5 favorite pollinators for Houston gardens

Coneflower (Echinacea)

If you’ve ever stepped outside in a Houston summer, you know the heat isn’t playing around—and neither are your plants. But some garden heroes absolutely thrive in this climate. If your flower beds are home to Mexican heather, African blue basil, Lantana, Salvia, or Coneflower, you’re in luck! These beauties bring bold color, pollinator power, and serious resilience to our Gulf Coast gardens. It’s a good idea to plant natives in different shapes, colors and sizes to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Here’s how to keep them happy, healthy, and blooming their little hearts out in Houston’s wild weather:

Mexican Heather

A compact, airy plant with tiny lavender-pink flowers that bloom almost nonstop through the growing season. Mexican heather loves heat and humidity, especially with morning sun and afternoon shade. When it’s first planted, regular watering will help it get established, but once settled, it can handle dry spells fairly well. This plant responds beautifully to light trimming, which keeps it tidy and encourages even more blooms. A layer of mulch will help hold moisture and keep the roots cool during the hottest months.

African Blue Basil

As useful as it is beautiful, this ornamental basil variety is a pollinator magnet, with purple stems and lavender flowers that seem to float above the foliage. It needs full sun—at least six hours a day—and appreciates soil that stays evenly moist but not soggy. Regular pruning keeps it from getting leggy and encourages more lush growth. If you're growing African Blue Basil for culinary use, pinch off the flowers to keep the leaves coming. Just know this basil isn’t frost-tolerant, so treat it as an annual or bring it inside before the first cold snap.

Lantana

One of the toughest, most sun-loving plants you can grow in Houston. Its bold clusters of flowers—often in fiery shades of orange, red, pink, and yellow—bloom throughout the summer and fall, even when temperatures soar. Lantana thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, and once it’s established, it can handle drought conditions like a pro. A deep watering once a week is better than frequent light watering. You can trim it back in early spring to refresh the shape and promote new growth, and while deadheading isn’t necessary, it can encourage even more flowering.

Salvia

Whether it’s the native Salvia greggii or a larger variety like Salvia farinacea, this plant is a hummingbird favorite with strong performance in our hot Texas climate. It loves full sun and doesn’t mind the occasional dry spell. In fact, it does best in soil that drains quickly and isn’t overly rich or wet. Salvia has a natural, slightly wild shape, but you can cut it back by a third in August to give it a boost and encourage a fresh wave of blooms in the fall. With minimal care, Salvia will flower for months and bring in all the good garden visitors—bees, butterflies, and birds.

Coneflower (Echinacea)

Bring prairie charm and resilience to the garden with Coneflower’s large daisy-like blooms in purple, pink, white, and even orange. These plants are sun-lovers that appreciate at least six hours of light each day, though they’ll tolerate a little afternoon shade in the height of summer. Once established, they’re surprisingly drought-tolerant, but a good drink during dry stretches will keep them blooming strong. You can deadhead to encourage more flowers, or leave the seed heads in place for a touch of fall texture and to feed goldfinches. Every few years, divide clumps in early spring to keep them thriving.

In general, these plants are well-suited to Houston’s intense summers, but they’ll all benefit from a few basic practices: mulch to conserve moisture and cool the soil, water in the early morning to prevent mildew, and a watch for pests like aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites during peak heat. A light application of fertilizer in May and July will give them a helpful nudge, but don’t overdo it—these aren’t needy plants.

With just a little care and attention, your garden can be a vibrant, colorful oasis even in the steamiest months. These tough, beautiful plants know how to put on a show—and with your help, they’ll keep the blooms coming all season long.