What to plant in Houston, Texas

12 × 6 ft · Zone 9b · 6+ hours of sun · Modern

• Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'

  × 2

  Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue' or Inkberry holly 'Shamrock'.

• Lilyturf 'Big Blue'

  × 7

  Liriope muscari 'Big Blue'

  Grass · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Aug–Sep

  Listed as invasive in North Carolina in our table. Don't plant it there.

  Can't find it? Use Autumn moor grass.

• African iris

  × 3

  Dietes iridioides

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Mar–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Lily of the Nile or Bulbine.

• Mexican bush sage

  × 3

  Salvia leucantha

  Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 3 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · Aug–Nov

  Can't find it? Use Lily of the Nile or Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'.

• Daylily 'Stella de Oro'

  × 3

  Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · May–Sep

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 84% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 9b · 2–4 hours of sun · Classic

• Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'

  × 2

  Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Inkberry holly 'Shamrock' or Sasanqua camellia 'Shishi Gashira'.

• Japanese sedge 'Evergold'

  × 12

  Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'

  Grass · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Mondo grass or Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance'.

• Cast iron plant

  × 3

  Aspidistra elatior

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Autumn fern or Southern shield fern.

• African iris

  × 5

  Dietes iridioides

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Mar–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Autumn fern or Southern shield fern.

• Variegated lilyturf 'Variegata'

  × 9

  Liriope muscari 'Variegata'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 1–1.25 ft tall · Aug–Sep

  Listed as invasive in North Carolina in our table. Don't plant it there.

  Can't find it? Use Mondo grass or Lilyturf 'Big Blue' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there).

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 85% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 9b · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic

• Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata'

  × 1

  Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 4.5 ft apart · grows 4–6 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana' or Soft Caress mahonia 'Soft Caress'.

• Autumn fern

  × 7

  Dryopteris erythrosora

  Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Lilyturf 'Big Blue' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there) or Variegated lilyturf 'Variegata' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there).

• Cast iron plant

  × 5

  Aspidistra elatior

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Bush lily or Christmas fern.

• Southern shield fern

  × 5

  Thelypteris kunthii

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Bush lily or Christmas fern.

• Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance'

  × 5

  Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Mondo grass or Variegated lilyturf 'Variegata' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there).

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 91% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.