Struggling between growing native wildflowers vs exotic tropicals in my backyard

I've got a small 10x12 patch behind my garage in Austin and I keep going back and forth. For the last 2 years I planted mostly native species like bluebonnets and Indian blanket, and they took off with barely any work from me. But my neighbor down the street has this lush tropical bed with cannas and elephant ears and I'm honestly jealous every time I walk past it. I ended up trying a mix this spring 3 natives and 3 tropicals, but the tropicals are already drooping in this July heat while the natives look amazing. Has anyone here successfully mixed both types in a small space without one choking out the other?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery_flores1726d ago

Have you tried putting the tropicals in pots to move them around?

violaramirez26d ago

Austin in July with tropicals? @avery_flores17 that's just asking for crispy leaves.

tarabell26d ago

@violaramirez actually has a point about the crispy leaves. Even in pots, tropicals in Austin July will need some serious shade cloth or a spot that gets morning sun only. The afternoon heat here is brutal and will scorch most tropical leaves no matter what you do. From what I've seen, keeping them on a covered patio with a fan for airflow makes a huge difference.