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Native Plant Society of Texas

Encouraging Native Landscapes in HOA Neighborhoods

Presentation Details

Tips and tricks for encouraging the use of native landscapes that are HOA compliant. Includes tips on working with the HOA, how to create beautiful native landscapes that are HOA friendly, and what to do if your HOA is resistant.

We often hear, “My HOA won’t let me plant native plants.” The fact is, Texas state law prohibits HOAs from disallowing water-wise landscaping, but does allow them to require the landscaping fit into the general aesthetic of the neighborhood. How can we encourage the use of more native plants in our community and still make HOAs happy?

Equipment Required:
Projector, Screen, Television, Table
Additional Requirements:
None
Ecoregions Covered:
Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain

Presenter Information

Diane Wetherbee

Diane Wetherbee is a Texas Master Naturalist, as well as a member of the Native Prairies Association of Texas and the Native Plant Society of Texas. She is a Certified […]

  • Diane Wetherbee

    Diane Wetherbee is a Texas Master Naturalist, as well as a member of the Native Prairies Association of Texas and the Native Plant Society of Texas. She is a Certified Citizen Forester and is a board member of the Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council. She also serves as vice chairman of the board of The Flower Mound Foundation, caretakers of the 12.5-acre prairie remnant that gives the town its name. After a career in corporate communications and product marketing, she turned to her first love - the natural world. She was an interpretive naturalist and environmental educator at LLELA for 12 years, and is ABD (All But Dissertation) toward a Ph.D. in forestry at Stephen F. Austin State University. In her spare time, she serves as a member of Lantana's Denton County Fresh Water Supply District 7 board of directors, and is chairman of the Lantana HOA Architectural Review Committee.

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