Probably not fair to bake those plants in the sun with minimal water, but I am amazed that these are alive although not blooming:Bluestem Grass
Apache Plume
Damianta
SnakeHerb

blackfoot daisy

gomphrena, reseeds like a pro

sad dianthus
and the salvia greggiis may be beyond help

Ah...Damianita...I have it on my property...it survived the drought just fine. I don't water those, except one where I have other plants I have to water until they are established. Is that Big Bluestem or Little Bluestem? Little Bluestem is more drought-tolerant than the other, but both are good.

Does the damianita that is watered bloom more?
Not sure if it is big or little bluestem, but it is about 21/2 ft high

It looks more like Big Bluestem to me. Right now my Little Bluestem plants are more green than that and have reddish tints on parts of the stems that aren't covered with leaf sheaths. The Damianita can bloom more with watering, but I think the frequently watered ones don't last as long.

linda......on the blue stem....i am putting in several of those this fall. little blue stem...prairie blues to be exact. you say little is more drought tolerant than big. but these are native texas grasses. did the big bluestem grow more around rivers and such?

Big Bluestem can tolerate some xeriscape conditions, but Little Bluestem is just a bit more drought-tolerant and can tolerate worse soils, IMHO. I've got Little Bluestem in various parts of my mostly caliche and limestone property, but the only place I remember Big Bluestem growing is a few near the ditch by the road, so I assume it needs a a bit better soil and a little more water. Then last year I planted one Big Bluestem up on the slope where I'm restoring an area that was bulldozed. It doesn't seem to be doing as well as the Little Bluestems in the same area.

what about that indian grass? do you grow it?

I have just a few on the property...they look nice when they are blooming...the rest of the time I could never recognize it at all.

Is bluestem the same as Fescuca ovina "blue boulder"?

it's not the same as fescuca .....did you mean fescue? not the same as that either.


do you notice that indian grass needs a somewhat damper environment too?

Well, I did notice that there was a lot more of them at a nature center that's got a REAL creek flowing through part of it (as opposed to my property, which is drier).

i am full of questions. how big is that nature center? is it acres and acres?

Oh, that's okay. Curiosity about nature is such a good thing! It's 100 acres...used to be smaller, but they added more land. It's in Boerne, where they have some active nature and native plants enthusiasts. I became interested in the CNC when I was in a Master Naturalist class and met one lady that volunteers out there. Look at this link...the Hill Country has some nice creek or river areas. I'd love to live closer to a creek and river that actually flows on a regular basis. The little dry creek that crosses that corner of my property hardly ever flows.
http://www.cibolo.org/

Went to the website.....what a beautiful area. I want to have a forum to spotlight some of the area parks and gardens. I'd like to add this one. Do you know of others in your area? Like the SA Botanical Gardens?

what small tree/tall shrub can i add to my landscape to provide an evergreen screen to my property? i need a bunch of them as i plan on outlining my whole front space.

thought about sweet olive but not really sure if it's evergreen here. i do need them to tolerate what texas dishes out as well.

I hope you don't mind me chiming in from AZ. I am looking to add a 4-5ft tall grass that mimicks a seascape and can handle the az sun.
mamajack--how about tall oleander bushes as shrubs. they stay evergreen for us. orangebells also stay evergreen for me and grow very fast too.

neither one will stay green here frag. gets too cold. orange bells.........i assume you mean the orange version of esperanza or tecoma stans?