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FloraVista

City guide · Zone 8b

What to plant in El Paso, Texas

A full-sun bed in El Paso: Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue', Little bluestem 'Standing Ovation', Butterfly weed, Autumn sage, Hens and chicks. Zone 8b, last frost around Mar 10.

Chihuahuan Desert: very dry, with cold winter nights. Low-water desert plants only.

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

El Paso, Texas at a glance

Hardiness zone (2023 USDA)
8b (ZIP 79901)
Typical last spring frost
Mar 10
Typical first fall frost
Nov 10
Spring planting window
mid-April to mid-May
Fall planting window
October to mid-November
Annual rainfall (approx.)
9 in

Frost dates are typical metro values, not forecasts. Extreme summer heat and very low rainfall are the limiting factors; the zone number says nothing about either. Our lists for El Paso use the rules for the Desert Southwest.

Zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023 (USDA Agricultural Research Service; data by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University). ZIP code to state data: GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0.

A full-sun bed in El Paso

6 or more hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 8b · 6+ hours of sun · Low-water

Kinds

5

Plants

41

Coverage

86%

Gravel

0.44 cu yd

Gravel or decomposed granite: 0.44 cu yd at 2 in deep (6 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 86% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

A part-shade bed in El Paso

2 to 4 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.

Our plant table doesn't have enough plants for this yet: it can't fill a full bed for 2 to 4 hours of direct summer sun in zone 8b.

A shady bed in El Paso

Under 2 hours of direct summer sun, 12 × 6 ft.

Our plant table doesn't have enough plants for this yet: it can't fill a full bed for under 2 hours of direct summer sun in zone 8b.

Guides for zone 8

Questions and answers

What hardiness zone is El Paso, Texas in?
Central El Paso (ZIP 79901) is in zone 8b on the 2023 USDA map: the coldest night of an average winter falls between 15°F and 20°F. Suburbs can be half a zone colder.
When is the last frost in El Paso?
Typically around Mar 10 in spring and Nov 10 in fall. These are typical dates; any one year can be two weeks earlier or later.
When should I plant shrubs and perennials in El Paso?
In spring, mid-April to mid-May; in fall, October to mid-November. Fall planting gives roots a cool, moist season to settle before summer.
How many plants do I need for a 12 × 6 ft bed in El Paso?
Our full-sun bed list for El Paso uses 41 plants of 5 kinds, plus 6 bags of mulch.

How this page was made

This page was generated from FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules: the rules engine composed each list for the city's 2023 USDA zone, its region's summers and its state's invasive lists. The frost dates and rainfall are approximate metro values. No person or chat model chose these plants, and no named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

  • Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
  • ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
  • Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
  • State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
  • Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
  • USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Data by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University.
  • ZIP code to state data: GeoNames (geonames.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants