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Native Plant Society of Texas

Barking Up the Right Tree

Craig Dalton

By Peter Keilty

When Texans think about heat-tolerant native planting, wildflowers usually get top billing. This short piece makes the case that trees deserve equal attention, especially when the goal is long-term beauty, wildlife value, and lower-input landscapes.

Tree bark collage

Sugar Hackberry

Sugar Hackberry (Celtis laevigata) earns praise for its distinctive bark and its support for native butterflies, with golden fall color adding ornamental appeal.

Cedar Elm

Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia) is celebrated for its corky branch texture, adaptability, and welcome habit of volunteering into suitable spaces.

Texas Madrone

Texas Madrone (Arbutus xalapensis) brings one of the most striking bark displays in the state, especially after rain, when its peeling copper tones seem to glow.

Eastern Redbud

Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. canadensis) offers an early-season burst of pink through cauliflory, the trait that allows flowers to emerge not only from twigs but directly from older branches and trunks.

Together these species show that planting for heat tolerance does not have to mean sacrificing character. Native trees can deliver resilience, ecological value, and unforgettable texture at the same time.

Did you like this article? It’s from our Summer 2026 Texas Native Plants magazine. Read more here

Summer 2026 Texas Native Plants

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason