressed too, believe it or not. IT is very dry out here. WE have missed that May rain that Austin got and we just got less that a third of what Austin got last night.

I wanted to add , that in my vegetable garden , my Yardlong beans and Armenian Cucumbers are doing well and surprisingly, my dinosaur kale.

My lavender in the no water zone is beautiful, better than when watered.
Meadow sage has done well, but is flagging with the 110s.

Beautiful pictures. I have some New Gold Lantana that does well. I have also had luck with Fern Leaf Lavender. Both were already established plants.

my heirloom tomatoes are blooming like crazy however the squirrels are getting them before i do i've only had a few

also my pride of barbados is having a great year and my maid of orleans jasmine and the sweet almond verbena

Datura, candle stick plant, mexican bird of paradise, gerber dasies, cannas,and hibiscus are what is blooming in my yard. I am also having great luck with those siam ruby bananas i got last year. Barbra

Some that have not been mentioned: Lyreleaf Salvia, Lamb's ear, Pink Oenothera, Gregg's Mist, Ampelopsis arborea,Croscomia, Calylophus, Ruellia, Eustoma grandiflorum, variegated pittosporum, ligustrum vicaryi, passiflora foetida (pink passion flower), pink pavonia, crape myrtle, wandering jew and rosemary. Of course, a lot of them are invasive.

I would include Alopecurus pratensis (Gold foxtail grass) in this list, even though data on the web says it requires regular watering. Some of mine is planted next to ligustrums, lantanas and pineapple salvias with irregular watering and it's still doing fine.

Omar

I agree with most of the ones already listed. Two additional ones I would add are Hot Lips Salvia and Skeletonleaf Goldeneye. Both have been blooming and flourishing as if they didn't notice the lack of water.

I've got a Turk's cap that is blooming like crazy (It gets good shade through the hottest part of the day though) I think I water it and the rest of the bed it's in about half an hour once a week on a slow drip and it's loving the heat. the desert willow looks awesome this year, it gets a half hour drink every other week... I think. Might have gone longer than that this time.......

I have a real answer now. Zinnias and the mostly native stuff is doing OK. Here's July 2011 in the well known trendy suburbs of Burleson TX!!! (Maybe not.)

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glad to see this thread. I was raised in ETX but have lived in CA a long time. I have lived nearer beach, in the Inland Empire and now a bit of high HOT desert. I am planning to move back to the central TX area N of Georgetown. My son says the dirt changes from one side of the 35 to the other...Now I can see what will work there cause some is different than ETX.

I started using buckets to save water when I wait for it to heat up for dishes (yes have dishwasher but hate them). I put that in a big rain barrel and or use it to water the vegetable garden. I also thought about the gkids bathing in a tub and using that water in garden, lol.

Twomonths, Yes Your son is very right. The hills west of georgetown are demanding to grow things on but the hillcountry is beautiful specially down by the San Gabrielle river. I am partial to the hills. East is more fertile, flatter. It is all good. It is brown and a tinderbox where I am (West of 35) but it is green 30 miles to the East (E of 35).

Heck girl, if you can grow stuff in Riverside/San Bernadino you can grow stuff here in TX!

Nearly all of my plants have survived the summer so far with minimal watering on my part. My newly planted Randia rhagocarpa went drought deciduous in May but started leafing out following the rain it received from the tropical storm. The ability of native plants to recover from such adversity amazes me.

Ty

no extra watering by me here in West Houston, and here's what's still blooming:

roses: Don Juan, Angel Face, Fragrant Delight (!)
pentas: pinks & purples (the reds & whites died)
salvias: Hot Lips, Victoria Blue (the plain red one died)
crepe myrtle: white blooming tree w/ cinnamon bark
butterfly weed: yellow & yellow/orange
Katie Ruellia: purple, pink, & white
moss roses (annual): red & yellow & pink

The two Hybrid Tea roses (Angel Face and Fragrant Delight) have never looked better--I'm shocked!
Then again, I don't spray and normally it's humid here.
(My Belinda's Dream and Pinkie actually DIED, and my Mutabilis isn't blooming. Normally, these 3 are the easy ones for me.)

In the corner of my front yard, on my neighbor's back fence, is a wisteria. It still looks great, lush and green, and has absolutely no water at all this summer.

Am not having much luck with anything in my garden. Live just west of Corsicana and have had virtually no rain all summer. Passion vine is hanging on, but is very wilted. I have some turk's caps that are flowering and look ok, but nothing really flourishing. I am starting to worry about all my pecan trees. I have 13 in the yard, and my plum trees. Am eager to try some of the plants you guys are talking about next season.